South Fayette man, 4 children run to honor wife, mom who died from cancer

Manson and Kristin Seto talked about running together as a family.

They never got to take that first step.

Kristin Seto died in 2014 from colon cancer. She wasn’t well enough to jog with her husband and their four children.

But the surviving South Fayette family won’t let that dream fade.

The five of them – Manson, Connor, 13, Kaylee, 11, Abby, 9, and Dylan, 6 — decided to journey out in her memory and will participate in the FlyBy 5K and 2-Mile Fun Run/Walk along a Pittsburgh International Airport runway. They will all take part in the 2-Mile Fun Run/Walk.

Race day is Saturday for the aviation-themed event.

Will you be racing the runway at Pittsburgh International next weekend? Our fourth annual FlyBy 5K and 2-Mile Fun Run is set for next Saturday, Sept. 21 and there's still time to register. https://t.co/o9s6NC16Kr

— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) September 14, 2019

Manson Seto said seeing the airport from a different angle is fun for his children.

He said he uses running as a way to remind his children to never quit and to know someone will be there with them to help them reach the finish line. This will be their fourth year participating in the event.

The family trains by running at their school in the South Fayette district. His hardest day was having to tell his children their mother died.

“Running with my family helps keep us connected,” said Connor. “If someone falls behind, we wait up for them. Running helps relieve stress. And I know my mom is smiling watching us.”

They’ve competed in Relay for Life as “Team Kristin.” Seto carried Dylan the entire race and they all finished.

“We were all tired, but we finished,” he said. “It’s a bonding experience.”

Seto had photos of their mother made and posted on the wall of the toy room and he has a picture of each of them with their mother on the wall leading to the upstairs. The children hang their race medals nearby.

“It’s about making memories,” said Manson Seto, who ran his first marathon in his wife’s honor. “Kristin and I had many talks about doing some exercise while she was undergoing treatment but she never felt well enough to run.”

The airport race is run by P3R, an organization that produces races, including the annual Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon as well as other running events and health and fitness programs, in partnership with the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

More than 1,500 participants are expected, airport officials said.

The race benefits Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit established to assist members of the military, families and others traveling through the airport.

For details, see the p3r.org site.