Dillon Doeden lives in Gretna, Nebraska with his wife Jessica, 8-year-old daughter Harper, and six-year-old son Connor – who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

Dillon joined the JAR of Hope team that reached the highest basecamp on Mount Everest last year (18,372’), to raise funding to research a cure for all the kids with Duchenne.

This past September 24-30, Dillon took on yet another physical challenge to help JAR of Hope raise that funding. Although he had only run one competitive race in his life, he joined the JOH team in perhaps the most physically- and mentally-toughest race in America…and the world. 

The Grand2Grand Ultra runs through Arizona and Utah. It’s 171 miles of hell, through mountains and canyons and rivers and river-beds and caves, while enduring temperature variations of 40+ degrees each day. 

“Only 1% of Americans have even completed a marathon, which is about 26 miles,” Dillon Doeden says. “And this race is almost seven marathons – with wide variations in altitude and terrain and temperature - but without the paved roads and people offering you water and snacks along the route. But I wasn’t doing it for myself. I was doing it for Connor. And I was doing it for JAR of Hope, which gives parents like Jessica and I the hope that a cure for Duchenne is coming. In fact, I think it’s hard to find a charitable foundation that’s fighting harder to save these kids.” 

Unfortunately, Dillon had to leave the race early after an injury – but not until after he’d completed 79 miles.

“I didn’t want to stop,” he says. “I wanted to keep going for my son and all the kids JAR of Hope is helping. But I had an injury, and my body just couldn’t do what my brain was asking. And when my brain finally said ‘Stop!’...I figured I’d better listen.” 

Dillon notes that Jim Raffone and JAR of Hope have always had a reputation for taking on big physical challenges to raise money for a cure for these kids. (For example, Jim has run from Washington, D.C. to central New Jersey, and from Worcester, Massachusetts to central Jersey; climbing on Mount Everest; he’s won a professional boxing match; and probably more marathons than he can count; etc.) 

“My injury was harder for me than it probably would have been for many others.” Dillon says, “because I wanted to finish so badly for my son. But I’m still grateful that JAR of Hope gave me such a great opportunity.” 

He says the experience of being on the six-person JAR of Hope team was very meaningful, too, because of the camaraderie and the emotional support each person gave the others. He notes, too, that Jim Raffone and team members gave him a very positive feeling about the experience even though he couldn’t finish. 

Dillon and Jessica were naturally devastated when they got Connor’s diagnosis. But now, their involvement with JAR of Hope endows them with a very precious gift – hope for a cure. And ways to actually participate in raising money for that cure. 

“Most people have probably never heard of Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” Dillon says. “But not one child has beaten this disease yet. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes – and wherever it takes me – to help beat this disease. I don’t think I could live with myself otherwise.”

Dillon says Jim Raffone was a fountain of inspiration for every person on the JAR of Hope team. In fact, Jim gave an emotional talk to the team the morning of the longest run of the week, when everyone was physically and emotionally tired. And in so doing, he sent the group out on an inspirational note…and with a “can-do” feeling. 

“Jim showed, all through the week, how much he cared about everyone on the team,” Dillon Doeden says, “and how much he cares about these kids. And his talk to us on the morning of the long run…filled all of us, as tired as we were, with enthusiasm about our mission and our goal of helping these kids. He is a leader in every sense of the word.”

Even though he couldn’t finish the race, Dillon says he’ll be back again, because he has unfinished business. And that’s the spirit that carries everyone involved with JAR of Hope – until there’s a cure for Duchenne, they have unfinished business. 

Dillon’s notes his son Connor will never have the ability to run this race. But he’s willing to work as hard as he can to do it himself, precisely because Connor can’t. 

 “I wasn’t able to finish this time,” Dillon Doeden says. “But I have unfinished business in this race. And I’ll be back.”