Austin Marathon Runner Hits Pavement to Repay Favor

A man who has defied great odds in life pushed himself to the limit Sunday to give others hope. Our Elizabeth Jeneault introduces us to Austin Marathon runner Alan Leonard. 

AUSTIN, Texas -- Thousands of runners left it all on the pavement Sunday morning for the 25th annual Austin Marathon, Half Marathon and Paramount 5K.

For many, it's all about the adrenaline rush.

"I'm tired, I'm sore but I'm so excited for running next year," said runner Roli Gupta.

But for one man in the sea of runners, the race meant much more.

"It's called a cheetah leg and I have it because I lost my leg when I had cancer. I was diagnosed with bone cancer about 10 years ago. So, it's basically a big, giant carbon blade," said Leonard.

Learning how to run again wasn't easy for Leonard, but it helped him overcome a dark time in his life.

Now, he's lifting the spirits of others -- one mile at a time.

"I've been running with Texas 4,000, it's an organization that supports students who ride their bikes from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska, a 4,000 mile bike ride, and they do that to raise money for cancer research," he said.

It's a way for Leonard to return a major favor.

In 2013, part of Texas 4,000's ride was dedicated to him.

"That was very helpful for me when I was going through treatment to know those kids were out there suffering with me," said Leonard.