The inaugural Willie McCool Memorial Half Marathon was well-supported in Lubbock. The race was named after the astronaut and former Lubbock resident who died while piloting the space shuttle Columbia during its tragic 2003 mission.
About 400 runners and 100 volunteers participated in half marathon and 5K races, according to organizers David and Ainsley Nelson. One of the 5K runners was Barry McCool, Willie’s father.
The race honored an American hero and was a fundraiser for the Willie McCool Scholarship fund at Coronado High School, where McCool graduated in 1979.