ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman crossed the finish line of the 26.2 With Donna half marathon Sunday with an open wound on her arm from a dog attack about a mile before.
Julie Stackhouse has run in 11 Donna marathons or half marathons and has won both. But this year, Stackhouse had extra motivation.
Her mother is a recent breast cancer survivor
“She was on my heart and mind for all…well 12 miles, for sure,” Stackhouse said.
About a mile from the finish line, Stackhouse was poised for the podium. In an instant, her own survival took the lead. As Stackhouse ran on Sherry Drive in Atlantic Beach about to turn onto 4th Street, a dog rushed her and attacked.
“It just happened really fast,” she said. “I switched out of race mode and into fight or flight mode instantly.”
Stackhouse estimated the whole ordeal lasted from 35-45 seconds. Once the dog was under control and spectators rushed to help her, Stackhouse said a friend who was also running the race approached her and urged her to finish.
So she kept running.
“Because I had memorized the course, I knew exactly how far I had left to go,” Stackhouse said. “And I knew that I would be to the finish line in a matter of minutes.”
In the end, Stackhouse was the fourth woman to cross the finish line of the half marathon. She immediately told medics what happened and was given medical aid. Days later, the wound is bruised and sealed with stitches.
“I think it’s when I got to the finish line and I looked at it…I think that’s when it hit me,” Stackhouse said.
According to Atlantic Beach Police, the dog’s owner was cited. A police department representative said because the owner was able to provide proof of rabies vaccination, the report was filed with the Department of Health and the dog is on home quarantine for 10 days.
After having time to process what happened, Stackhouse urged pet owners to keep their dogs leashed during large events like the 26.2 With Donna.
Meanwhile, Stackhouse hoped to return to racing soon and already has next year’s Donna Marathon penciled in on her calendar.
“We have to get over those fears, I guess,” she said. “And so that’ll just be putting one foot in front of the other.”