Erin and Jake Zeman with son, Jack, at Garden City, Summer 2013
During this Advent season— the Christian period of anticipation, hope, and joy— friends and family of Jake Zeman are also experiencing a time of reflection and mourning as they remember the exemplary life of their beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, and athlete.
Jake, a competitive runner, collapsed and died the day before his 36th birthday near the finish line of the November 9 Savannah Rock ’n Roll Marathon. His wife, Erin, and close friends were by his side.
Jake was a talented high school athlete, having discovered his passion for running only within the last several years. In 2012, with Erin cheering him on from the sidelines, Jake ran his first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Not long thereafter, he set his sights on Savannah, intent on breaking the fourhour mark. He entered Savannah in the best shape of his life and had the support of his family and friends all around him.
Erin is drawing on her deep faith to sustain her in her profound loss, holding close in her heart the verses from 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (New Revised Standard Version).
Jake Zeman running in 2012 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearance.
“I keep saying those verses over and over to myself, and I believe that Jake is saying them too,” Erin said, in loving remembrances of her husband. During these difficult days, she draws sustenance from their son who is a two-and-a-half-year-old living image of his father.
“I know my precious Jake is in God’s hands completely now, and I am supported by family, friends, and even strangers. That helps me each day.
“I have felt Jake’s presence with me as keenly as his absence. He is with me but in a very different way. Although I cannot imagine life without him, I have the best part of him with me in our little boy, Jack.”
She believes the stars were aligned to bring them together with ties that extend back a generation. Erin’s mother and Jake’s father grew up next door to each other in Marion, but fate would have to wait as it would not be until years later, in Columbia, that Erin and Jake would be introduced to each other by friends. Their destiny was finally fulfilled when they married in 2010. Their son, Jack, was born in 2011.
“Jake was the best person and the best father —the epitome of a great man—who worked tirelessly in our behalf and surrounded us in the most loving and protective way,” she said.
In their married life and as young parents, they sought the company of others who shared their values and passions. As a result, it would be in the church and in the church’s running group, the Trenholm Roadrunners, that strong bonds were formed. Over the course of many miles together, their group, both husbands and wives, all became close, devoted friends.
Several of their running friends joined the Zemans for a couples’ getaway in Savannah for the marathon. Erin did not compete, saying she decided to be “a runner’s wife that weekend.”
Now she draws comfort in being by his side for his final race. As he departed for the starting line, she was there to assure him of his readiness and to tell him she loved him.
She was there to follow his progress along the route and near the finish line to see him run past. He collapsed within 200 feet of the finish line, on pace to reach his goal of breaking four hours. Because she was intent on remaining as close as possible, she was able to rush to his side when he was stricken and to spend the final moments of his life with him.
Joining her at the hospital were the close friends who had accompanied them to Savannah. Along with gratitude for their support, she is also appreciative of the efforts of medical, municipal, and race official personnel who did everything in their power to save Jake and to support his family in their loss.
Among those gathered nearby was Josh Furlow, senior vice president for operations with Competitor Group, Inc. of San Diego, California, who oversees worldwide operations, such as the Rock ’n Roll Marathon Series. He was an invaluable source of support, Erin said.
Devoted friends, with assistance from Zurlow, have established a college fund for Erin and Jake’s son, Jack, and have created a website to coordinate contributions to the fund. The website can be found at http://www.jackzemancollegefund.org.
As a testament to Jake’s character and the strong connection felt by those who had the privilege of calling him a friend, contributions have been received from all over the country; although, gifts are still very much needed.
Will Britt and Jeff Godby of Columbia began running with Jake as members of the Trenholm Roadrunners. They quickly became a band of brothers, sharing many a sunrise along the way, including training for and running with Jake during last year’s Marine Corps Marathon—a first for each. Will and Jeff are among those leading the scholarship fund effort.
In describing the loss of his friend, Will says he has struggled to express it. “How much did his friendship mean to me? That is like asking to put a value on a missing arm or leg. After some time, you may be able to compensate for such a loss, but at the end of the day a part of you will always be missing,” he said.
Jeff says he feels the presence of his friend at all times, and especially so in a recent marathon following the loss of Jake. “He was an angel on my shoulder,” he said.
Jake was both an athlete and an artist. He graduated from Dreher High School, where he lettered in baseball and soccer. He then pursued another talent at the College of Charleston, earning a bachelor of arts degree in studio art. Following college, Jake was employed by the University of South Carolina Facilities Planning and Programming office as an information resource consultant.
Jake continued to pursue his lifelong interests; yet everyone knew that what he cared about most were his wife and son. His extended family and friends were a close second.
In addition to Erin and Jack, Jake is survived by his parents, Robert and Terri; his sister, Keri Lynn Zeman; aunts, uncles, and cousins; his father-in-law and mother in-law, Tommy and Brandy Middlebrooks; his sisterin law and brother-in-law, Neely and Dwight Cathcart, and their children, Emma Heyward and Brooks.
In mourning their untimely loss, friends have been reminded of the poem, “To an Athlete Dying Young,” by A.E. Housman, which reads in part:
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the
market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you
shoulder-high.
Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.
Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honors out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.
In the end, Jake’s heart could not carry him across the finish line. Yet, it is the gift of his heart that chairs his family and friends shoulder-high through the stiller town. And they go forth to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith.
Shakespeare once wrote, “Now bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible.” Run on, Jake. Run on.
Will Britt, fellow runner and devoted friend of Jake Zeman, contributed to this article.
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