Patient Spotlight: Mark Silva

When I reached out to Mark about being featured in this edition’s spotlight, his immediate response was classic Mark:
“Me???? I’m so old news. Completely irrelevant. Sure.”

It made me smile. Because while many of us may feel that way as the years pass and the pace of life only seems to quicken, the truth is quite the opposite. Our stories—especially the ones that weave us into the fabric of our community—never become irrelevant.

When I asked Mark to share some of his favorite Hometown10k memories, two came to mind right away:

• The Brother/Brother Division: Mark and his brother Paul took home the win back in “maybe 1986?” he recalled with a laugh. Old news? Hardly.

• The Midnight Trial Run: With clear excitement in his voice, Mark told me about one year when he was in peak shape. The Tuesday before Hometown, he hammered out a huge track workout. The next night, on a whim, he ran the course alone, under the night sky—33 minutes flat, his fastest time ever. But come race day? A brutal side stitch forced him to walk, finishing around 34:40. “I always eat shit and burn at the race,” he admitted, half-joking.

Stories like these are exactly what make Mark such a cornerstone of our running community. Yes, he knows everyone’s times. Yes, he remembers every detail of every race. But more than that—he knows us. He cares deeply about each person, both on and off the course. That’s the glue that keeps a community strong.

So no, Mark, you’re not old news. You’re part of the story that keeps being written, year after year.

Thanks for everything you bring.

See you at the start line.