David's fight to the finish line

Four marathons. Four medals. Four lives lived in a single body that had every reason to quit - yet David Crosby never did.

The man who twice stood at death’s door, knocked, and somehow walked away to still tell the tale, crossed the finish line of the 2025 Chicago Marathon last weekend (October 12), lungs burning, legs trembling, the weight of 10 and a half hours of "pure pain" pressing down. But behind the suffering was something more: proof that David is still here.

“This one was definitely the hardest. Looking back, it almost didn’t make sense to even attempt it, considering everything I’ve been through the past few years,” says David, sitting at a street cafe enjoying breakfast with his loving wife Katie when the Celt calls.

“It was crazy, honestly, bananas. I pushed myself further than I thought possible. I really tested the limits of what the human body can endure. It was beyond pain. The soreness in my legs wasn’t even the worst part. My lungs were the real issue. It became so hard to breathe and keep moving forward. I was barely getting any oxygen, so I felt like I was on life support for most of it. It was tough from the start and only got worse with every kilometre, but I kept pushing.”

Journey

David’s journey didn’t start in Chicago. It began in a Dublin hospital bed almost four years to the day, with machines doing the work of breathing for the Kingscourt man.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)- a rare terminal lung disease claimed the lives of three of his siblings in infancy. David has it too, though he was given a second chance in 2016 when a double lung transplant allowed him to breathe freely again.

At the time, it felt like a miracle, and for a time, life and David surged forward. Marathon finish lines were crossed in New York, London, and Berlin. He helped coach his local GAA team Meath Hill to championship glory, and even planned a run in Tokyo.

But in 2021, everything came crashing down when David contracted COVID-19.

With his lungs already badly compromised, the virus hit an already vulnerable David harder than most.

He was placed in a medically induced coma. As doctors prepared to intubate him, David went through the difficult motions of saying goodbye to his Katie and their three children. It was the second time he’d had to have this impossible conversation - the first before his double lung transplant.

David spent 66 days in hospital. At one point, his condition declined so rapidly his family were called to his bedside. Everyone feared the worst. But David pulled through - though not without consequences.

Miracle

Covid robbed him of 60% lung capacity. It also caused total kidney failure and, for three years, David underwent dialysis three times a week at Cavan General Hospital. The impact on his body was immense.

Then came another miracle. In July 2024, Katie donated her kidney to David. Against all comparable odds she was a match. It was the “ultimate gift” that changed everything and, for the first time in years, David could dream again. That dream was the Chicago Marathon - his fourth in terms of the World Marathon Majors - ambitious even under normal circumstances.

For David, it bordered on the impossible. He needed oxygen support for most of the race, with his team - Andy O'Brien, David McNally and Sonny John Maher - carrying a concentrator to keep him going. His lungs struggled with every step, but he never stopped. And at his side too the entire way round was wife Katie.

Hearing scores from the Senior final back home came only as added motivation.

“When I crossed the finish line and got that medal, I felt so proud - proud of myself, and so thankful for everyone who supported me along the way: my kids, my wife, my family, the community back home in Kingscourt, and all the people who sent me messages, telling me I was inspiring them,” says an emotional David. “It means a lot.”

Special moment

Chicago was never about personal bests or records. David already defied the limits of what a human body could or perhaps should put itself through. The road to America's 'Windy City' was paved with setbacks. After recovering from the coma, David relearned how to walk. Even sipping water was a milestone. He lost 15 pounds of muscle in hospital and recovery after was exhausting.

In the quiet moments - walking through Dun a Rí Forest Park or along Port Beach in Louth - places loved by David and his family - he found strength.

David walked the Chicago Marathon not just for himself, but for those who couldn’t - his siblings who never got the chance, for the anonymous lung donor who gave him a second life, and the countless others battling chronic illness without hope of reprieve.

“It felt amazing to finish together after everything we’ve been through,” says David of completing the marathon with wife Katie.

“It was a special moment, especially after all that support from her throughout my journey over the past 10 years. We’ve always dreamed of running a marathon together, and finally being able to do it was surreal.”

Highs and lows

In finishing the Chicago Marathon, David is raising funds for ILFA Ireland (Irish Lung Fibrosis Association), a charity supporting him and many others fighting a disease that still has no cure. Donations will go towards research, education, and advocacy, and already a GoFundMe page has received donations of close to €1,900, not far off breaking the initial €2,400 goal.

If this is to be David's last marathon- and he says it most likely is- it certainly won’t be the end of his journey.

He returns home to Cavan on Thursday most likely to a hero’s welcome.

“It’s been an incredible journey, but after what I’ve been through - the health challenges - I don’t know if I’d do another marathon. But who knows? Right now, I’m just proud to have made it through this one with my wife by my side. There have been a lot of tough times - hard conversations, tough moments with family and kids. But the highs, the joys, they’ve always outweighed the lows. I’ve always believed if you stick with something, you can get through the hard times. You just have to let the difficult moments pass, ride them out, and keep looking ahead.”