Honoring a fallen fighter

Their goal of crossing the finish line may be the same, but they all participate for different reasons.

Newport Beach Fire Capt. Jeff Boyles and his colleagues will join 17,000 Surf City USA Marathon-goers Sunday to honor a fallen friend, Kevin Pryor.

Pryor died of a stroke the day after returning from fighting a wildfire in Northern California last summer. He was 31 years old.

Boyles said Pryor’s death made his colleagues take a look at their own lives and decisions.

“Essentially, when a friend of yours [who is] young dies randomly, it causes you to take a step back and evaluate where you are in life, and hopefully become a better friend, husband, wife or whatever you are,” he said.

Boyles, a Huntington Beach resident, will participate in the half-marathon with several other friends, their wives and cousins; two other participating firefighters, Brad Smith and Ty Lunde, are also Huntington Beach locals.

Boyles became the president of his firefighter’s association just a month before Pryor’s death. He soon found himself coordinating funeral arrangements and became the family liaison with the department.

Through the past several months, the tight-knit group of firefighters has remembered Pryor in different ways, from the Camp Pendleton Mud Run to a posthumous birthday party in a hotel ballroom.

Boyles said Pryor completed several “once-in-a-lifetime” activities in the year before he died, from climbing Mt. Whitney to going to a Notre Dame football game in Indiana, which inspired him and his friends.

“To me and for a lot of us, it was that extra push,” he said. “Everyone does a New Year’s resolution, and they stop by Jan. 15. This was one of those deals where he was healthy and he was one of us. It makes you ask yourself, are you living your life in a way where, if it ends today, are you satisfied with what your life was? I think Kevin really lived his life the way he wanted to. There was a lot of mourning for him early on, but it became more inspirational for us.”

Since the Los Angeles Marathon moved to Memorial Day weekend, the local event has seen an upsurge of interest in people who want to race in winter.

Boyles and his friends will wear blue T-shirts with a shamrock on the front, in honor of Pryor’s Irish heritage and love of Notre Dame.

The back will read “Because I’m a man and I choose to” — a tongue-in-cheek tribute to their friend.

While fighting a tough blaze, with a hose line over one shoulder, Pryor entered a patch of dense smoke; ashes were blowing in his face. A colleague behind him said he couldn’t go any farther, and asked Pryor why he kept going in.

“Because I’m a man and I choose to,” Pryor called back.

“It was a funny story when he was alive, but that became his fight song,” Boyles said. “Kevin was one of those advocates of people getting together and trying new things. If you have anything in your life that’s a motivator, then the half-marathon is a good, symbolic way of getting through it. People do runs for everything; it’s about symbolism.”

MARATHON WEEKEND

SUNDAY START TIMES

Marathon: 6:50 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street

Half Marathon: 7:45 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street

5K: 7:15 a.m. at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway

Kids Run: 8:35 a.m. at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE EXPO

Beach parking lot across from the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Highway

Friday: 3 to 7 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

BEER GARDEN BEACH PARTY

The Michelob Ultra Beach Party will be in the finish area, with two free beers and an energy drink given to each participant.

Live surf music:

 8 to 10:30 a.m.: The Fabulous Nomads

 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.: Outer Wave

CANDICE BAKER may be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at [email protected].