Raul Patrick "RunningShield" Concepcion was a beloved son, brother, father, partner, and a passionate life-long runner.

His running journey began on May 30, 1980 in Vancouver, Canada, at the tender age of 17 and weighing 220 pounds. “I started running not to lose weight,” said Patrick, “but…because I simply enjoyed it. When I took my first step as a runner I knew I was hooked and this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

In 2006, Patrick began his blog "The RunningShield" to chronicle his own running journey. Since then, his words have inspired generations of local and international runners with his special brand of humor, wisdom, and dedication to the running life. Running, he wrote, provided him with “a sense of calm” that enabled him “to tackle life’s daily challenges.” He encouraged people to approach the marathon of life “with deep appreciation, joy, and always with a healthy dose of humor.

In June 2021, Patrick was diagnosed with early stage Pancreatic Cancer, but neither surgery nor chemotherapy could keep Patrick out of his running shoes. “I choose to forge ahead, embracing my age, embracing my life and getting ready for what’s next,” wrote Patrick.

Over the course of his life, Patrick ran a total of 127,811.89 kilometers-- 3x times around the circumference of the earth. “All in all,” said Patrick, “it’s been an adventure-filled running life. Running completes me like that missing piece to a puzzle that makes me whole; that makes me ‘me’ .”

We honor his legacy by doing what he loved most, in the hopes that we too can share in the peace, joy, and purpose that he found through running. After all, as Patrick said: “Life is good. Running made it better.”