He had just finished four races in four days. Then something changed.

Still Running: How Brain Surgery Got a Glioblastoma Patient Back in the Race

At 77, Tom Brand was diagnosed with glioblastoma after losing his ability to speak. Just months after surgery, he crossed the New York City Marathon finish line—side by side with his wife.

At 77 years old, Tom Brand had no intention of slowing down.

An accomplished runner, Tom had just completed a grueling set of races: three marathons and a half marathon over just four days in Alaska. He didn’t just run to stay healthy. He ran for the personal challenge, the camaraderie with other racers, and the shared experiences with his wife, Fran.

When something started to seem off after the final half marathon, at first Tom and Fran chalked it up to exhaustion. What they didn’t know was that as Tom’s body was performing at its peak, his brain was quietly unraveling.

When Words Failed

At first, the signs were subtle.

While visiting a local museum, Tom rushed through exhibits where he would usually linger, carefully reading every label and placard. At dinner, he called the waitress “honey,” something he had never done before. The following night, he couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant.

The incidents were minor, but together they added up to uncharacteristic behavior.

It only got worse when the Brands returned home to New Jersey. As they were walking up to their house, Tom handed Fran the keys.

“I have the keys to open the door,” he tried to say. But what came out instead was, “I have the bike to fix the window.”

Fran immediately knew what Tom was experiencing went far beyond race fatigue or normal aging. Something was deeply wrong.

Despite his difficulty with words, Tom could still complete complex calculations flawlessly, down to the penny. But when he and Fran arrived at the bank, he couldn’t explain what he needed to do.

“It was mind boggling to see how his brain was working,” Fran remembered. “He had acute aphasia, but with numbers he was sharp as a tack.”

An Alarming Diagnosis

Tom and Fran visited their family physician, who suggested Tom may have experienced a transient ischemic attack and recommended an MRI. Fran didn’t want to wait. She insisted they go straight to the emergency room at Overlook Medical Center.

Imaging revealed a left temporal glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor affecting the brain’s speech center. Pathology later confirmed it was IDH-wild type and MGMT-methylated, an aggressive tumor type with molecular features that helped guide treatment planning.

Tom was referred to a multidisciplinary care team that included neuro-oncologist Nicholas Metrus, MD, of Atlantic Medical Group, and Yaron A. Moshel, MD, PhD, FAANS, medical director of neurosurgery at Atlantic Health System and director of the Brain Tumor Center at Atlantic Brain and Spine. From the beginning, coordination and communication were central to his care.

“While glioblastoma is an aggressive diagnosis, Tom’s molecular pathology was favorable,” said Dr. Metrus. “The MGMT methylation suggested that his tumor would be more responsive to chemotherapy, which helped guide treatment decisions and gave us reason to be optimistic about how he might respond.”

No Need for a Second Opinion

With Tom’s aphasia worsening, Fran began researching his doctors. She read reviews and talked to staff around Overlook. Everything she learned made her feel more confident that Tom was in good hands.

Family members suggested seeking second opinions in New York City, but in her research, Fran discovered that many neurosurgeons there had actually been trained by Dr. Moshel.

When Dr. Moshel walked into Tom’s room, the first thing Fran noticed was the backpack slung over his shoulder. “I was personally thrilled,” she recalled. “It looked like he had just come from a run.”

“Most patients have already done their research by the time they meet me,” said Dr. Moshel. “They don’t need a wall of diplomas or titles. They want to know they’re being cared for by someone who sees them as a person and that their condition will be managed thoughtfully, from the very beginning and through every step that follows.”

Though Tom couldn’t communicate it at the time, he was reassured by Dr. Moshel’s caring nature and knowledgeable approach. “He was a great person to have working on me,” Tom said. “He’s the best. I feel fortunate.”

An Ambitious Post-Surgery Goal

On August 6, 2024, Dr. Moshel performed surgery to remove Tom’s tumor.

Because the tumor was located in the dominant temporal lobe, an area critical for language, memory, and vision, the surgical plan required extraordinary precision. The goal was to remove as much tumor as possible without compromising the abilities that define daily life.

Dr. Moshel performed a temporal lobectomy with amygdalohippocampectomy, carefully removing tumor-involved tissue while preserving essential brain networks. During surgery, real-time brain mapping and monitoring helped identify areas responsible for speech and comprehension, allowing the team to navigate safely around them.

To further improve accuracy, Tom received 5-ALA prior to surgery, a medication that causes tumor tissue to fluoresce under specialized light. This “tumor glow” helped define tumor margins more clearly, which is especially important in gliomas that can blend into surrounding brain tissue.

“In modern neurosurgery our goal is always to do more, while taking less,” said Dr. Moshel. “In other words, we aim for more tumor removal when possible, with less disruption to the brain’s essential networks. It’s a balance of boldness and restraint, guided by technology, experience, and a team approach.”

As he emerged from anesthesia, Tom spoke his first coherent words in over a week: he declared he would run the New York City Marathon. With surgery in August and the marathon in early November, the timeline was ambitious. But for Tom, it was motivation to recover.

His “training” started before he even left the hospital. The day after surgery, he was doing laps around the halls, determined to get in a mile.

Tom’s speech returned rapidly. Within two days of being discharged, he called the bank himself, resolving everything he hadn’t been able to explain before surgery.

Training Through Treatment

Over the next several months, Tom completed the standard treatment for glioblastoma, including chemoradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy. Despite the fatigue and lethargy that came with treatment, he continued to train.

By the time his course of treatment ended in October, Tom’s energy was slowly returning. His medical team was supportive, and he felt confident he could take on the New York City Marathon, but there were still risks to manage.

Race preparation was highly intentional. Neurological warning signs, including a sudden burning smell, would mean stopping the race immediately. Fran also made sure Tom followed a strict fueling and replenishment strategy throughout the race.

Back in the Race, Together

Tom and Fran Brand running the New York City Marathon together after his surgery.

That year’s New York City Marathon was a meaningful first for Tom and Fran. It wasn’t their first time running the marathon. They had run it so many times before that they were members of the “Streakers and 15+” group, earning them a special early start in the race.

This time, though, would be their first time running side by side from start to finish. They began the morning without expectations about time or performance. The only goal was to finish the race.

“Having Fran by my side supporting me gave me the peace of mind to tackle the marathon despite what I had been through,” Tom said.

Seven hours after they stepped across the starting line, they crossed the finish line together.

Four days later, they completed a 12-hour event, followed by a marathon in Flagstaff, Arizona. Ironically, Tom later tripped during a relaxing trail walk in Arizona and broke his leg. He had to take more time off training for that injury than he did for brain surgery, but no surprise, he persisted.

Still Moving Forward

Tom Brand with family during the New York City Marathon.

Today, Tom and Fran continue racing together, completing marathons, ultras, and shorter distances at each other’s side. Since recovering from his broken leg, Tom has completed 26 half marathons, including eight races across eight states in just eight days.

He is clinically stable and back to full neurological function. He undergoes routine MRI surveillance every two months and has not experienced any new symptoms. Running remains his motivation.

Under the expert care of Dr. Moshel, Dr. Metrus, and the team at Atlantic Brain and Spine, Tom keeps moving forward, one mile at a time.

“Our goal is to help patients keep living their lives,” said Dr. Moshel. “For Tom, that means being able to run, not just once, but again and again. Helping him get back to that is why we do what we do.”

Each mile is a reminder of what thoughtful, human-centered care can make possible, and for Tom, proof that even after a glioblastoma diagnosis, forward motion is still within reach.