Wendy Martinez' life was cut short before she could marry Daniel Hincapie, but her grieving fiance kept another dream alive by finishing the Boston Marathon in her honor.
"We were doing this together. We were achieving her dream," Hincapie told News4.
Hincapie pushed through 10 miles of the marathon before seeing Wendy's mother in the crowd, holding a pink-lettered banner reading "Wendy wins."
After a tight hug, Hincapie took the banner back to course to finish the next 16.2 miles. It wasn't easy, but he says Wendy was right there with him.
"It was really tough, and actually one of my muscles was starting to feel certain pain," Hincape said. "I just looked at the sky and I saw Wendy."
One of Wendy's goals was to compete in the race, but then tragedy struck. While out jogging in the Logan Circle neighborhood in September 2018, Wendy was randomly and violently attacked. She didn't survive.
But Hincapie says his fiancée was there when he crossed the Boston Marathon finish line, achieving her dream.
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"She was happy seeing us there together, as a family, as friends," Hincapie said.
The marathon also gave Hincapie the opportunity to raise more than $13,000 on GoFundMe for causes dear to Wendy.
Wendy in life persued excellence, Hincapie said, and now a foundation has been set up in her honor to empower young girls. The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project aims to sponsor two teams of pre-teen girls, bringing them together to teach teamwork and empowerment.
