Brother completes 54-mile run to honor Grady Lambert's cross-country journey

Stone Lambert completed a 54-mile run from Edmond to Stillwater this weekend, fulfilling a promise he made to his late brother three years ago.

Lambert began the two-day journey Friday on what would have been Grady Lambert's 36th birthday, running the route his brother never reached during a cross-country trek to raise awareness for healthcare workers and first responders.

"Grady was running cross-country, got hit outside of Amarillo, and I was living with my cousin at the time in Edmond, so the plan was whenever he got to Edmond, I was going to run with him from Edmond to Stillwater," Stone Lambert said. "Obviously I never got the chance to do that."

Grady Lambert started his run at Cannon Beach, Oregon, in 2022, running down the west coast to Bakersfield, California, before turning east on Interstate 40. On Aug. 28, 2022, he was struck by a vehicle while running on a service road near Amarillo, Texas, and later died from his injuries.

Stone Lambert covered approximately 37 miles Friday, Nov. 14, starting in Edmond and ending at St. Francis of the Woods near Coyle, Oklahoma, southwest of Stillwater. He completed the remaining 17 miles Saturday, finishing at his parents home in Stillwater.

"It's just always been this thing kind of weighing on my mind, been on the to-do list, so to speak," Lambert said. "Told him I was going to run with him from Edmond to Stillwater, so finally did it."

Stone Lambert carried a small urn containing his brother's ashes throughout the journey, ensuring Grady was with him for the miles they had planned to run together.

Family members and friends joined Lambert at various points during the run. Cousins Micah, Caleb, Nathan and fiancé, Mary Elizabeth ran with him from Edmond to Pops on Route 66 Friday. Mary Elizabeth stayed with him throughout the entire journey, providing snacks and water from a support car and running the final three miles.

Austin Reed, a member of Lambert's running group, Stillwater Trails and Road Runners, ran with him Saturday. Trey Nixon rode his bike alongside Lambert for several miles Friday.

Lambert's parents, Julie and Mark Lambert, followed him in a car throughout the journey to ensure his safety.

"Obviously, not trying to repeat that accident," Stone Lambert said. "I know they had a lot of anxiety behind that."

Stone Lambert embraces his father Mark Lambert (left) and shares a moment with his mother Julie Lambert (center) during his 54-mile memorial run from Edmond to Stillwater. Lambert finished the first day at St. Francis of the Woods near Coyle, Oklahoma (right), completing approximately 37 miles on what would have been his brother Grady's 36th birthday. Photos Provided - Motion Media

The location of Grady Lambert's death particularly troubled the family because he had safely navigated more treacherous routes during his cross-country run.

"He had run on Highway 1, like mountain cliff, two lane, no shoulder," Julie Lambert said. "And where the accident happened, it was a service road, a two lane service road that was as flat as the flattest road you've ever seen."

Mark Lambert said the accident occurred at sunset when the sun was in the driver's eyes.

Grady Lambert during his cross-country run in 2022. Lambert ran 2,172 miles, stopping at hospitals along his route to thank frontline workers for their service during COVID. "There's a lot more unifying us than I think is dividing us," he told staff at Guadalupe County Hospital in New Mexico. Lambert was struck and killed by a vehicle near Amarillo, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2022. – Photo courtesy Lambert family

Grady Lambert's mission of supporting frontline workers continues through a scholarship fund established in his honor. The fund, administered through Stillwater Medical Foundation, provides scholarships to Lincoln Academy graduates pursuing careers as first responders or in the medical field. The scholarship is already endowed with $15,000, raised in part through an annual race that drew 360 participants last year.

"It would be important to note, after he passed away, all of the money that he was raising was put into a scholarship," Stone Lambert said. "Anyone who is graduating and wanting to be a first responder or in the medical field, they can apply for the scholarship."

The library at Lincoln Academy High School, where Grady Lambert completed his Eagle Scout project by building the facility, was renamed the Grady Lambert Memorial Library. The foundation gave out its first scholarship last spring.

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A post shared by Grady Lambert (@runwithme2022)

During his cross-country run, Grady Lambert frequently connected with strangers who offered support and hospitality.

"Grady was the type of guy, he was a bartender, and so he could talk with anyone," Stone Lambert said. "At the end of his running day, stop at a coffee shop, meet someone, and by the end of the conversation they were saying, 'Oh, hey, you should come over to our house, shower and sleep in a bed.' And that happened dozens of occasions during his journey."

Stone Lambert said he doesn't plan to make the run an annual event, noting he's "not much of a runner" and didn't train as adequately as he should have. But completing the journey provided important closure.

"It's definitely good closure in that regard," he said. "Obviously, I'm going to miss him forever. Check this off the list as far as things I told him I was going to do."

The family continues to honor Grady Lambert's memory in other ways. They have spread his ashes from coast to coast and are considering placing a memorial bench at Aspen Coffee downtown Stillwater, where he spent time with friends during high school.

Stone Lambert said his brother's story highlights the ongoing dangers on Texas roads. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roads, according to the Texas Department of Transportation's #EndTheStreakTX campaign. Every day since then, at least one person has died in a vehicle accident in Texas.

"On that particular day, it was Grady," Lambert said. "It's insane that that many people are dying every single day."

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