Mother Killed While Training For Transmountain Challenge Honored In Race

It was an early morning race to honor a life lost too early. More than one thousand people turned out for today’s 33rd Annual Transmountain Challenge. This year the marathon was dedicated to Elizabeth Hernandez, the 33 year old single mother killed by an SUV last weekend as she was training for the race.

Some runners wore custom t-shirts with Hernandez’s face printed on them. Her three sons walked in their mother’s memory, as did Hernadez’s ex-husband. He said he’s not a runner himself, which made it difficult for him to complete the Transmountain Challenge. “(Liz) was training for this and I wanted to complete her mission. This is what she wanted,” said Bernardo Hernandez.

Hernandez was killed as she was walking with a friend along a stretch of Transmountain Road near Resler Drive the morning of October 2nd. Police say a light colored sedan suddenly veered into oncoming traffic, hitting one car and forcing an SUV to swerve out of the way into the bicycle lane. That’s when the two women were struck by the SUV. Hernandez died on the scene. Her friend, 28 year old Albina Sanchez, received non life-threatening injuries.

Hernandez’s co-workers told ABC-7 they’ll miss the late medical assistant’s sense of humor and bubbly personality. “It was hard to have a bad day when Liz was around,” said Larry Fisher, who worked with Hernandez at El Paso Cardiology Associates.

A memorial fund has been set up at GECU to help raise money for Hernandez’s family. It’s called The Elizabeth Hernandez Memorial Account. You can make a donation at any GECU branch. The number for the account is #8283893.