Olivia Witherite’s life has been completely upended since she ran the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon in May 2023.
Less than two months after the race, in July, the Brooklyn social media and marketing maven was stunned to receive a phone call from her mom that Witherite’s dad, uncle, and family dog had been fatally shot at home in Pylesville, Maryland.
“I think it was obviously, in addition to being terribly sad, just completely jarring,” Witherite, 31, recalled to The Post. “I don’t know anyone or even anyone who knows anyone that this has happened to, so it was just really, really crazy to go through that.”
Running has helped Witherite heal and process her grief. As she once again toes the start line of the RBC Brooklyn Half on Saturday, family will be top of mind.
There’s one moment in particular that Witherite will likely envision as she winds her way through the 13.1-mile course, which weaves from Prospect Park to Coney Island. Her dad held a sign as she crossed the finish line of a half-marathon around a decade ago — a scene captured in a picture.
“When I think about running a race, I definitely think of that photo,” Witherite said.
Witherite was 6 months old when she was adopted into her family. She said her dad Tim was “very loyal” and put others above himself. He was also on hand to celebrate all of his daughter’s achievements.
“I’m a first-generation college student, so he watched me walk across the stage for my undergrad and then for my MBA last May, so that was right before he passed,” she said. “I know that he was always so proud of me no matter what, and it didn’t really matter for what. So I’m really grateful for that.”
Tim Witherite, 61, died on July 1, 2023, after being shot inside his home in Pylesville, which is about 40 miles northeast of Baltimore. Witherite’s brother-in-law, Dave Oktavec, 70, was killed outside the residence, according to Maryland authorities.
Their wives, Debbie Witherite and Darla Oktavec, are sisters. The two couples had been neighbors since 1992.
Pennsylvania State Police took Steven M. Nolan, now 54, into custody about two hours later. The motive for the shootings is not clear. Online court records show a November trial date for Nolan is on the books.
Immediately after the killings, Witherite took a train home to Maryland to plan the emotional joint funeral, an overwhelming experience.
“I spent a lot of time just laying on my couch and feeling absolutely drained 24/7,” Witherite explained. “But really the only thing that felt OK at that time was going out for a run. I couldn’t go very far — I could definitely feel the grief pretty heavily on me, but I think that it helped.”
She used running to clear her head, logging 40 to 50 miles a week at her peak. She’s been tracking her mileage with plans to donate to the gun reform advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety for every mile she runs this year.
As time has passed, Witherite has noticed herself slowly opening up to the community of athletes she’s met through the run club Dashing Whippets and the New York Road Runners, which hosts the RBC Brooklyn Half.
She used to run solo before the terrible tragedy.
“I tend to bury things deep down and not want to talk about it,” Witherite shared. “I think that running has been really helpful because it pushes me to the point of physical exhaustion and that’s when other barriers start to come down, whether that’s like mental barriers, emotional barriers, things like that.”
She’s aiming to PR the RBC Brooklyn Half with a time under 1 hour, 40 minutes, a blazing 7:38/mile pace.
She said last year’s race was the first time she had seriously trained for a half marathon — she had hoped to simply finish in the past — so she’s excited to see her progress.
Witherite also plans to run NYRR’s TCS New York City Marathon in November, which may coincide with the start of Nolan’s trial.
“I think that when I cross the finish line of the New York marathon this year, it will feel like closing the chapter in some way,” Witherite said.
