Daughters of Woman Killed in Hit-and-Run While Jogging Honor Her During Houston Marathon: ‘She Should Be Here’

Mar. 15, 2025

Lilia Vazquez.Photo:GoFundMe

GoFundMe

Lilia Vazquez, who died in a hit-and-run incident while jogging in December, was honored in a special way at the Houston Marathon.

Before she died, Lilia, a longtime runner, had planned to run the marathon.

“It’s just a very simple way to carry on her legacy,” Mariana toldKHOU Channel 11 Newsahead of the marathon. “I know it’s going to be equally heartbreaking, but also very, inspiring.” Cecilia added, “When I go and run it, it’s going to be paying homage to her and almost running it for her.”

KHOU 11/YouTube

Her daughters opened up about how they are coping with her death.

“What better time than now to use [running] to help carry me forward through the hardest time of my life,” Mariana told the outlet. “She should be here and I know it’s going to be emotional, but I’m also going to be very proud of the way she touched the community.”

“When I run, I feel like I’m more connected to her,” Cecilia added.

AGoFundMe fundraiser— set up “to ensure [Lilia] receives the dignified and beautiful burial she deserves and ease the financial burden on Lilia’s family” — has raised more than $44,000 of its $50,000 goal so far.

PEOPLE reached out to the Houston Police Department to obtain the latest information on the incident but did not immediately receive a response.

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Lilia Vazquez.GoFundMe

KHOU 11 also added that the Houston Police Department released surveillance video of the suspected vehicle in late December. The vehicle that struck Vazquez is described as a black or dark-colored pickup truck that had a flat, rectangular piece of plywood in its cab and likely sustained front-end damage on the right side.

source: people.com