Katy man loses 80 pounds, runs Chevron Houston Marathon

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Think you are too out of shape to train for a marathon? Channing Farris wants to change your mind. This husband and father-of-three lost 80 pounds and ran the Chevron Houston Marathon last year. After foot surgery this year, he is back on the road, getting ready to run the Aramco Half Marathon this Sunday.

Two years ago, Channing weighed 308 pounds, and suffered from headaches, stress and hypertension.

"I knew I needed to do something," he said.

His friend and neighbor at Firethorne in Katy, Texas, Bill Hammers, knew Channing needed to do something, too.

"Bill had already asked... he said man if you want, I like to work out, we could work out... and I said, hey game on," Channing told us.

Bill Hammers, an experienced marathon runner, invited Channing to work out at Firethorne's community gym and run the trails around the neighborhood.

"I said ok, if we're going to do this, we are jumping in and we're going for it," Bill explained.

The pair started out small.

"So for 20 seconds I would run, and then I'd walk for a minute, and I'm winded," Channing said.

With Bill, those 20 seconds of running turned into a minute, then ten, and then an hour. Channing lost the weight and gained a healthier new lifestyle. But the training didn't stop there. Bill and Channing then started competing in adventure races and triathlons together.

"The goal was to get in shape and get fit, and we started doing these things, and we started having a lot of fun," Hammers said.

Last year, Channing completed his first marathon - the Chevron Houston Marathon.

"The amount of people who just come out to cheer is just fantastic," he told us.

Bill and Channing are both planning to earn medals this year, too, but the real reward, is something much more long lasting.

"My son said, Dad I can finally put my arms around you when I hug you."