Rachel Wagner

On Friday (8/26) night around 7:45pm Rachel was running along the Kirkland Corridor Trail, coming to the end of a 10-mile pace run as part of her prep for the Portland Marathon. Her goal for the Portland race was run fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. As she was running a large branch (branch is hardly the right word here, it was 10-12" in diameter) fell from a tree above her. It struck the right side of her body, sending her headfirst into the gravel. 


Rachel remained conscious and was able to make a phone call first to her husband Taylor, and then to 911. She was taken by ambulance to Evergreen hospital for an assessment, who advised transport to the trauma center at Harborview. Rachel was treated in the ER until Saturday morning when she was transferred to the ICU where she remained until Sunday night before moving into acute care on the other side of the building. 


Rachel has a total of 14 broken bones, including two compression fractures in her lower back. Her lung was also bruised and collapsed. The doctors are projecting at this point that she will make a full recovery in 2-3 months.