On November 18, 37-year-old José Garcia reached the finish line of the Bakersfield Marathon—but he didn’t cross alone. Before the end, Garcia went up to the sidelines to take hold of his 76-year-old mother-in-law, Odilia Esparza, who is battling late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, so she could finish the race with him. Esparza was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010, and the disease has progressed to the point she can no longer walk, talk, or recognize her family members. But Esparza’s daughter, Daniela, fondly remembers the days before her adopted mother’s illness. While she was not a runner, she was a big believer...