Local runners gearing up for tomorrow's Coaches vs. Cancer 5K Run/Walk are not alone in their efforts to fight cancer. Jim Deupree, a Florida prison inmate, will "proxy run" the race from inside the Washington Correctional Institution in Chipley, Florida.

"Please let me run against cancer with you — in spirit if not in body," Deupree said in a letter to the organizers of the event.

Deupree is a 65-year-old long distance runner who runs 50 training miles a week on the prison recreation field. With the support of outside organizations, he has participated in 92 races by "proxy" within the past two years, including the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, Florida.

"It's great that they let him do it," said Jane Alred, assistant race director of the Gate River Run. "He's out there doing it and feeling like he's part of something."

Deupree has participated twice in this race.

Meghan Cavan, marketing director of Penn State's branch of Coaches vs. Cancer, said Deupree's request is the first unusual circumstance the group has been presented with in the first two years of organizing the race.

"This is the first one. Last year was the first year we had the race and nothing unusual happened," Cavan said.

Deupree is running the race in honor of his friend and running coach, Dr. George Sheehan. Sheehan, the former medical editor of Runners World, died from prostate cancer in November 1993.

"George would send new running shoes to me here in prison when I was in need, along with encouraging words of wisdom," Deupree said. "I miss this guy!"

Because of his circumstances, Deupree is requesting the help of the Penn State community to raise money for his cause.

"If people in the University Park area would like to help me fight cancer, they can donate money 'so-much-a-mile' to their local American Cancer Society or your race beneficiary on behalf of my 3.1-mile run here," Deupree said. "My goal is to raise $10,000."

Coaches vs. Cancer waived the $15 registration fee because Deupree was unable to pay it.

Although Deupree is not allowed to receive and wear a race T-shirt because of prison regulations, he asked race organizers to mail a race number to him. Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer granted his request and sent the number to the correctional institute.

"I would be proud to wear it here . . . I have a basket full of race numbers from all over the country, which I'm quite proud of," Deupree said.

Deupree is incarcerated for a 1990 Florida bank robbery, and he said he is "extremely sorry for my insane, drunken actions." He used a threatening note but not a gun in the robbery, and no one was hurt.

Anyone interested in sponsoring Deupree can make checks payable to Coaches vs. Cancer and place "Deupree" in the memo. Checks can be mailed to Coaches vs. Cancer 223 HUB, University Park, PA 16802. They should be marked "Attention: Meghan Cavan."