A week ago, a record number of athletes — some 311 teams and nearly 4,000 runners — participated in the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay, an annual event that in four years has become one of the most popular running events in the state.

The irony is that Christine Brimley wasn't among the surging mass. She was there for years two and three, when the event was finding itself. She helped a team to the women's title in 2005 and a co-ed team to the mixed-team title in 2006. She even started to work part time for the race organizers, drumming up sponsors and participants.

But that was before the jarring news that her doctor, Edward Joseph Eyring, had to deliver to her last winter: Christine had stage-four colon cancer.

She died a week before this year's Wasatch Back, at age 38.

In her stead, dozens, if not hundreds, of Wasatch Back participants ran in her honor last weekend, fulfilling a promise to Christine that they would help spread the word that she didn't need to die from colon cancer, and neither does almost anyone else.

"We had a conversation (before she died)," said Eyring, a close friend who was also Christine's doctor, "and she talked about leaving a legacy of helping others in this fight.

"It's preventable, that's the word," said the doctor. "This disease is preventable. I'd love it if I didn't have to ever again operate on colon cancer. And you know what? It's doable. That's the thing that's so cool. I could actually put myself out of that part of my business."

The key is to get people to submit to colon checks. Normally, that means a colonoscopy after age 50. But that number can go down significantly if there is a family history of colon cancer or if there are unexplained signs.

Four years ago, when she was 34, Christine had an unexplained sign.

She was bleeding and she thought it was hemorrhoids, but tests showed no hemorrhoid bleeding.

Rather than rule out the possibility that it might be colon problems — highly unusual for such a young person — Christine let it go. In hindsight, it's haunting to realize that if she had substituted just one of her training runs for one day of colon screening, she'd be running in the mountains today, stronger than ever.

Three years later, when she finally was checked, she had more symptoms than you could count.

"Name an organ, and the cancer was in there," said Eyring. "It was as tough a conversation as I've ever had with anyone. No one wants to have that talk."

"Here's a stunningly beautiful person, with a great family, a rich friend to so many people, incredibly fit," said her doctor, letting the sentence hang.

In addition to using the Wasatch Back Relay to get the word out about the importance of colon checks, Eyring is using Christine's story as part of a documentary he is working on with film producer Tim Nelson, a colon-cancer survivor of four years.

Their documentary purposely uses the provocative title, "Up Yours," to generate attention, discussion and, hopefully, action. (You can see a trailer on the Internet on YouTube, in the documentary section.)

Said Eyring: "As one who deals with this disease every day, I can honestly say I would rather deal with hemorrhoids and diarrhea than telling one of the more than 600 Utahns yearly that they must now fight for their life against a disease we can prevent and eliminate as a major threat. Please put me out of this business. Just get screened."

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.