Running THROUGH injury

I've just received a round-robin email from a relative telling us that she is pulling out of the London Marathon on Saturday due to injury.
It goes without saying that she has worked hard for it and is bitterly disappointed. (I think that those of us who regularly do long distances forget what "working hard" really means for someone doing that distance - or anything close - for the first time.)
I want to persuade her to "do it anyway". And I'd really appreciate a few comments from this forum for and against.
So how bad's the injury? Not sure, but she's walking. So my argument centres around balancing the once-in-a-lifetime nature of the challenge (she's in her fifties, chances of doing the marathon again...) against the physical damage which may result.
On the face of it, a no-brainer. Protect yourself. And do things sensibly.
And yet.
I can't help feeling that in some circumstances you should just go for it. Injuries heal or sometimes don't. The notion of "saving your knees" presupposes there's some epic struggle on the horizon for which you are holding yourself out for. My argument is that the epic struggle for her has arrived. And it's on Saturday.
I know some of you have run through injury, and much else besides. Could you help me with my argument? Or bring me to my senses?

Personally, if I pull out of something due to injury its a last resort and because I've thought long and hard about it. Normally its a case of I physically wouldn't make it to the start line! It would depress and anger me if 'well-meaning' relatives or friends told me to try running it anyway as I have tenacity and determination in spades and I'd have made the decision after a lot of thought and would be disappointed enough without someone suggesting that I was a wimp! Then again, she may have had pressure put on her by a worried doctor, partner, friend etc and might have been erred on the side of caution when she's not that bad, you don't know so if you really want to help, you need to talk to her in a supportive way.

Re her being in her fifties...for goodness sake, don't write the poor woman off, look at how many women are running long and fast in their later years. Why not encourage her to see this as just the beginning of her running and point out that there are many marathons that she can do when she's back on form. I don't know how close you are but speaking to her is a better bet than emailing to tell her to run it anyway. She might welcome the chance to discuss it with someone that is an experienced runner and she might be up for walking/jogging it but you definitely shouldn't push her.

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Originally Posted by DryJim

I've just received a round-robin email from a relative telling us that she is pulling out of the London Marathon on Saturday due to injury.
It goes without saying that she has worked hard for it and is bitterly disappointed. (I think that those of us who regularly do long distances forget what "working hard" really means for someone doing that distance - or anything close - for the first time.)
I want to persuade her to "do it anyway". And I'd really appreciate a few comments from this forum for and against.
So how bad's the injury? Not sure, but she's walking. So my argument centres around balancing the once-in-a-lifetime nature of the challenge (she's in her fifties, chances of doing the marathon again...) against the physical damage which may result.
On the face of it, a no-brainer. Protect yourself. And do things sensibly.
And yet.
I can't help feeling that in some circumstances you should just go for it. Injuries heal or sometimes don't. The notion of "saving your knees" presupposes there's some epic struggle on the horizon for which you are holding yourself out for. My argument is that the epic struggle for her has arrived. And it's on Saturday.
I know some of you have run through injury, and much else besides. Could you help me with my argument? Or bring me to my senses?

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It really depends on whether it's a one-off injury or one with a pathological history, ie a chronic injury. I've tried in the past to be clever and run through an injury with a pathology, the sh!t hit the fan a bit in January of 2012 and i'm still only about 70% healed now. The injury is the first and last thing i think about every day and it occupies more of my time and focus that anything, it's effectively the wife and 2 children i will never have; it's a bit like taking a grand piano with you everywhere you go. I'd be careful about ignoring and injury which has a solid pathology in something like biomechanics.

I'm fairly sure she will be able to defer her entry to next year.