Hi Cheryl,
That is a tough question. While the hip replacement will free you from the pain, there is the issue of healing that will take a while. I went on my first run 4 months after my surgery. I played in hoopfest (A 3 on 3 basketball tournament) 6 and a half months after surgery (end of June). It hurt a bit, but I was able to play. My hip surgery was on January 3rd that year. If it was me, and this is ONLY if this was me, I would get the replacement (quality of life IS quality of life) and rid myself of the pain. Then I would set the marathon walk as my goal. You said your friend was a fast walker…you might want to warn her that she should plan on going ahead of you if you can’t keep up so that there is no pressure on you to maintain a pace you can’t sustain. Just my thoughts. 🙂
Hip Brother Tom.