This past weekend was the 113th running of the Boston Marathon and we had 47 LIVESTRONG runners lace up those shoes and take part in this event! The runners came from all over….California, Michigan, Alaska and even a few runners from the UK. In that total we had 12 Survivors that finished this tough course knowing they had accomplished so much more than 26.2 miles. This team also accomplished big things on the fundraising side as they close in on $150,000 raised for the LAF.
As myself and other LAF staffer, Sarah Appolito, arrived in Beantown you could feel the excitement in the air. Not only was the marathon taking place but the Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins were all in town to play. It was a big weekend for this city!
There are a few things that I will take with me from this event. First, meeting our runners face to face after 4-5 months of emailing and getting to know their stories and why they wanted to be involved with the LAF in fundraising. Then there’s 3 time Cancer survivor Julie Tyson-Westcott, just 33 days before the marathon she found out she is cancer FREE!! There is Joe Mahoney, or MoJo as we call him, he has returned every year to fundraise for the LAF and take on a different event. Melanie Douglas from the UK was celebrating her 30th birthday on the actual day of the marathon. What a way to spend your 30th, a grueling 26.2 miles! I could go on and on. The best part of my job is the stories that each person brings to the cause. All the stories are unique, yet so pertinent to what we do day to day. I never get tired of hearing them!
Team LIVESTRONG had some time together during the course of the weekend as we went to a Red Sox game on Sunday afternoon and watched the Sox take the Orioles! It was perfect weather and a great opportunity for people to meet one another. After 3 days of a very busy Expo (thanks to all the volunteers that helped us) it was race day!
It was a bit overcast and we prayed the rain to stay away and thank goodness it did. There was a pack of us that headed to mile 21, just after Heartbreak Hill to cheer in our runners one by one and show the support with a little yellow on the course. Little did we know that we picked the right spot to cheer as those Boston College kids know how to spectate a marathon!
Post marathon a few of us met up on Sunday night to toast their accomplishments and then on Tuesday, Sarah and I met up with 6 folks from San Diego that came out to run with us!
I could not have been more proud of the 47 runners that joined us for such a great event in Boston. On the plane ride home I remembered that in 2006 Lance Armstrong spoke at the Tuft’s University commencement and here is what he said, “ I chose active citizenship, and I challenge you to do that as well. The group effort and the active effort is much better! Be active. Be aggressive. Be smart. Don’t be afraid. Being active can only cause change. “ This team certainly exemplified that over the last 4-5 months of fundraising and in completing the event, I can’t say THANK YOU enough! Here are a few pictures from the weekend!
Team SanDiego Finishers
Celebrating post-marathon with Team LIVESTRONG
Julie Westcott and her sister approaching 22 mile mark
Julie's Jersey
- Posted in Team LIVESTRONG
- 8 Comments »
8 Responses to “Team LIVESTRONG Runs Boston Marathon-Has Wicked Good Time”
Leave a Reply
Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation welcomes reader comments. We hope comments will add — not detract — from conversations important to the cancer community, people interested in health and wellness, cycling fans and others who benefit from Lance Armstrong or the Lance Armstrong Foundation's work. Keep in mind that we have a very diverse audience, which includes children. Please avoid profanity, publishing the personal information of others, libelous statements and pornography. All blog comments are published at the moderator's discretion. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments as we feel necessary.
CANCER SUPPORT
We help people affected by cancer by giving them the tools they need to live life on their own terms. Learn More.
TEAM LIVESTRONG
Walk, run, ride or tri in the fight against cancer. You can make a difference. Join us.
TAKE ACTION
Join us in the fight against cancer around the globe, nationally and in your own neighborhood. Act Now.
POSTS BY DATE
Categories
- Cancer News and Support (202)
- Featured Commitment Maker (1)
- Inspiration (138)
- Lance, Cycling and Gear (204)
- Taking Action (247)
- Team LIVESTRONG (133)
Recent Comments
- Its really nice to hear that the hope lodge is near completion. Way to go Brecan! Ebele
- Very nice to have Nigeria shown in a positive light. BRECAN, please keep on spreading the... Rotimi
- Thank you. Today I received the material requested, congratulations for the quality,... Jeferson
- I moderate blog comments and although we definitely disagree with... Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff)
- Dear Jerry and others who share his view, I think you’re exploring a very... Daniel Miller
CANCER NEWS
Upcoming Events
Share your videos with us by tagging them “livestrong”. We'll look at them and add our favorites to our YouTube stream.
Livestrong Videos
VID00021
Supporter Videos
Shawn Johnson Bikes For livestrong
LIVESTRONG Twitter
- Great workout to start the day. #LIVESTRONG
about 10 minutes ago from LIVESTRONGCEO - RT @LIVESTRONGHQ: in town for the Austin Marathon or SXSWi? Why not stop by and take a tour of #LIVESTRONG HQ? Public tours at 10am on F ...
about 10 hours ago from LIVESTRONGCEO - @JenELynch I am sorry to hear the news. Have them check out our survivorcare program at www.livestrong.org/CancerSupport
about 11 hours ago from LIVESTRONGCEO
#Livestrong Twitter
- Great workout to start the day. #LIVESTRONG
about 10 minutes ago from LIVESTRONGCEO (Doug Ulman) - The words, "hospital" has become my boogyman. #lupus #kickcancer #livestrong #blamecancer
about 21 minutes ago from DrSnit (Melissa Travis) - Help support my efforts in Riding Over Cancer! Every bit helps! #Philly #livestrong #challenge #teamwillpower http://bit.ly/6l33lA
about 41 minutes ago from SaratogaChef (Saratoga Chef )
Share with us and other Twitter users what you are doing to LIVESTRONG by using the Twitter hashtag #livestrong. You can Tweet about anything related to cancer or Lance’s bike tours. We’d love to start a conversation with you.
It was truly a spectacular opportunity to raise funds for LAF and run a marathon with so much history. My thanks got to the LAF team for all their work in pulling this together. I enjoyed meeting all the other LIVESTRONG Runners at the event, and hope to see you all at many, many more, as we run for a great cause! LIVESTRONG!
I don’t have the words to describe how moving it was to participate in this event.
I was moved to be surrounded not only by so many courageous people united in the Fight against Cancer but the experience that running for the LAF and how it brought strangers together not only as the LIVESTRONG team but the crowds in Boston that cheered us on.
It was my first marathon and at mile 14 I thought I had a cramp that by mile 17 I knew I pulled a hamstring muscle. It was the purpose of being there and the energy of the crowd and those how walked over and help me stretch out – thanking me for running for them – I knew I had to finish even if I had to limp it the last 9 miles. Lance would not quit so neither would I.
I can’t wait to do it again for LAF – LIVESTRONG!
[...] Read more from LIVESTRONG Blog [...]
Congrats to all the Livestrong Boston Runners. I hope to carry on the Livestrong representation at New York on November 1st. Special congrats to Julie on being cancer free.
What an awesome experience! Running the Boston Marathon for Team Livestrong and for all the people I love who have been touched in so many ways by so many different types of cancers made for an inspiring run.
Maybe someday I’ll return to Boston because I’ve run fast enough to qualify based on time, but nothing will ever compare to this incredible moment.
I had such a wonderful weekend with Team LiveSTRONG in Boston! Memories that will last a lifetime! So proud and honored to be a part of such an incredible foundation! Thank you Colleen for yet another wonderful job of getting us set up, prepared, motivated, and inspired! Looking forward to New York in Novemeber! Many Thanks to Sarah as well! You both helped make Boston an incredible experience!
I had such a blast to be part of Team LiveSTRONG. Priceless!!! I was so thrilled to see all of you about mile 20…totally got me up and down those hills!!! THANK YOU!!!
how did you become a part of this event and to run for the LAF. Thanks for sharing and i’m isnpired to do the same.