Adapted from a press release from Dana Farber Cancer Institute
On April 21, David Kelly of Acton will be running to defy cancer as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team in the 129th Boston Marathon®., for a 7th time.
Along with more than 500 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge teammates from across the United States and around the world, Kelly will run Massachusetts’ historic marathon route from Hopkinton to Boston to collectively raise $8.5 million for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Why Kelly runs
In an interview with the Acton Exchange, Kelly said he likes running the Boston Marathon because of the amazing crowd support, and because he can have fun doing it and raise money for a good cause at the same time. Asked about his good memories, he said, “In a marathon, you usually remember the start and the finish, but you block off the last three miles. I do remember crossing the finish line.”
Kelly said that every runner wears a singlet. (His interviewer had to ask what a singlet was. It is a lightweight sleeveless t-shirt.) “Your shoulders have to be glistening in the frost, basically,” he joked. Thanks to his wife Sari’s artistic decoration of the limited letter space, Kelly’s name stood out very clearly on his singlet. “The name would jump out, so as people saw it every 10 meters, they would be shouting, ‘Dave! Dave! Go, Dave! Go, Dave’s friend!’” because they couldn’t read his fellow runners’ shirts. “People are cheering you on, especially in the last three miles, to see if they can help you get past the finish line.”
Kelly has been running since he was a teenager. He was a rugby player, but when that got too tough, he took up running. He started running marathons in his early 50s. He trains on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, when it is not covered with snow, otherwise on Pope Rd. and other roads near his home. He runs about 40 miles a week in preparation for the marathon.
About Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge
This year marks the 36th annual running of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC). One hundred percent of the money raised by the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team benefits Dana-Farber’s Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research, which supports promising science research in its earliest stages. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge has raised more than $132 million for the Barr Program to date.
In 1990, Dana-Farber was among the first charity organizations to be recognized by the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), which organizes the Boston Marathon. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team offers its members extensive fundraising support, training guidance from 1976 Boston Marathon Men’s Open Division Champion Jack Fultz, and team training runs. Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners who are not time-qualified for the Boston Marathon receive an invitational entry into the race.
Runners include cancer survivors and patients, and family and friends of those who have been affected by cancer. Each team member must fulfill a basic fundraising commitment:
- Invitational runners – runners who receive their entry from Dana-Farber have a minimum fundraising commitment of $10,000.
- Own entry runners - runners who have joined the DFMC after obtaining their own race entry have a fundraising commitment of $4,000.
To contribute to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, visit RunDFMC.org or contact the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge office at (617) 632-1970 or dfmc@dfci.harvard.edu. Follow DFMC on Facebook: www.facebook/marathonchallenge. On Twitter: #RunDFMC. Or go to David Kelly’s personal fundraising page.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 4 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.
As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance of cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials.