Fit Philanthropy: Running for Cancer at the Boston Marathon

Two years ago when she finished the Chicago Marathon, Betsy Gott told her family, "I am never, ever, ever doing that again." And yet, here she is today, running the 2010 Boston Marathon with the Dana-Farber team.

Even though running the 2008 Chicago Marathon was the toughest thing she had ever done (it was a blistering 85 degrees that year), Betsy finished and went on to run a respectable 3:38 at Boston in 2009 -- even after "hitting the wall" at mile 17.

"As I topped Heartbreak Hill, something snapped into focus," she said. "I'd put months into this marathon. The pain I was feeling now would be over in six miles, but the pride of possibly running a qualifying time in my first Boston Marathon would be incredible. And so the cheesy 'pain is temporary, pride is forever' became my mantra for miles 19 to 26. I blocked out the crowds, I barely saw my family at mile 24, and I zeroed in on that finish line with each step. In the end, I owe my qualifying time not to my legs, or my conditioning, but to my emotional and mental strength that carried me down Boylston Street and across that beloved finish line."

The 28-year-old third grade teacher from Boston said she runs because it's something she loves, but she is running this year's race for someone she loves.

"I am running the Boston Marathon to support and honor my aunt Karen, who is heading towards remission for colon cancer," Gott said. "She was the coolest babysitter when I was a kid and someone who has always been there for me. When I found out that she had cancer, the first thing I did was go for a run to clear my head."

Then she found out about the Dana-Farber team -- a training team that prepares runners of all abilities to complete the Boston Marathon while raising money to benefit the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Throughout Betsy's training for this year's 26.2 mile infamous run from Hopkinton to Boston, she has logged over 700 miles and has set a goal to raise $7,000 for cancer research to help people like her aunt Karen and a little boy named Theo.

"I met Theo about a year and a half ago," Gott said. "At the time, he was just finishing up his treatments at Dana-Farber, and he's made a strong recovery for a three-year-old. He'll be out there at mile 25 on Marathon Monday, and I can't think of a better reason to keep ticking off the miles -- every mile is one step closer to hearing his cheers!"

With over 500 Dana-Farber running mates across the country taking part in this year's Boston Marathon, Gott said it's a huge motivation to see others with the same team shirts around you, but also a little sad because they all have people they are running for, too. "When it gets tough out there, I remind myself that the reason I am doing this race is for people who have cancer," she said. "They don't get to choose what is happening to their bodies right now, but I do. So I choose this race."

Today, after seeing her Aunt Karen at mile 24 and Theo at mile 25, Betsy's motivation and determination paid off. She crossed the finish line with a time of 4:20. Congratulations Betsy on a job well done -- and a cause well worth running for!

To read more about Betsy's journey or donate to her fundraising efforts, visit her blog. To get involved with the Dana-Farber Foundation, log on to their Web site.

If you're feeling inspired, why not start training for your own marathon?