She’s running for the hospital that treated her breast cancer

Boston Marathon

“I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer at MGH, becoming a recipient of the same life-preserving therapeutic programs I had been fundraising to support,” Kathryn Leann Harris wrote

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.

---

Name: Kathryn Leann Harris
Age: 48
City/State: Somerville, Massachusetts

In 2014, I stood on the Mass. Ave. bridge on Marathon Monday and decided I would run one marathon, and it would be Boston. The previous day, I visited the re-exhibiting of the 2013 marathon bombing memorial and participated in Northeastern University’s oral history project for survivors. I wanted to be a part of this community — the resilience, surviving and thriving that happens when we join our spirits together.

I ran my first Boston Marathon for MGH Pediatric Oncology in 2018, on my 40th birthday, as part of my recovery from divorce and related mental challenges. I was inspired to support MGH’s children’s cancer research and world-class therapeutic programs that help preserve as much life as possible. When I was a child, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I saw the toll cancer takes. Running for MGH that year, while also enduring historic levels of cold, rain, and wind, opened my eyes and heart to the power of the human spirit.

I decided to run again in April 2020 and instead joined my MGH teammates in running virtually in September. In 2021, I ran the post-pandemic marathon — the one that said we can come back to life together!

Nine months later, I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer at MGH, becoming a recipient of the same life-preserving therapeutic programs I had been fundraising to support. I am running my fourth Boston for MGH Pediatric Oncology, this time to re-enliven my body as a cancer survivor and in support of the children treating theirs.

In a full-circle moment, I have the honor of running on a survivor’s bib, given to those who were injured during the 2013 bombing. Outside of race day, I remain committed to spreading this community’s story through walking tours that go right over the marathon finish line. Every time I cross it, I remember how the Boston Marathon brought me back to life — now several times — and the healing power of our collective spirits!

This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

---