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He’s running Boston for his Six Star medal — in his father’s honor
"I carry a little airplane with his ashes, so he is still sharing these accomplishments with me."
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: Paul Rosell
Age: 46
City: St. Charles, Missouri
My father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016 and passed away due to the illness in 2024.
He was an avid runner. When I was old enough, he would take me along for the races — he would run the 5K and me the kids’ fun run. When exercise was taken from home due to illness, he shut down mentally and physically.
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Soon after he stopped exercising, he started to exhibit signs of dementia. I’d be training for races, and when I would talk to him about them, he thought he would be running them instead of me. My mother called and told me my dad wanted to pack and leave because he had to get there for the marathon. Telling him the truth didn’t snap him out of it. I had to tell him that I’d make sure to meet him there. By the next morning, he had forgotten about it.
We were set to go on a cruise in May 2024. The day before we were set to leave, my mom called and told us we needed to come home — that my dad was being put in hospice. So we cancelled our cruise and booked flights there the next day.
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On the day before my birthday, I was out for a run when my fiancée called me and told me to get home, that it was time. I sprinted two miles back home, making it in time to sit at his bedside holding his hand as he passed.
I have run New York, Chicago, Berlin Tokyo, London, and Sydney. I have the Boston Marathon left to run in order to earn my coveted Six Star medal. During each race I run, I carry a little airplane with his ashes, so he is still sharing these accomplishments with me.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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