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She’s running Boston for patients ‘rebuilding their lives step by step’
Lina Sinisterra Mazariegos is running the 2026 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
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: Lina Sinisterra Mazariegos
Age: 44
From: Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
I didn’t start running to prove anything. I started running to understand myself better.
Over the years, running has become the place where I listen, where I process fear and hope, where I remember that progress is built one step at a time. Marathons have taught me patience, humility, and trust, especially on the days when the body is tired and the mind wants to quit. Life feels a lot like that.
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I often think about fireflies. Small, quiet lights that don’t try to dominate the darkness, they simply show up and shine. That image has shaped how I live and how I tell stories through my podcast, where I share the journeys of people who have found ways to keep going, even when life asked more of them than they expected. Running feels the same. You don’t eliminate the dark moments; you learn to move through them with intention.
That is why running the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehabilitation matters to me. Recovery is not loud. It’s repetitive, slow, and deeply human. It’s showing up again and again — exactly like training, exactly like life. Spaulding supports people in moments when forward movement feels uncertain, helping them reclaim independence, confidence, and hope.
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Every mile I run will be for those rebuilding their lives step by step, and for the professionals who walk beside them. Running Boston for Spaulding is my way of saying: even the smallest light matters, especially when it’s shared.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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