Brothers unite for Boston Marathon run honoring family, cancer losses

"I've realized every day is a gift, and the ability to run is something that gets taken for granted."

March 26, 2026 | 4:17 PM

1 minute to read

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: Collin Nally
Age: 28
City: Quincy

I am running the 130th Boston Marathon alongside my brother, Conor Nally. We are running in honor of our mom (Elizabeth Nally), dad (Michael Nally), my fiancé Ryann’s mom (Jill Bailey), and everyone impacted by cancer.

I was never a runner. If you told me ten years ago I’d be training to run my second Boston Marathon, I would’ve said you’re crazy. It wasn’t until my dad passed away from cancer in 2023 that I found running. It was a way for me to escape and clear my head. As I kept running, they started to get longer and longer. A few months later, my fiancé’s mom also passed from cancer. Her battle was much longer than my dad’s. Together, my fiancé, Ryann, and I would go on runs together. Running was now both of our ways to escape.

While I was on these runs I would get in such a flow state that I felt like I could go forever. And I wanted to. I thought to myself at that time, “If Dad and Jill were strong enough to go through what they did, I can push myself to run a marathon.” This is how I ended up running the 2023 Boston Marathon.

Fast forward to 2026, my brother Conor found running. He expressed interest in the marathon, and I told him how amazing it was. It got me excited and now we are both signed up to run the 130th Boston Marathon. I’ve realized every day is a gift, and the ability to run is something that gets taken for granted. I am putting my ability to use in honor of those that had it taken away by cancer.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

Are you running the 2026 Boston Marathon? Share your story with us.

Kelly Chan

Content Producer

Kelly Chan is a content producer at Boston.com. She designs multimedia content on site and across social media platforms, and experiments with new ways to engage readers.

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