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‘For my Annas’: Here’s why Maíra Marques Samary is running the Boston Marathon

"When the pandemic came, running was the only thing that kept me sane."

April 12, 2022

2 minutes to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here

Name: Maíra Marques Samary
Age: 44
From: Belmont

Kate Boucher is running for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

I always dreamed about running the Boston Marathon since I began running 23 years ago. The first time I heard about it, it was through a co-worker while I was still living in Brazil. He was training for Boston and he explained to me how difficult it was to get into it. I thought that he was crazy with his training.

After 10 years running and doing a bunch of 10Ks, I decided to try a half marathon. It wasn’t bad. Then I thought I could run more. The next year (2012) I tried the Santiago Marathon (I was living in Chile). Oh my, I thought I was prepared, but I was not. I hit the wall hard, around 30K, and I finished the marathon with blood all over my right sneaker and I almost got down the metro stairs seated. I decided that I was done with marathons.

When I moved to Boston in 2018 I kept running, but when winter came, I had my issues. I was not ready for winter running. When the pandemic came, running was the only thing that kept me sane. It was the moment that I had for myself, to think about the situation we were all going through.

As time went on, as the stress was growing, so were the miles I was running. One day I was really stressed and without realizing it I did 20 miles. I thought, maybe it’s time for another try with a marathon. I decided to try Chicago. This time I was prepared, and it felt so good! The crowd, the experience, the energy; I loved every moment of it. Did I get the time I wanted? Of course not! I say that “Murphy” (from Murphy’s Law) is my buddy. But I did it, for me. And I didn’t stop there, I also did New York.

Now, this year I decided to try the greatest challenge of all — Boston! And I knew from the beginning which charity I would like to run with — Dana-Farber. Why? Because I saw my grandma Anna suffer through cancer. And it really affected me — the way that the disease took her away from me and my family. It took me years to deal with her loss, and one of the things I did to deal with that was starting to run (which was 23 years ago). Now, I run for my Annas — in honor of my grandma, Anna, to offer a better future to my daughter, Anna (hopefully cancer free).

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