Suzanne Keohane is running for the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of her dad
"For half a century, the Keohane family has cheered on the runners at the base of the hill before Wellesley College."
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: Suzanne Keohane
Age: 51
From: Newton
If you ran the Boston Marathon or cheered on runners near mile 12 in the last 50 years, you likely heard a booming “Hutta Go” or “Guts Ball” cheer from my dad, Hank Keohane.
For half a century, the Keohane family has cheered on the runners at the base of the hill before Wellesley College. My dad and his brothers, Daniel, Thomas, and Robert, and sister Maureen Riley, would arrive at the course by 8 a.m. to ensure the tables, chairs, signs, water, oranges — and tent when necessary — made it onto the course before the road closed. And over the next two hours, my cousins, siblings, and I would join them, a crew of anywhere from 15 to 40 on a given year.
It is a celebration of the runners tackling this formidable race, and it is a celebration of our large, tight-knit family.
I am grateful to my dad and his siblings for this lifelong tradition. I am especially grateful for these memories this year as we lost my dad to Alzheimer’s in August 2021, and we lost the last Keohane brother, Daniel, in November 2021.
I hope to honor their legacy in my own small way on April 18 when, at age 51, I will run my first marathon. I will run the 126th Boston Marathon to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association, the organization that supported our family through our Alzheimer’s journey.
I attach my fundraising page here knowing that many share our goal of better treatments and outcomes for people facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
On Monday, my family and friends will again gather at mile 12 to cheer on the runners and to cheer for me. A group high-five at mile 12 will mean everything to me!
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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