After recovering from a traumatic brain injury, he’s running every World Major — again

"I’ll run my third straight Boston Marathon — but this time for Spaulding’s Race for Rehab team, giving back to the place that gave me my life back."

April 15, 2026 | 11:00 AM

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: Jeff Kaplan
Age: 34
City: Cambridge

In the fall of 2018, I was hit by a car while training for a marathon. One moment I was chasing a goal; the next, I was in a two-week coma with a severe traumatic brain injury.

When I woke up, I was transported to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital with no memory of who I was, where I was, or whether I would ever walk again.

I spent 45 days at Spaulding rebuilding from nothing through speech, occupational, and physical therapy. Every session was harder than anything I had ever done. When I left, I was in a wheelchair, and my future was uncertain, as it often is with brain injuries.

The years that followed included eight brain surgeries and countless hours of rehabilitation.

But my physiatrist, Seth Herman, and my therapists instilled one belief: I would “find my strength.”

Running became part of that recovery. Every step rewired my brain – repetition, repetition, repetition.

Since 2019, I’ve run every World Marathon Major. Now I’m running them again to show what’s possible when life knocks you down, but you commit to rebuilding.

Through my work with the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, I now visit Spaulding’s brain injury floor weekly, meeting patients facing the same uphill climb I once did.

In 2026, I’ll run my third straight Boston Marathon — but this time for Spaulding’s Race for Rehab team, giving back to the place that gave me my life back.

From Hopkinton to Boylston Street, every mile will carry the setbacks, surgeries, and victories that made this comeback possible.

This race isn’t just about finishing. It’s proof that recovery is possible.

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

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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