After a hip injury, Jeff Coccoluto is re-running the marathon for Dana-Farber
"I will run each of those races carrying my friend’s name on my Dana-Farber team jersey."
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 #WhyImRunningBoston story here.
Name: Jeff Coccoluto
Age: 56
From: Stoneham, Massachusetts
In 2018 I was fortunate to run the Boston Marathon Monsoon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team. I had been dealing with some hip pain during training and by the time I got to Framingham Center I had fully torn the labrum in my hip – race over.
Through Dana-Farber, I was introduced to a young man that had just been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones of the legs and pelvis. Worse, it’s a kid cancer. After the marathon the two of us stayed in touch. He was a great kid, a relentlessly positive and optimistic individual. During his senior year, tests showed the cancer had metastasized to his lungs. It did not daunt him. He applied and got accepted to college, he attended both his senior prom and his graduation and received a standing “O” when his name was announced. A few days after we saw each other at his graduation party, we lost him. I miss him. Cancer sucks.
So after one hip repair surgery, I am re-running the Marathon in his honor. For orthopedic reasons this will almost absolutely be my last full marathon. So why not take on the full 2020 BAA Distance Medley? I’ll be running the BAA 5k two days before the marathon itself, the BAA 10k in May and the BAA Half Marathon in October. I will run each of those races carrying my friend’s name on my Dana-Farber team jersey.
I am bringing along the next generation too. My daughter, Meredith, is also a member of the 2020 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team! Her track coach and mentor lost her battle to cancer this year too. (Did I mention cancer sucks?) We call ourselves Team Jackalope, look for us on race day!
Editor’s note: Entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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