Meg's 2025 Boston Marathon Journey

My name is Meg Cunningham and I am running the 2025 Boston Marathon with the Somerville Road Runners.

I'm seeking to raise funds for Mass General Cancer Center ,Dana Farber Cancer Institute , and Family Reach. Your donation here, will be split between the three organizations.

Last year, as a 34 year old with three young kids, I'd started to take back up running. And this time last year I was daydreaming of one day having the chance to run Boston.

In April 2024, I got hit with a sledgehammer. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and it had already spread to my lymph nodes. The weeks and months that followed were the darkest of my life, cloaked in fear and uncertainty as I navigated the thorny mess of getting the care I needed. I had surgery in June 2024 to remove my thyroid and 39 of my lymph nodes. In July 2024 I had radioactive iodine treatment to clear out any remaining thyroid cells. We are not at the finish line yet, but all of the numbers continue to look good, and I feel healthy and strong.

2024 brought dark days that challenged me emotionally & physically in ways I never had been before. My family- especially the most amazing husband in the world- and running got me through it, bringing me so much joy and strength.

On my 35th birthday, this past December, I found out that Somerville Road Runners would be awarding me one of the invitational bibs they received from the BAA for the 2025 Boston Marathon.

Training for the marathon has been a gift and a real joy, as I truly appreciate each step I take, and how far I have come from last year. I learned the hard way that life really is about the journey, the ups and downs, and the people cheering you on along the way. On April 21st, I will run the Boston Marathon, just a few days before the first anniversary of my cancer diagnosis.

I wish I could go back and tell the version of me that received that cancer diagnosis, feeling alone and scared, that in a year I'd be feeling strong and surrounded by care and love as I run the Boston Marathon. I'm so grateful to be in this moment, and for all that has brought me here.

I'm not running directly for a charity, so in that, I have chosen three charities I would like to raise funds for in my marathon journey. Any donations here will be split amongst these charities:

The Mass General Cancer Center where I have been receiving exceptional clinical and deeply kind care.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , who is constantly pushing the boundaries of cancer research and care.

Family Reach , which is a charity that offers financial support to families going through cancer treatment.