Photo: Boston Athletic Association
John Kelly is no stranger to endurance events. The 53-year-old Worcester resident said he’s run “probably 20” marathons, most as part of multisport Ironman triathlons.
But this year’s Boston Marathon on April 21 will be different. Kelly is one of five runners raising thousands of dollars for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research as part of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon Team.
Kelly, who works as chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital, was inspired to support ALS research after his brother-in-law was diagnosed with ALS early last year. Kelly raised $10,000 at the 2024 Boston Marathon for the ALS Association through their marathon team. This year, he hopes to raise $20,000 to support the work of UMass Chan researchers such as Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD, the Donna M. and Robert J. Manning Chair in Neurosciences and professor of neurology.
Photo: Contributed
“The previous kind of races were basically for my own challenges, to see how far I can push myself,” Kelly said. “Whereas here, I’ve never felt so passionate about finishing. I would walk the 26 miles if I needed to. It’s a little bit different when you wake up in the morning to go for a run, you think of the people that are affected by it.”
Kelly said he’s not just trying to raise money but also awareness of the fatal neurodegenerative disease.
“I think it’s just important to me to show support for them and the other families that are out there,” he said.
“My dad dedicated the last years of his life to raising funds for ALS research, driven by profound hope for a cure. The UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon Team carries that hope forward with every step they take.”
The UMass ALS Cellucci Fund is named after the former governor of Massachusetts and ambassador to Canada, A. Paul Cellucci, who died from complications of ALS in 2013 at age 65. The Cellucci team’s Boston Marathon runners have raised more than $800,000 since 2012, and this year they’re on track to exceed the team’s $50,000 goal.
“My dad dedicated the last years of his life to raising funds for ALS research, driven by profound hope for a cure,” said Cellucci’s daughter, Anne Cellucci Adams. “The UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon Team carries that hope forward with every step they take. Their dedication and the support of the wider community fuel the groundbreaking work at UMass Chan, bringing us ever closer to a world without ALS.”
Boston College student James Julian, 21, of Needham, grew up watching the marathon and handing out orange slices to runners from the sidelines. He was inspired by Cellucci, a Boston College alumnus and is committed to honoring his legacy through supporting UMass Chan’s ALS research.
Julian’s connection to Cellucci in other facets strengthens that commitment. His father worked for Cellucci on Beacon Hill. And in summer 2023, Julian interned at the law firm McCarter & English, where Cellucci worked from 2006 until his ALS diagnosis in 2011.
Photo: Contributed
Cellucci’s influence on Julian, a finance major and English minor, runs beyond being a professional role model.
“I’m in a chemistry class right now and my entire semester project is on ALS research,” Julian said.
While not a mileage maven like Kelly, Julian was captain of his high school cross-country team, pushing hard through 3.1-mile races. “This has definitely been a huge switch in how I train,” he said.
Julian has raised money with events such as renting a bar popular with students and collecting donations at the door and hosting Super Bowl squares. “I’ve been amazed by people’s generosity. I’m still writing a lot of handwritten thank-you letters, but feel I’m in a really good spot,” he said.
Other members of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon Team are Katie Cahill, West Roxbury; Daniela Micsan, Reston, Virginia; and Jaclyn Reiss, New York, New York.
To support the team, visit https://www.umassmed.edu/umass-als-cellucci-fund/boston-marathon-team/.
