She’s running the Boston Marathon to support kids with cancer

On our websiteWhy am I running?“, Boston Marathon athletes share what inspires them to take on the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for the Boston Marathon Pop-up Newsletter at Boston.com.

name: Kathleen LaBrie
Age: 33
From: Southampton

I work with the Mass General Pediatric Cancer Team and have adopted the slogan: I Run for Them (IRFT).

Childhood cancer affects the lives of many people and each connection has a unique story. By making a donation, a donor can choose someone to honor with this tour and add them to the ever-growing IRFT staff.

While my journey to the 130th Boston Marathon began with my personal connection to childhood cancer, it has quickly evolved into a community of warriors, survivors, angels, family, and friends who all have their own stories to share.

I’m running for Maddie, the 8-year-old who bravely fought DIPG. I’m running for Ashton, the 2-year-old who has leukemia. I’m running for Kathy, who was so grateful for the care she received at MGH. I’m running for Andy, the son taken early from lung cancer. I’m running for Meg, the brave 15-year-old who battled juvenile Huntington’s disease with her dog Daisy by her side.

These are just a few glimpses into the lives of the ever-growing list of honorees. As we get closer and closer to the start line, the reasons I want to run continue to grow. Although my journey may have started with my own connection, I now have several reasons to keep working toward the finish line.

So why should I run? I’m running for them, and I would be honored to run for your cause, too.

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

Annie Jonas is a community writer for Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.