Boston Marathon
“Turning that corner at mile 17.3 (The Firehouse) will be filled with so many emotions: gratitude, relief, inspiration and determination.”
Maureen Murphy is running the 2026 Boston Marathon. (Photo courtesy of Maureen Murphy)
March 11, 2026 | 7:00 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: Maureen Murphy
Age: 43
From: Newton
It is an honor representing the Newton Firefighters Children’s Fund this year in the 130th Boston Marathon.
Two years ago my then-kindergartener was struck by a car in front of our home. The NFD were the first responders on scene, and provided medical care to our son, Teddy. Teddy is now 7 years old and thriving. Raising money for the NFD Children’s Fund is my family’s way of saying thank you to those first responders.
That October Friday afternoon was one of the worst nights of my life. For the past two years we’ve been dealing with PTSD, grief, night terrors, depression and survivor’s guilt and so much more. As a self-proclaimed over-sharer, this is the part of my life that I have been extremely private about.
For two years, we have put in the work to re-invent ourselves in order to cope with the memories from that night.
Turning that corner at mile 17.3 (The Firehouse) will be filled with so many emotions: gratitude, relief, inspiration and determination. It will be such a special moment to know that I will be surrounded by so many other runners with powerful stories, as we head up those infamous hills.
The NFD does so much to make that stretch of the marathon special. Please consider donating to their non-profit which directly supports the children of fallen firefighters from around the Commonwealth.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.
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