Spring 2026
By Sofia Elbadawi
Photography by Bryce Vickmark
Sunday, November 9, marked the Boston Athletic Association’s (B.A.A.’s) annual Boston Half, a scenic 13.1-mile race through Franklin Park and the Emerald Necklace Park System. Runners from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s 2025 Boston Half team raised a record-breaking $1,099,874.08, the highest fundraising total in the team’s 23-year history, pushing the fundraising total to a cumulative total of $10,986,664.
The 2025 team also set a recruitment record, with 740 runners forming Dana-Farber’s largest Boston Half team yet. For many team members, running and fundraising on behalf of Dana-Farber was a way to thank care teams, honor loved ones, or even celebrate overcoming a cancer diagnosis.
“After being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in June 2024, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and my wonderful stem cell donor gave me a second chance at a life with a transplant,” shared Lucy Hollis, a member of this 2025 team.
Lucy was motivated to run the 2025 Boston Half as a way to celebrate her recovery while giving back to Dana-Farber; “Raising funds for such a critical mission, defying cancer, is a way to say thank you to everyone who cared for me,” she said.
“For patients like me from Bermuda, or other places where local hospitals can’t offer the complex treatment required for certain cancers, Dana-Farber is an absolute lifeline. Knowing that their research into new, more effective treatments will benefit patients everywhere is huge,” Lucy added.
For others, like Tony Bougiouris, the race was a way to honor loved ones, and turn grief into purpose.
Running the Boston half for Dana-Farber gave me a way to honor my sister’s memory, carry her spirit forward, and transform my grief into action by supporting research that saves lives.
Tony Bougiouris, a member of Dana-Farber’s 2025 Boston Half team
“I lost my sister, Maggie, to cancer last September—the day after her 47th birthday. Running the Boston Half for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute gave me a way to honor her memory, carry her spirit forward, and transform my grief into action by supporting research that saves lives,” he said. When asked what kept him inspired during the months of training and fundraising, Tony said, “Watching Maggie face cancer with strength and grace motivated me to fundraise, advocate, and run for others still in the fight. Dana-Farber’s work gives hope to families like mine.”
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund has partnered with the Boston Half since 2003 as the race’s presenting sponsor and exclusive charity team. Through this relationship, Dana-Farber runners have been able to raise millions to support groundbreaking cancer research and compassionate patient care. Looking ahead, Dana-Farber’s Boston Half team plans to continue the tradition of defying cancer, 13.1 miles at a time.