Grace Yang said she started her running journey in high school during the field hockey and lacrosse off-seasons. After transferring to Boston College her sophomore year, Grace successfully ran her first half marathon in Cambridge, which skyrocketed her passion for running, but she said she wanted to complete a full marathon before graduating.
“I always thought about it in the back of my mind, ‘Before I graduate I want to run a marathon,’” Yang, MCAS ’22, said.
Yang said she cheered on the runners from the sideline during the 2021 Boston Marathon with her friend. When Yang’s friend asked her to run the Spring 2022 Boston Marathon with her, she said she did not hesitate to say yes.
Yang started her training in December, doing various Heartbreak Hill practice runs and long runs up to 22 miles. After overcoming a few foot injuries and a calf injury, Yang’s journey became worthwhile as she passed Mile 21.
“I ran and high-fived everybody,” she said. “It was awesome.”
Yang ran and fundraised for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She held several events for the foundation leading up to the marathon, such as a Super Bowl event, and she worked in communication with others running for Dana-Farber, she said. In the end, Grace reached her fundraising goal of $10,000.
“I ran in honor and memory of my father because he was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005,” she said. “It really meant a lot to me to run in honor of him and raise money for other cancer patients.”
