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In This Issue:
Team Brigham brings together colleagues, friends and family. Fathers, sons and siblings are uniting and rising to the challenge of running the 112th Boston Marathon while raising $3,000 each for BWH community health programs.
Don and Keith Denham are one father-son team running for a special reason: to celebrate Keith finishing treatment for cancer in September. Don is coming from St. Louis to run his 11th marathon, Keith’s first.
“I used to run just to keep in shape, but I was so excited after treatment to come back and renew everyday activities that when I ran, I became so passionate about it,” said Keith, a Brookline resident. “It’s somewhat unbelievable to be finishing chemotherapy in September and running a marathon the following April.”
The duo will start in Hopkinton with consecutive bib numbers: 26227 and 26228. They are a part of Team Brigham running for Deloitte and Touche, which runs in memory of co-worker Ellen Gabriel, who passed away after fighting breast cancer.
The Denhams are not the only father-son team on Team Brigham. Dedham resident Ned Bigelow, III, is sharing in the marathon spirit with his two sons, Sam and Ned IV of Boston. “Sharing this marathon with my sons is so special to us. Our goal is to start in Hopkinton together and end in Boston together,” said Ned III, who also ran the 100th Boston Marathon with his daughter, and walked another marathon with his wife. This is the elder Bigelow’s 10th marathon, Sam’s second, and both look forward to sharing in Ned IV’s first finish.
“You can’t prepare for the feeling of turning onto Hereford Street in the last part of the run. It’s a unique feeling, and I know my sons are looking forward to being together,” he said, adding that the trio has logged many long distance miles together.
The Bigelow clan wants to finish early enough to enjoy the crowds. “The amazing thing is the people. I’m usually in Wellesley when the winners finish, but there are still throngs of people waiting for when runners like me come in,” he said.
Sisters Abigail and Andy Tatel took on the challenge, but Andy injured herself training. Still, she supports her sister and Team Brigham.
“I am sure she will be back for more as soon as she is recovered,” said Abigail, a Brookline resident who trained with another Team Brigham runner who also works at Deloitte, Brooke Welu. “There’s always next year,” Abigail said.