Many Natick residents are registered to take part in the 2026 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20. Some have qualified by posting fast times in previous races, while others are participating to raise funds for charities in Natick and beyond.
Here’s a form you can fill out if you’d like us to include your Boston Marathon profile (including a link to your fundraising site) on this page. Please, only those who either live in Natick, or who are taking part in the race for a Natick charity, should fill this out. We’ll try to get entries added to this page within a day or two of receiving them.
Separately, we’re interested in hearing from 2026 Boston Marathon participants who might have great stories to tell: natickreport@gmail.com
Pat Conaway
Charity & fundraising page: Keep Natick Beautiful
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: Pat has lived in Natick for 54 years. He runs this year’s Marathon in honor of his late Son, Brett Conaway, and his late wife, Jane Carney Conaway, both of whom embraced service, family, kindness, and love for their community and country. After retiring from teaching in 2008, Pat founded a non-profit, Big Heart – Little Feet in 2009 which then transformed into Keep Natick Beautiful in 2016.
Keep Natick Beautiful has conducted over 600 clean-ups in the past 15 years (waterways, trails, woodlands, roadways, parks, fields).
How many Boston Marathons have you run? From 1976 through 1983, Pat ran the Boston Marathon as an unofficial “Back of the Pack” Runner and finished seven times.
Fun fact about your running: I’m attempting another to celebrate my 80th Birthday and hope to finish before it gets dark.
Kayleigh May
Charity & fundraising page: A Place to Turn
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: I feel incredibly grateful to be running the Boston Marathon in support of A Place To Turn, an organization that means a lot to both my family and the Natick community. My mom volunteers with A Place To Turn, and I have seen firsthand the care and compassion they bring to addressing food insecurity. They provide essential support to Natick and surrounding towns, and they work incredibly hard to do so. A Place To Turn helps make food insecurity feel less isolating and more manageable for those in our community who are facing it. Their commitment to supporting individuals and families in Natick and surrounding towns is inspiring. Their compassionate approach is what makes the organization so impactful and so special. I am honored to be able to support such an important organization and the people who make it so special. Running for A Place To Turn allows me to combine my love for running, my appreciation for my hometown of Natick, and my desire to give back to the community! Thank you for supporting me and for helping make a meaningful impact right here at home.
How many Boston Marathons have you run? This is my first!
Fun fact about your running: Boston will be my 6th marathon!
Cara McDonald
Charity & fundraising page: Boston Medical Center
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: Boston Medical Center ICU nurse! I loved growing up watching the marathon in my town as a Natick resident, excited to finally get to do it! And for a great cause.
How many Boston Marathons have you run? 0
Fun fact about your running: I used to run as cross training for rowing in college and picked it up after I graduated.
Nick Zanussi
Charity & fundraising page: Natick Community Organic Farm
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: Nick is a Natick resident and teacher at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and is stoked to be supporting the Natick Community Organic Farm. In every community he has been a part of, he has promoted environmentalism and integrated sustainable gardening practices. He greatly enjoys visiting the farm regularly, purchasing their products, and his children have enrolled in the summer farm programs. While working at Walnut Hill, Nick builds on the relationship between the school and the farm by having fundraisers for the farm, bringing students on guided tours, and coordinating the purchase of flower bouquets for the graduating seniors. He feels very connected to the values and mission of the farm and couldn’t see himself running in support of any other organization.
How many Boston Marathons have you run? 0
Fun fact about your running: Nick had a severe knee injury in 2022/2023 and after three surgeries, weeks of inactivity in bed, months spent on crutches, dozens of physical therapy sessions, and countless hours of hard work towards recovery later, he is viewing this race as the ultimate comeback from injury.
Andy Bostian
Charity & fundraising page: Cocotree Kids
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: Cocotree Kids began in Natick as a simple neighborhood drive to collect new underwear for children who needed it—just neighbors helping neighbors. That grassroots spirit is exactly what the Boston Marathon represents to me: a community showing up for one another. With Cocotree Kids based right in Natick, along the marathon route, it feels like the perfect alignment of mission and place. Running for Cocotree Kids is a way to honor the power of a community that refuses to let its kids fall through the cracks.
How many Boston Marathons have you run? 1
Fun fact about your running: In the last twelve months I have run the Boston Marathon, ran 20 miles through the Grand Canyon, completed the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire, and competed in a 50k Ultra Marathon in Vermont.
Danielle Westerman
Charity & fundraising page: Redhawk Foundation
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: This year, I’m proud to be running the 130th Boston Marathon on behalf of the Redhawk Foundation, an organization dedicated to creating greater opportunities for young athletes, artists, and learners in the Natick community. Founded in 2021, a fund of the Foundation for MetroWest, the Redhawk Foundation was created by a group of Natick parents committed to giving back. Their mission is to help cover participation fees, upgrade equipment, and enhance fields and facilities in town for all programs, with an emphasis on providing enrollment scholarships to the families that need assistance. Running has always been a meaningful part of my life. My love for running began in childhood, watching my father and uncle run the Boston Marathon. I carried that passion into high school, running track, and cross country, and today running remains one of my favorite ways to clear my mind and relieve stress. It has always been a dream of mine to run in the Boston Marathon. I’m grateful to call Natick home, where I live with my husband (Ben), our three boys (Louis, Larry, and Lenny), and the two dogs who occasionally join me on the road. Supporting the Redhawk Foundation allows me to combine my love of running with my love for the Natick Community. I’m grateful for the chance to represent this cause.
How many Boston Marathons have you run? This is my first!
Fun fact about your running: I run to exercise my dogs Evie & Nina so they are a big part of the marathon too!
Jennifer Gentile
Charity & fundraising page: DFCI
Why you’re running for this cause/organization: My father’s partner recently completed treatment for stage IV cancer, my father is a cancer survivor, and last summer, I lost a dear friend of 20 years to a brain tumor. I also have a benign brain tumor.
How many Boston Marathons have you run? 4
Fun fact about your running: I last ran the Boston Marathon over 25 years ago as a sighted guide with a person with visual impairment.
Kate Duncan
Fundraising for: The Natick Center Cultural District
Why you’re running for this cause: I grew up in Natick and truly love this town. I’ve always tried to use my passion for running as a way to support and give back to our community. As a mom of three, I see every day how much my children benefit from the art installations, cultural events, and town-supported programs that make Natick so special. That’s why supporting the Cultural District matters so much to me—it brings our town closer together and makes Natick an incredible place to grow up. Your donations will directly support the Cultural District’s mission to help our vibrant community thrive. I’m truly grateful for your support as I take on this challenge. Your generosity will create lasting opportunities for our residents to learn and grow in the heart of our community!
The town of Natick also has a page featuring runners with bibs from Natick non-profits.
