Meet The Marlboro Resident Running The Boston Marathon For Cancer Research

MARLBORO, NJ — Longtime Marlboro resident Sanjay Macwan has always loved to run, and this spring, he’ll join hundreds of teammates from across the United States running the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research.

Macwan, 57, has been running consistently since 2015, he told Patch. Though he ran from 2000-2014 before that, he had to take a year-long break due to an injury and take time for recovery.

Since his return to running in recent years, Macwan said he's been running consistently and is now into his seventh year of a running streak.

Over time, he’s participated in marathons throughout Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, he even ran 26.2 miles throughout his neighborhood for the Boston Virtual Marathon.

Now, Macwan will take his running experience to the 129th Boston Marathon on April 21 as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, who are running to raise $8.5 million for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This year marks the 36th annual running of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, with 100% of the money raised going to benefit Dana-Farber’s Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Cancer Research, which supports promising science research in its earliest stages.

To date, the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge has raised over $132 million for the Barr Program.

“Unfortunately, we all know either a family member, friend, or colleague who has been impacted by cancer in some form or shape,” Macwan said. “Many have bravely fought through and some, sadly, have lost their lives.”

“I’ve had my in-laws, three amazing colleagues and a friend that I’ve lost to cancer,” Macwan continued. “So it’s a cause that I really believe in.”

Prior to joining the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, Macwan ran for American Cancer Research in Philadelphia. When he saw the work that Dana-Farber does, he decided to apply to join the challenge team and was later accepted.

“Given what Dana-Farber does, which is such amazing work in research and treatment for cancer, I wanted to be a part of that,” Macwan said.

Since joining the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, Macwan said the support and encouragement he’s received from friends, family and colleagues has been “fantastic.”

In addition to support from his own community, he also said it’s been inspiring to see support for other team members, and support for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute overall.

“I’m very inspired,” Macwan said. “Not just by support I’m getting, but also what I’m seeing of others who are part of this Dana-Farber team and support for the work being done to raise funds and awareness. So it’s been pretty gratifying and humbling to say the least.”

When it comes to marathons in general, Macwan said they’re not only great athletic events where you can challenge yourself, but also serve as a way to work on causes close to your heart.

By taking part in the Boston Marathon and joining the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, Macwan said he's been inspired, and hopes others can get inspired as well.

"Marathons are such an amazing athletic event," Macwan said. "It's a great platform — not just to challenge yourself and set some goals to pursue through training and the race, but also to support the community you've become a part of, and use it as a platform to help you work on causes close to your heart."

To contribute or learn more about the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, you can visit their website or contact the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Office at 617-632-1970 or dfmc@dcfi.harvard.edu.

To access Macwan's marathon fundraising page, you can click here.