Waltham runners take on Boston Marathon with purpose and gratitude

A Waltham resident and a Waltham native with two very different journeys will help set the tone for this year’s Boston Marathon, each bringing their own story of resilience to the 26.2-mile course.

Samantha Bundy will run as part of the MetroWest YMCA charity team after a long recovery that included relearning how to walk following surgeries on both legs. A distance runner who has completed marathons in Chicago and Vermont, Bundy was diagnosed about five years ago with exercise-induced compartment syndrome, a painful condition caused by pressure buildup in the muscles during repetitive running. 

Her rehabilitation included extensive physical therapy at the MetroWest Y, where she gradually rebuilt her strength. She has finished preparing for her first Boston Marathon and hopes “a lot of very cold icy runs this winter” pay off. Bundy was able to practice out on the course with long runs up the Newton hills. 

Bundy says the race represents both a personal milestone and a chance to give back to the organization that supported her recovery. She’s running on the MetroWest YMCA’s 10-person charity team. 

“I’m ready to go for Monday, and I’m very excited,” she said. “Should be cool but sunny, so fingers crossed it stays that way.”

Waltham native Henry Ward, now based in Arizona, is taking on the course in a way few runners ever attempt.

He plans to run the 26.2-mile route four consecutive times in a single day — more than 104 miles total — to raise awareness and funds for people battling addiction. Ward found running as a crucial part of his own recovery and has used extreme challenges to demonstrate that people can rebuild their lives. He’s running Boston to support 2Gether We Live, a nonprofit focused on inclusion in endurance sports. 

Ward grew up in Waltham and lived here most of his life, graduating from Waltham High School in 1988. He’s  an experienced ultra runner with more than 25 finishes of 100-mile races, including the Cocodona 250. 

He plans to pick up his son from school this weekend and then head to Boston. “I’m looking forward to it,” Ward said. “I want to reach more people to share my story of recovery, talk about inclusion and raise funds for 2Gether We Live. It’s a great cause.”

Waltham On The Run

More than 40 Waltham residents are expected to take part in this year’s Boston Marathon, joining Samantha and Henry along with 25,000 other runners.

Posts on the Waltham Residents Facebook page show a range of ages, experience and motivations to take on the challenge.

Waltham resident Aaron Gladden is running to raise money and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, the state’s leading one-to-one mentoring program for youth. His goal is to raise $10,000 to support the organization’s year-round community, site-based and campus-based programs. 

Bentley University senior Dan Oliveira will also take on the course while raising money for Understanding Our Differences, a Newton-based nonprofit that works with schools and communities to promote inclusion and understanding for people of all abilities.

54-year-old Vin Pulselli is running in honor of his wife while fundraising for The Ellie Fund, which provides critical support services, including transportation, meals and household assistance for women undergoing breast cancer treatment and their families. 

Alessia Rosati will complete her third Boston Marathon as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, dedicating each mile to friends and family affected by cancer while supporting research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

First-time marathoner Marissa LaRosa is running in memory of the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, a race she says has held deep meaning for her, while also taking on the challenge for herself after admiring runners from the sidelines over the years. 

Andrew McDonald grew up in Waltham and is a nurse at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. He’ll run with the City of Newton team, raising money for the ABC Food Pantry, which helps provide food assistance to local families facing insecurity. 

Waltham YMCA Swim Development Director Rosie McLeod will also be among the runners, supporting hunger-relief efforts through her fundraising run for the Newton Turkey Trot.

Together, these Waltham runners reflect the many reasons people take on the Boston Marathon such as personal recovery, remembrance and the drive to give back.