'I'm Alive Because Someone Ran For Me': Braintree Marathon Runner

BRAINTREE, MA — The Boston Marathon may be virtual this year, but for Braintree teacher Beth Pyliotis, crossing the finish line will mean the same thing.

For Pyliotis, a breast cancer survivor of six years, running on Braintree roads instead of Boylston Street means the same thing — giving back to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute — the hospital that saved her life. And her way 0f giving back the past 6 years has been for her and her husband John to take turns running with team Dana Farber to raise money for breast cancer research and treatment.

"As a breast cancer survivor, I am alive today because someone else ran for me," Pyliotis said. "There are thousands of new patients each year that seek care at Dana Farber. Raising funds for life-saving research is making a huge impact, and I am thankful to say I am living proof of that."

Pyliotis was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer on Feb. 28, 2013.

Her son was just 1 at the time of the diagnosis, and Pyliotis wasn't ready to give up. She endured 16 rounds of chemotherapy and more than 30 radiation treatments, but 15 months later, Pyliotis was cancer free.

And when Pyliotis left treatment, she wanted to make sure others got the care she did. She ran the Boston Marathon for team Dana Farber a year after treatment, training every day to not only get her strength back, but gain the endurance of a marathon runner.

To whip herself into shape, Pyliotis trained with team Dana Farber under coach Jack Fultz, the winner of the 1976 Boston Marathon.

“I never ran a marathon before, it was a huge undertaking, but I trained with the team and had an awesome coach," Pyliotis said.

And since that first run, Pyliotis and her husband haven't stopped. The two of them have raised $100,000 for the hospital over the last six years and made lifelong friendships.

Pyliotis said she's met other cancer survivors running for the team, and there's always been a lot of sharing each other's stories and bonding over them.

And one of the most important experiences Pyliotis could bond with her teammates about was their time at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

"You're not just getting medical care, Pyliotis said. "They're very hands-on and treat you like you're the only one. You felt like you had a friendship with these groups of people. It wasn't like they were just treating you medically."

As of Wednesday afternoon, Plyiotis has raised over $7,600 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. To donate before her run on Saturday, visit her page at Dana Farber's website.