Sports

Durham Resident to Run in the 2014 Boston Marathon

Julia Gossner, a 2011 Coginchaug Regional High School graduate, will be running on behalf of a cancer charity and in memory of her late aunt, who passed away from cancer.

A former cross country and track runner for Coginchaug Regional High School has her eyes set on running in the 2014 Boston Marathon this April.

Julia Gossner, a junior at Northeastern University and a '11 CRHS graduate, said she is running on behalf of the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute and is raising money for the cause.

Gossner, an international business manager, announced her intentions in a touching note to the community of Durham.

"Looking back on my experience growing up in this town, I am always surprised at how deeply the community invested in me," she wrote. 

"You taught me about God, and how to read and write, how to run, and how to persevere. But most importantly, you taught me the importance of supporting and giving to others. You may not have done it intentionally or even been aware, yet you still gave so much of yourselves to me and to every other child that has grown up in this town."

In an email response to Durham-Middlefield Patch, Gossner said the public support she saw last year following the tragic Boston bombings was also a factor in deciding to run. 

"I was unfortunately just a few blocks away from the bombings at last year's marathon but saw such a positive and supportive response," she said. "And I saw that I could use my running as a way to help others."

She said she is running in the marathon in the memory of her aunt, Pam Larsen Mack, who passed away from cancer. 

Interested in donating to Gossner's cause? You can do that on her profile page on the Dana-Faber website.

She's also doing a number of fundraising efforts, including something entiled "Cooking for the Cure," and a special "Striking Out Cancer" event at Jilian's Bowling Alley in Boston.


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