Watertown’s Kailyn Fitzhugh will be taking on Heartbreak Hill and the Boston Marathon for the first time in the 2025, and will raise money for an organization that helps trauma patients recover from their injuries.
Fitzhugh moved to Watertown three years ago, but she has had her eye on the Marathon even before then.
“I first ran Boston virtually during COVID. I was living in Tennessee at the time and didn’t think I would be able to ever run Boston, so I took advantage of the open virtual race in 2021,” she said “We moved here to Watertown about three years ago and it’s been my goal to run Boston ever since!”
She is part of the Stepping Strong team, which raises funds for The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation. The center was founded by the family of Gillian Reny, who was critically injured during the Boston Marathon Bombing and was treated at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“It was founded to help other trauma patients regain their strength and ability to step strong once again,” Fitzhugh said. “This cause is close to my own heart. While living in Denver, my youngest sister was hit by a car and taken to a trauma center there. My sister sustained two broken legs, one of which required surgery. Our proximity to a trauma center helped save her life.”
Fitzhugh’s fundraising goal is $10,000, and she has a fundraising site where donations can be made. She added that Stepping Strong is a non-profit organization so some companies will offer matching donations to double the impact.
“The matching process is a little more complicated, but I am happy to help walk people through if they have any questions (kailyn.lamb@outlook.com),” she said.
Fitzhugh hopes to complete the race in 4.5 hours, which would be faster than her personal best of 4:50.
“I run five days a week, mixing in recovery runs along with speed intervals, hills (training for Heartbreak Hill!), and long runs,” Fitzhugh said. “You’ll probably see me on the Charles River Trail with my dog Bruce (his personal record is currently 10 miles) or at Victory Field using the track.”