When Colin Gerner toes the line at the 2026 Boston Marathon, he is not just chasing a finish time. The Hoboken native is running to fuel a five-year, $1 million research commitment aimed squarely at glioblastoma, the aggressive brain cancer that took his brother GJ in 2019.
Why He’s Running
In a “Why I’m Running” entry, Gerner, 34, recalls launching StacheStrong with his brother after GJ’s 2018 diagnosis and keeping it going after GJ’s death the following September. According to Boston.com, Gerner is the No. 2 global fundraiser for this year’s race and has already pulled in more than $200,000, fully covering the first year of the new grant. He said the Boston run feels especially meaningful because those miles will translate directly into targeted science at a major Boston hospital.
A $1M Push for New Science
The V Foundation and StacheStrong have teamed up on a five-year, $1 million grant that will go to research teams at Massachusetts General Hospital to speed up glioblastoma discoveries. Per the V Foundation announcement, the award will support the labs of Mario Suvà, M.D., Ph.D., and Liron Bar-Peled, Ph.D., as they study how GBM cells evolve and hunt for new druggable targets. The money will be distributed through the V Foundation’s peer-reviewed grant process to keep the focus on the most promising science for patients.
From Mustache to Movement
StacheStrong started as a family in-joke, with everyone growing mustaches to lift the mood during GJ’s treatment, and formally became a nonprofit in 2018. The organization’s homepage notes it has since funded more than $7 million across 65 grants at over 40 institutions, a network that helped it step up to the new MGH commitment. As reported by Boston.com, StacheStrong now fields more than 150 marathon runners around the world who lace up and fundraise for brain cancer research.
Why This Matters
Glioblastoma outcomes have barely budged in decades, with most patients still facing a prognosis measured in months instead of years. “Progress against glioblastoma will require new ideas and sustained commitment,” Susanna Greer, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of the V Foundation, said in the grant announcement, underscoring why long-term research funding is critical.
How to Help
For Gerner, the Boston Marathon is personal, but the goal is bigger than a single race. He wants every step to translate into durable research dollars for patients and families staring down GBM. Supporters can learn more or donate to the effort through StacheStrong.
