The 2026 Boston Half is set for November 8, with the 13.1-mile race starting and finishing at Franklin Park, according to the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.). The B.A.A. says nearly 9,000 athletes are expected to start.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund have been the race’s presenting sponsor and exclusive charity team since 2003. The B.A.A. reports that Dana-Farber runners have raised more than $12 million through the partnership. Sudbury resident Abbey Bergman plans to run this year’s race to raise money for the people who treated her, according to WCVB’s report.
Bergman’s recovery
WCVB reported that Bergman was 27 when doctors diagnosed her with stage-four squamous cell carcinoma after she mistook the illness for a canker sore. At Dana-Farber, she underwent a 10-hour operation in which doctors removed most of her tongue and reconstructed it using skin from her leg. She also received weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.
According to WCVB, Bergman had to relearn how to speak and walk during her recovery. She said running gave her a way to focus amid treatment and uncertainty. WCVB reported that she is now cancer-free and has been in remission for five years. Bergman has two young daughters and hopes her efforts will show them that people can persist through difficult experiences.
