Meg Downey says she is living the dream as the soon-to-be five-time marathon runner is participating in the 129th Boston Marathon as part of the Mass General Marathon Team. She is raising funds to benefit Massachusetts General Hospital, including its pediatric cancer care programs at Mass General for Children.
Running-related endorphins aside, Meg is seemingly always in great spirits. The Dover, New Hampshire, resident is a middle school special education counselor who loves her job and the time it affords her with her children. Her family is happy and healthy, and Meg does not take it for granted.
“When my daughter, Ellie, was in kindergarten, her best friend was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer,” she says. “Ellie’s friend had been this healthy, adorable, little child, leaving pictures for my daughter in her cubby. It felt like one day her friend was doing science experiments at my house and the next, the child was traveling to Boston to have all these tests, procedures and infusions. It was shocking.”
Although the child is now thankfully in remission, Meg will never forget how the diagnosis dramatically impacted Ellie’s friend — how it changed the child’s physical appearance and prevented them from attending school and enjoying childhood’s typical rites of passage. Meg also remembers how much it impacted Ellie, leaving her devastated and confused.
“I still cannot wrap my mind around what our friends had gone through,” says Meg. “Honestly, it was hard enough to have conversations with my young daughter about it. I can’t imagine what it was like for them.”
A Family Connection
As an avid runner, Meg was familiar with the process of applying to various charities to gain entry to the famed Boston Marathon. She was offered spots on multiple teams, but ultimately, made the decision to run for Mass General — not only because a pillar of the hospital’s marathon program is pediatric cancer care, but also, because her connection to Mass General hits closer to home.
At the time, Meg’s sister-in-law was receiving cancer care at the hospital. She chose Mass General after she felt like other healthcare facilities were neglecting her concerns. “Once she became a patient there, everything changed,” says Meg. “They walked her through her treatment options and have been extremely validating and comforting.”
Mass General treated not only her sister-in-law’s symptoms, but her spirit, too. The first time she went to Boston, completely overwhelmed, she was brought to the Howard Ulfelder, MD, Healing Garden in the Yawkey Center for Outpatient Cancer Care. The rooftop garden overlooks the Boston landscape and waterway.
“They had these worry stones there, and as she sat with them, looking around, she found a sense of peace,” Meg says. “It was a very meditative experience for her to be in the city but feel above the hustle and bustle.”
An Even Stronger Bond
On the day Meg picked Mass General as her team, her choice felt further substantiated when her father called to coincidentally announce that he would receive his prostate cancer treatment there as well. “It was the clear choice; it was meant to be. I am just so grateful to Mass General,” Meg says.
Her sister-in-law recently rang the bell in a ceremony to mark her last radiation treatment and is currently doing well. To pay her good fortune forward, Meg says her sister-in-law acquired a worry stone from the Healing Garden — the very place that offered her solace — and gave it to Meg’s dad as he began his treatment.
“Mass General explained how it can and will manage my dad’s symptoms going forward, and because of that, we are all hopeful,” Meg says. “I’m just so grateful to the doctors, nurses and staff. They talk to patients like they are real people, and it is appreciated so much.”
The Final Stretch
With her family and friends as guidance, Meg continues to push both her fundraising and training — using the hilly streets of the New Hampshire seacoast as her preparation for Heartbreak Hill, the hardest stretch of the course. On March 22, 2025, she and her husband hosted a speakeasy themed party where they sold tickets and offered raffles, games and a silent auction. About 80 people were in attendance, including her sister-in-law, dressed in costumes evoking the prohibition era. It was a flapping-good time.
“We raised almost $7,000 at the party. I am so stoked,” she says. “It was fun dressing up for a cause. People loved the theme and went all out. We had the best night!”
“I love running. It makes me a better mom, wife and counselor. It helps me stay physically and mentally fit,” adds Meg. “But on those hard days, the thing that gets me out the door is thinking about what my family went through, and what my daughter’s friend went through. They didn’t have a choice, but I do — and I choose to run. I choose to give back. I can’t wait to be there on April 21. It will be so powerful to lace up my sneakers and run for Mass General.”
If you would like to support Meg, click here.
To learn more about Mass General’s marathon team, click here.
