Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Runs Boston Marathon

Ray Angelone knows what it feels like to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. But this year's race will be the sweetest victory of all.

The 57-year-old Norfolk resident is lacing up his running shoes for his fourth Boston Marathon, running for Massachusetts General Hospital. In the early 2000s, he ran to support pediatric cancer care. Now he's running as a pancreatic cancer survivor, celebrating the very team that saved his life.

In 2019, the lifelong athlete knew something wasn't right. His stomach felt off, but he brushed it aside, blaming his diet or maybe swallowing pond water during his swims. He kept ignoring the warning signs until one night his body couldn't take it anymore.

At the emergency room, doctors discovered a tumor blocking his pancreatic duct. The diagnosis was Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. Ray counts himself lucky because many people don't catch pancreatic cancer until it reaches Stage 4, when treatment options become much more limited.

The medical team at Newton-Wellesley and Mass General enrolled him in a clinical trial. He underwent a Whipple procedure, one of the most complex abdominal surgeries, and it worked. Ray beat the odds against a cancer that takes too many lives too quickly.

Why This Inspires

Ray didn't just survive cancer. He chose to celebrate that survival by doing something incredibly difficult. Running 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston isn't easy for anyone, let alone someone who faced down Stage 3 pancreatic cancer.

His decision to run for MGH shows the deep gratitude cancer survivors often feel for their medical teams. These aren't just doctors and nurses. They're the people who gave Ray his life back, who gave him the chance to run another marathon, to feel the spring air on his face, to push his body to its limits again.

Ray's story also shines a light on the importance of listening to our bodies. He wishes he hadn't ignored those early symptoms, but his willingness to share his experience might save someone else's life. If your gut tells you something's wrong, don't wait.

This Boston Marathon will mean something different for Ray than any race before, every mile a reminder that he's still here to run it.