Boston Marathon team
The Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America took place on April 21, 2025. Five runners fundraised on behalf of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund!
2025 Boston Marathon team
The 2025 Boston Marathon marked the 14th year that a UMass ALS Cellucci Fund team participated in the event. Read bios of the team below.
Katie Cahill
West Roxbury, Massachusetts
Katie is participating in her second consecutive Boston Marathon as part of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund team, in honor of her father, Shea Cahill, who passed away from ALS in 2023. Running was her way of coping with his diagnosis and has now become her means of raising money for ALS research as a charity runner.
James Julian
Needham, Massachusetts
James, a third-year student at Boston College, grew up cheering on Boston Marathon runners and now feels honored to run the race himself. Inspired by Boston College alumnus Paul Cellucci, James is committed to honoring his legacy and supporting UMass Chan’s research efforts. His father, who worked with Cellucci when Cellucci was a state senator and lieutenant governor, speaks strongly of Cellucci’s character. In the summer of 2023, James interned at McCarter & English LLP, where Cellucci worked from 2006 up until his ALS diagnosis. This will be his first marathon.
John Kelly
Worcester, Massachusetts
John is running the Boston Marathon to support the ALS community, inspired by his brother-in-law, Peter, and his friend's husband, Brad, both courageously battling this devastating disease. Endurance sports and fundraising are integral to John's life. He's a seasoned competitor with more than 40 marathons and half marathons under his belt, including full Ironman triathlons and Olympic distance races. His passion for endurance training began as a way to prioritize his health and demonstrate hard work and dedication to his four sons, ages 12 to 24. As the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at UMass Marlborough Hospital, John witnesses the challenges of health care firsthand. His wife, Kate, shares his commitment to patient care as an emergency department nurse at UMass Memorial Medical Center – Memorial Campus. John is dedicating his Boston Marathon run to Peter and Brad, hoping to raise awareness and funds to fight ALS.
Daniela (Dani) Micsan
Reston, Virginia
Dani began her running journey to manage the stress of supporting a non-military husband deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan while raising three adolescent children and working a job that supported those deployed. Endurance races provided the endorphin boost she needed to be present for her family. Now she runs to maintain her fitness and strength in her “senior” years. Throughout her life, she has helped organize events that support important causes, most recently aiding victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. This will be Dani’s eighth marathon. She is dedicating her Boston Marathon journey to Jim Gower, a dear colleague’s uncle who died from ALS. Her sponsor, Fiserv, a global leader in fintech and payments, will provide a corporate sponsorship.
Jaclyn (Jackie) Reiss
New York, New York
Jackie is running in honor of her husband, Matthew Rocheleau, a UMass Amherst alumnus who was diagnosed with ALS in 2023 at the age of 35. She and Matt (pictured) remain hopeful that research, such as that being conducted at UMass Chan, will lead to a cure for ALS—and that a breakthrough will occur within Matt’s lifetime. This will be her second Boston Marathon. She previously ran as a charity runner for the ALS Association during the 2024 Boston Marathon and for ALS United during the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon Team racing for a cure
John Kelly is no stranger to endurance events. The 53-year-old Worcester resident said he’s run “probably 20” marathons, most as part of multisport Ironman triathlons. But this year’s Boston Marathon on April 21 will be different. Kelly is one of five runners raising thousands of dollars for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research as part of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon Team.
Sponsor the 2025 team
For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact Faith Duquette.
