Two-Time Cancer Survivor to Compete in the 2025 Boston Marathon

Laura Michelle Fisher, a 52-year-old from Charlestown, is gearing up to run the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21. For Fisher, choosing to run the race is personal: She's raising funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the hospital that treated her for cancer twice.

“I owe them a debt of gratitude,” Fisher told Boston.com, “and raising money through running a marathon is just my small way of saying 'thank you' for helping me beat cancer twice.”

Fisher will celebrate her 10th anniversary of being cancer-free this year and aims to earn her Six Star medal from the Abbott World Marathon Majors by completing the Boston Marathon. Last year, she was sent to the hospital after mile 21 and did not complete the race.

Competing in one marathon, let alone five, is a turn of events for Fisher, who recalls disliking running as a child. She avoided mile-run days in her physical education classes. After her first cancer diagnosis, Fisher took up running to prove to herself that cancer was not going to beat her.

She ran her first marathon at a five-year celebration of being cancer-free. Since then, Fisher has completed five world marathons and hopes to round out the experience this year by finishing with the Boston Marathon.

“I can't wait to cross that finish line this year and work toward a world without cancer,” she said. “Couldn't be a better ending to my celebration! You better believe I will be grinning ear to ear.”