NAHANT — Sara Martin, who was raised in Nahant, is currently training to run the 2026 Boston Marathon to bring awareness to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She has raised $4,807 thus far.
For Martin, the cause is deeply personal: She has lost her grandfather, aunt, and uncle to the disease. Though the event isn’t until April 20, 2026, she spends her time actively running and raising funds, with an $11,000 minimum that must be raised by race day, per the rules of the marathon.
“Being from Nahant and having parents who are pretty big runners, I always was interested in the Boston Marathon. My dad ran it, and as someone who grew up in the area with an interest in running, the marathon was something that I was always excited about running… As I started to learn more about getting started, I learned that you have to qualify from a time perspective and work with a charity,” Martin explained.
She felt it was important to choose a cause that she was personally motivated by — and once she found out the MDA was among the charities involved with the marathon — she knew she wanted to get involved.
“Muscular Dystrophy runs in my mother’s side of the family. I lost my grandfather, and I also lost my uncle and my aunt, my mother’s brother and sister,” she said. “That’s been really hard on the family — it’s a really sad disease that hasn’t progressed a lot in terms of how we can help people — and I was really excited to be able to support the cause (and) raise money in honor of my family.”
Through her fundraising page via GivenGain, she noted the generosity of friends and strangers alike has helped her raise the $4,807. She’s also been spreading word by posting about the cause on social media.
She explained that, through her partnership with the MDA, she was given access to a running coach.
“I’m training with Coach John Furey, who teaches track and cross country at Quincy College, and as a side-gig, he also trains people for the Boston Marathon… It’s a 20-week program, which I started on Dec. 1.”
She added that she already runs several times each week, regardless of the upcoming marathon. For the last couple years, she’s been running half marathons, which she said gave her a solid foundation for her work with Furey.
“Over the next couple months, it will be several runs a week. Last week, it was 4 miles on Monday, 5 miles on Wednesday, and then 7 miles on Saturday. There are also two days of cross-training and a recovery day,” she said. “It builds from there so that you’re gradually increasing your miles each week.”
The most challenging aspect of training for Martin is the time and discipline that’s required of her as she continues to train. She said it’s caused her to be more mindful of her nutrition and to make sure that she puts in the proper amount of time for recovery to avoid injuries.
“The most rewarding part will be running through Boston,” she said. “I think it will be pretty emotional because it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for so long and because I’m doing it for such a great cause… I’m doing it in memory of people I love, so I think it will be really special.”
Martin said she hopes her efforts help inspire people to rise to challenges and also know that they can use their voice to do good in the world to make a difference.
To support her fundraising efforts, Martin will be hosting a community fundraiser at Tides Restaurant in Nahant on Thursday, Dec.18 from 4-7 p.m. There will be raffles with donations from local businesses, and proceeds go directly to the MDA.
For those who wish to contribute to the cause, donate by visiting: https://www.givengain.com/project/sara-raising-funds-for-muscular-dystrophy-association-109585.
