Wilton Runner To Join Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team In 130th Boston Marathon

WILTON, CT — A Wilton resident will take part in this year’s Boston Marathon as a member of a team raising money for cancer research.

Meg Sanborn-Lowing of Wilton is scheduled to run April 20 as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team in the 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. She will join more than 500 teammates from across the country and around the world running the course from Hopkinton to Boston.

The team aims to collectively raise more than $8.75 million for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This year marks the 37th annual Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, described as the largest and longest-running charity team associated with the Boston Marathon. Organizers said 100 percent of the funds raised by the team support Dana-Farber’s Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research, which funds early-stage scientific research. Since 1990, the marathon challenge has raised more than $140 million for the program.

Participants include cancer survivors and patients, as well as family members and friends of those affected by cancer. Runners who receive their entry from Dana-Farber must raise a minimum of $12,000, while runners who obtain their own race entry and join the team must raise at least $4,000.

Dana-Farber was among the first charity organizations recognized by the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the marathon. The team provides fundraising support, training runs and other events for its members. Jack Fultz, who won the 1976 Boston Marathon men’s open division, will serve as team training adviser for the 37th time.