Boston's Run to Remember - A Race With Double Meaning

The Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon is my favorite local race, and this year, I'm training with the "Run for the Memory" team of the Alzheimer's Association to raise funds for those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and for Alzheimer's disease research. To many runners and to many of you, regardless of whether you are a runner or not, this particular race has new meaning this Memorial Day weekend.

Run to remember those fallen

The Run to Remember is organized in memory of law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. There are two races, a half-marathon, 13.1 miles long, and a 5-miler. You guessed it, part of the race path of the longer race is along scenic Memorial Drive.

Boston Strong

Given the recent tragic events at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, it is easy to imagine that this particular race has new meaning. This year, we will all run in memory of Sean Collier, the MIT officer who was killed by the bombing suspects, as well as those who were killed and injured at the Boston Marathon finishing line. It is no coincidence that this year the race is completely sold out.

Run for the memory

I always thought that this particular race "Run to Remember", was quite aply named. There is exciting new research on exercise and the brain that has recently made the national headlines. Researchers at the University of Illinois have shown that healthy older adults, who have no memory impairment, have larger brain volume following a twelve month exercise training program compared to a baseline measurement. This was particularly true for a brain area known as the hippocampus, an area critical for the formation of new memories. The hippocampus is also one of the brain regions where cell loss first occurs in individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Fundraising for Alzheimer's disease

This year, I decided to join the "Run for the Memory" team of the Alzheimer's Association to raise funds for Alzheimer's. These funds will benefit patients and their caregivers directly. "This is perfect!", I thought, "This way I can also raise awareness about exercise and the brain". You may be surprised, but there is evidence that heart health and brain health are connected. Hypertension, obesity, diabetes, you name it, are all risk factors for heart disease and for Alzheimer's.

Please consider helping me raise funds for Alzheimer's disease by donating at the following link:
http://alz.kintera.org/brtr2013/kschon

Your help will be greatly appreciated: via a donation or by cheering me and all the other runners on during the race or both! There is only a little over a week to go until race day, May 26th. You can follow my training progress at http://karinsrunningblog.wordpress.com/.

Details aboute the race, including time and a course map can be found here: http://www.bostonsruntoremember.com/boston/index.html

In good health,

Karin Schon, Ph.D.