Hundreds participate in 15th annual Western Mass Mother's Day Half Marathon
WHATELY, Mass. (WWLP) – Local runners spent their Mother's Day morning at the 15th annual Western Mass Mother's Day Half Marathon.
On Mother's Day, Jenny Horowitz is usually making brunch, phone calls, and enjoying the outdoors. But for the last two years, she's added a half marathon to her plate. This time, her four-year-old son tagged along.
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'It's a celebration, right?' Horowitz said. 'I was a track runner in high school. I used to run really fast, but now I've given birth and new expectations. It's like proving to yourself in your 40s you can still do it, you still got it.'
A similar reason as to why Sue Monohan started the Western Mass Mother's Day Half Marathon in 2010.
'Way back when, I was looking for a half marathon to run in the spring, and there wasn't any locally,' Monohan said. 'So I thought, well, let's just do it. And I picked Cancer Connection, just because someone I worked with at the time was dealing with them.'
Cancer Connection, a local non-profit organization, is the beneficiary of this fundraiser. Since 2010, the race has not only awarded participants with a medal, but also has raised over $700,000 for Cancer Connection. They provide a support center for individuals and families dealing with a cancer diagnosis, and offer free services like support groups, therapy, and educational programs.
'We serve, offer those support to just under 500 people a year, give or take,' said Chelsea Kline, Executive Director of Cancer Connection.
With the first person finishing the race for a good cause in under an hour and a half, there was more to look forward to. Monohan said it's the first year where over $100,000 was raised for the non-profit.
The 450 participants in the half marathon this year received a medal of their own to represent and support the race, as well as Cancer Connection and its mission.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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