As thousands filled the streets for the New York City Marathon, several Rockville Centre runners carried something deeper than bib numbers: the memories, missions, and hometown causes that inspired every step.
Matt Nolan raised more than $19,000 for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in this year’s race, completing his eighth NYC Marathon with Fred’s Team.
Nolan dedicated the run to his parents — his mother, who fought breast cancer for 14 years with MSK’s support before dying in 2018, and his father, who has remained in remission since receiving treatment there in 1986. For Nolan, the marathon offered a chance to honor his family’s story while supporting the organization that helped shape it.
Fred’s Team was created in honor of Fred Lebow, “an avid New York City runner who was very instrumental in the growth of the New York City Marathon. He was one of the main figures who helped get the race from being four loops of Central Park to running through all five boroughs,” Nolan said.
“He was diagnosed with cancer, succumbed to cancer, and then a team was formed in his memory and his honor because of the work and the treatment he received from MSK,” he added.
Arlene Nolan’s long battle with breast cancer remains one of the driving forces behind her son’s commitment to running for MSK. When she was first diagnosed, doctors told the family her prognosis could range “anywhere from six months to years.”
“Even though she passed away, I'm obviously still very thankful that because of MSK, we had what I refer to as bonus time with her,” Nolan said.
Reflecting on crossing the finish line, Nolan said the “meaningful miles” matter far more than time or performance. After completing so many marathons, the race has become less about pace and more about purpose.
“It is truly the most special day in the city,” he said.
Now a coach for marathon runners, Nolan said he tries to instill that same mindset in those he trains.
“I’d remind them you need not just one or two reasons why you want to run a marathon. You need like 40 or 50,” he said. “There’s no limit to how many reasons you need. For me this year, it was really honoring my mom and feeling so many different moments along the race course that I was hearing her voice still and hearing her cheer me on.”
Rory Harms, a Rockville Centre native who now lives on the East Side of Manhattan, ran the marathon in support of the Mary Ruchalski Foundation, which raises money and awareness for pediatric cancer in honor of Mary Ruchalski, who died in 2018.
“It’s really a special cause,” Harms said. “She was a really special little girl. She grew up in Rockville Centre, which is where I’m from too, and she attended St. Agnes Cathedral. She was a few years younger than me.”
Harms described the marathon as an unforgettable experience, saying she felt fortunate to run on behalf of Mary’s foundation. The energy throughout the city, the support of the crowds, and having her family there to cheer her on made the day even more meaningful.
She finished the race feeling deeply grateful for the chance to take part in what she described as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Raising more than $5,000, Harms said the foundation is a driving force “for spreading kindness throughout the community.”
“They really get a lot of children and families involved throughout Rockville Centre and towns across Long Island,” she said.
Another runner dedicating his effort to the Mary Ruchalski Foundation, John Hunter, ran this year’s race with a deep sense of purpose. The foundation’s mission holds personal meaning through his wife’s family.
Hunter said running for Mary, his wife’s cousin, gave his lifelong goal of completing a marathon far deeper significance, motivating him through months of early morning training and steadily increasing mileage.
He raised almost $5,700 in support of the foundation’s mission as an official charity partner of New York Road Runners.
Volunteer firefighter and physical therapist Joshua LaBar of Rockville Centre took on the marathon in support of Wheeling Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with disabilities live more independent and active lives.
LaBar, who works at STARS in East Meadow, said the organization’s mission closely mirrors the values he brings to his work as a therapist. He surpassed his fundraising goal, bringing in $4,450 for Wheeling Forward.
