Boston marathoner raises money for Alzheimer’s disease research

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and one of its best-known road races, attracting about 30,000 runners each year. On April 21 of this year, one of those runners will be raising money for Alzheimer’s disease research at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX).

Julia Curran is a lifelong Maine resident who was first introduced to JAX during a summer tour of the Bar Harbor, Maine headquarters. Curran is running the Boston Marathon — her third marathon in less than a year — in memory of her grandmother, Carole German, who passed away in 2023 after a ten-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. With her community fundraising page approaching its $10,000 goal, we sat down for a Q&A as she gets ready to race.  

Q: How are you feeling about participating in the Boston Marathon for the first time?

A: I’m excited. Boston is such a big, competitive event. After devoting myself to training for my first marathon last May, I felt confident I could qualify to run Boston in 2025. Runners typically either qualify by time or run for charity — but you can also do both, and I knew that if I qualified for Boston, I wanted to run in honor of my grandmother and raise money for JAX. 

Q: Tell us a bit about your grandmother. What about her inspires you most? 

A: She was one of the strongest women I ever met. She survived a polio diagnosis at age 10 that impacted her mobility for the rest of her life, but she never let it stop her. She took up synchronized swimming and archery, and got her nursing degree from Columbia University before meeting and marrying my grandfather. She survived two heart attacks and endured countless heart surgeries. Yet through it all, she was the most wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend. We were all lucky to know such a woman.

Q: We’re honored that you chose to dedicate your effort to JAX. What do you like about this community approach to fundraising?

A: I loved being able to create a personal page where I could tell my own story. I had the freedom to share in my own words my grandmother’s life and my reasons for running in her honor. I’ve had many people reach out just to tell me how much they enjoyed learning about her. And the page is so easy to use — my grandfather is now almost 90 and even he figured it out!

Q: Has anything about it surprised you?

A: I’ve been genuinely surprised by and grateful for how generous people are. When I first posted the page in December, I received donations from people I barely knew, but who had also lost someone to Alzheimer’s disease. It touches a lot of people.

Q: What advice might you give families who are facing the challenge of Alzheimer’s disease right now?

A: I think one of the hardest things about Alzheimer’s and similar conditions is that you never know who will end up with these diseases, which is a big question that JAX is working to address through their research. I think one of the best things you can do is live your life to the fullest while you can, which my grandmother certainly did. When we held her celebration of life last fall, her childhood best friend came from New York City to attend it. When someone you love has a disease like this, I think it’s so important to stay close with family and friends who will remember them with you after they’re gone.

Visit our community fundraising page to learn more about starting your own fundraiser for JAX!