Greenwich Native Runs Boston Marathon for 6th Year, Raises Funds for Pediatric Cancer

UPDATE: By the close of the Boston Marathon, Phoebe Yager exceeded her $10,000 goal, raising $10,573 for Mass General Children’s Cancer Center.

Editor’s Note: This story is about my younger sister.

Phoebe Yager, who attended Glenville School and Greenwich Academy before going on to college and medical school, is running the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Phoebe, who works at Mass General in pediatric intensive care, has run the marathon to raise money for Mass General Children’s Center for several years, including last year when she crossed the finish line just minutes before the bombs exploded.

Phoebe’s husband Steve Schrodel and their boys Graham and Miles, now 7 and 4 respectively, had rooted for her from mile 22. They returned to their Lexington home safely after Phoebe phoned them about the explosions.

This will be Phoebe’s sixth year to run the Boston Marathon. She is 44. This year her husband Steve is running too. They’ll be part of a team from the Mass General Children’s Center where she works.

“Marathon day is the best day of the year in Boston,” Phoebe said on Sunday. “The day starts with Revolutionary War reenactments in Concord and Lexington, and then the Red Sox play baseball at historic Fenway Park. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of runners leave Hopkinton for the Back Bay. World-class athletes. First-time runners who until recently never dreamed of running 26 miles,” she added.

According to Phoebe thousands of people run for charities -– many with a personal connection to one of Boston’s great institutions. Phoebe reports that she’s been following all the anniversary coverage from last year’s marathon. “We’re so proud of our city,” she said. “We know it will be an emotional run from Hopkinton to the Back Bay, and a great day for Boston.”

Reached by phone the day after the marathon last year, Phoebe reflected on the day. “You run in a sea of runners, many running the race to raise money for causes, or to honor the memory of a sister, a mother or a child. It’s so inclusive. There are runners who are blind. … There were wheelchair racers and it was grueling for them going up the hills. There were members of the military with full backpacks on.”

Her words that day were prescient. “I have to believe that the goodness of this day will prevail and it won’t be erased by this attack. “The Boston Marathon is unique. Some good can still come out of this. It doesn’t erase the horrible attack, but, for me, for 26.2 miles along the route all I saw was acts of generosity.”

Anyone interested in following Phoebe’s progress can sign up for text alerts through the BAA site. Phoebe’s bib number is #31,087. You can tell from her number that she’s not exactly in contention to win, and will be leaving in one of the final waves, starting at 11:25am.

As of Sunday afternoon, Phoebe and her husband are at $9,405 of their $10,000 fundraising goal.

This year they are specifically running to support Megan Sheehy, a 13 year old girl who is currently in treatment for osteosarcoma. Their crowdrise fundraiser page is here.

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