Two Journeys, Side By Side

Anne Mandeville-Long had just begun running again after a 20 year hiatus when her sister, Lisa, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Anne decided to use her running to help her sister, and she decided to join her brother in running the NYC Marathon with the MMRF PowerTeam. As she trained for the marathon, Anne found that they were able to encourage and support each other as they faced their respective trials. Anne ran her fist 10 miler, followed by a 15K, as Lisa prepared for a bone marrow transplant with months of chemotherapy. She sat at Lisa’s bedside during the transplant in Boston, and then she went out to run alongside the Boston Marathoners. Anne completed her first half marathon as Lisa began to recover from the transplant. “Though running a marathon pales in comparison to living with cancer,” Anne says, “Lisa continues to tell me that I inspire her, and that by living to my fullest, I am giving her the best gift ever.” Anne and her brother Peter Robbins are running this race for their loving sister, who continues to inspire them and help them “put one foot in front of the other.”