Caroline Tocci is running Boston in honor of her late cousin

"Vanessa always wanted to run Boston, so this year, I'm doing it for her."

Caroline Tocci (right) poses with cousin Vanessa Marcotte in running gear. Marcotte was killed in 2016, and Tocci is running the Boston Marathon in her honor. Caroline Tocci

By Madelaine Millar

February 21, 2020

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here.

Name: Caroline Tocci
Age: 29
From: Boston, Massachusetts

My name is Caroline Tocci and I’m running the Boston Marathon in honor of my cousin Vanessa Marcotte, the 27-year-old woman who was killed by an act of violence while out on a walk near her family home in Princeton, MA in August 2016. After Vanessa died, I, along with Vanessa’s family and friends, established the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation to honor Vanessa, but also to help other women. If this tragedy happened to any of Vanessa’s family or friends, she would’ve done anything to prevent it from happening to somebody else. So, in January 2017, we established the foundation.

I’m running to support the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation and our mission to empower women to live boldly and fearlessly. Vanessa always wanted to run Boston, so this year, I’m doing it for her and all the other women who didn’t have the chance.

Editor’s note: Entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.