Julia Kim Runs the 2026 Boston Marathon

I am running the 130th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2026, for Compassionate Care ALS (CCALS), in support of the quiet, lifesaving care they provide to people living with ALS, their caregivers, and their families.

My husband, Carl, was diagnosed with ALS on February 3, 2025. One of Carl’s goals was to run the Boston Marathon someday. Since he can no longer use his legs, I am running for him.

As a caregiver who must work full-time, I was in crisis as the disease progressed. I didn’t know there were resources or who to reach out to. I felt utterly alone and didn’t know how I would care for Carl. When ALS enters your life, time, energy, and clarity are the first things to go.

Through a single human connection, I was introduced to CCALS—an organization built by people who have lived this disease, not in theory, but in their bodies, their homes, and their families.

From the very beginning, CCALS understood something essential: ALS does not just happen to the person diagnosed. It happens to the entire household.

From the moment we met them, our lives changed. They saw that I was in crisis—something caregivers often can’t see while we are holding everything together.

Our CCALS liaison and team stayed ahead of the disease. Equipment arrived before I knew we would need it. Support was in place before the situation tipped. Carl’s comfort, safety, and dignity were protected, while I was given something just as critical: space to breathe, to think, and to keep going.

CCALS cared for Carl in the ways his body needed.

They cared for me in the ways his illness demanded.

In doing so, they created something that felt almost miraculous—not because ALS became easier, but because for the first time, I was no longer facing it alone or unprepared.

I am running the Boston Marathon to honor Carl, to honor caregivers, and to raise funds for Compassionate Care ALS so they can continue providing this kind of critical, anticipatory care to families navigating ALS. Every mile I run represents the steadiness, clarity, and dignity they gave us when everything felt uncertain.

If you are able, please consider donating. Thank you.

To read more about her journey as a caregiver, visit Julia’s Substack:
https://fromthecontinuum.substack.com/p/logistics
https://fromthecontinuum.substack.com/p/infrastructure