By day, Lori Sherf works as a math interventionist at Swampscott Elementary School, supporting students who struggle with math. By night, she’s an 11-time Boston Marathon finisher, and this year, she’ll complete her 12th race as part of the Dana-Farber marathon challenge team.

“It’s the whole experience of fundraising, giving back to society,” Sherf said. “I think it’s really important.”

Sherf started running the Boston Marathon with the Dana-Farber marathon challenge team in 1997, after her grandfather was treated for cancer at the titular institute. Over 29 years with the team, she has raised more than $100,000 for the Claudia Adams Barr program in innovative basic cancer research. This year, she hopes to add another $45,000 while running alongside two of her children, Adam and Jacob.

Distance running wasn’t always her focus. As a member of the track team at the Swampscott High School, Sherf competed in middle-distance events, though her coach encouraged her to go longer. She didn’t try marathon running until after graduate school, when she was working as a teacher and her grandfather had begun treatment at Dana-Farber. At that point, a friend suggested she join the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team to support cancer research.

Sheef began in 1997 with the patient partner program, where she was paired with a young girl she refers to as “J. G.” Along with training, she spent time with J. G. and her family: shopping, attending ballets, and building a meaningful connection.

“It was just a really nice way to connect to the children that were patients at Dana-Farber, just to let them know that they weren’t alone and that there were a lot of people out there trying to support them in any way we could,” Sherf said. 

Today, Sherf runs in honor of the many people in her life affected by cancer, including J. G., her grandfather and friends of her son.

“I think it’s a cause that really has affected, in this day and age, pretty much everyone,” Sherf said. “We are so lucky in Boston to have some of the best hospitals in the country right in our backyard, and we all know that research is imperative to finding a cure for cancer.”

After suffering an ACL tear in 2016, Sherf committed to physical therapy and training to return to the Boston Marathon the following year, incorporating the Galloway method, which includes walking breaks, into her comeback. Now, she sees the race not just as a physical challenge, but as an opportunity to give back, with her primary goal simply to finish strong. 

This year’s race is especially meaningful, as she’ll be running with two of her children. Her eldest son, Adam, is graduating from Northeastern Law School, while her middle son, Jacob, returned from Washington, D.C., where he works, to take part in the marathon.

“We’ve been sharing our group runs, so we are running together but not together,” Sherf said. “They are going to run their own races, but it’s just been really fun sharing our training weekends and how training’s going.”

For Sherf, the heart of the marathon remains its mission. “We carry with us the doctors, nurses, and entire team at Dana-Farber who are doing extraordinary work every day,” she said.

So far this season, Sherf has raised more than $41,300. To support Team Sherf in reaching their $45,000 goal, visit their donation page at http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/TeamSherf.