Going the Distance

On April 17, 2023, the members of UMass Boston’s Run for Krystle Marathon Team laced up their sneakers, pinned on their bibs, and joined almost 30,000 fellow racers in the 127th running of the Boston Marathon. As always, when the going got grueling, they found motivation in the reason behind their run. “You have to say to yourself, ‘I’m running because Krystle can’t,’” said nine-time Run for Krystle team member Rhonda Hodge ’13, G’20, DNP’20. “That’s enough to continue to take one more step.” 

“Krystle” is Krystle Campbell, a UMass Boston student who was killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Over the 10 years since that tragic day, the Run for Krystle team has raced more than 2,000 miles in Krystle’s honor—and helped raise more than $1.35 million for the scholarship founded in her name. 

The effort was launched by former UMass trustee Dick Campbell ’70. Dick and Krystle never met, but he was struck by similarities in their backgrounds: both Campbells, both from the same Medford, Mass., neighborhood, both attendees of the same high school and college. “It just hit home. What a horrible thing. Her life was on an upward trajectory, and then it was cut short,” said Campbell. 

Wanting to build something “useful and worthwhile” from the tragedy, Campbell and his late wife, Barbara, asked Krystle’s parents for permission to name a scholarship at UMass Boston in Krystle’s honor. With their blessing, Dick and Barbara seeded the endowed Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund in 2013, creating a yearly $5,000 award for students like Krystle: high-achieving undergraduates majoring in business at UMass Boston. 

Dick and Barbara were also the first to suggest that UMass Boston launch a marathon team to raise additional funds for the scholarship. The first marathon team was formed in 2014 and consisted of many Campbell family members and their friends. It has since grown to include a tight-knit group of nearly 60 UMass Boston alumni, faculty, and friends. 

Through their fundraising, thousands of donors from the UMass Boston community and beyond have contributed to the scholarship fund. As a result, its annual impact has increased. Eight students were chosen to receive the award this year, bringing the total number of recipients since 2015 to 32. 

“Every student who receives one gets to breathe a sigh of relief from the financial burden of school,” said Erin Collins ’25, of Quincy, Mass., who was one of this year’s awardees. This year’s marathon, the 10th anniversary of the bombing, was emotional for many on the Run for Krystle team, knowing the impact of the scholarship they helped build will continue for generations. 

“The fact that we’ve been at this for 10 years speaks volumes about the dedication of our runners and the immense generosity of our donors,” said Paul Dyson ’00, a senior lecturer in UMass Boston’s English department and eight-time Run for Krystle team member. “That we can serve the university’s students and Krystle’s memory in this way is really wonderful and humbling.” 

If you are interested in learning more about the Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund, visit umb.edu/runforkrystle.