Boston
Thanayi Henry is running the Boston Marathon as part of the CommUnity Runs Boston Program. She has been an Early Education Teacher (Kindergarten and First Grade) for 26 years and this year she is juggling her career, other activities and running 26.2 miles.
About 15 years ago, she stopped working out and running due to health issues and injury, and gained a significant amount of weight. However, during the pandemic she lost weight, started to regain a passion for running and in the summer of 2023, she joined the Road to Wellness 5K Program in Roxbury sponsored by the Dimock Center and the B.A.A. She committed to the weekly running sessions and has kept running and entering races since.
“I am representing Black Girls Run! this year with the support of my family, friends and our 2023 runner Carla Earlywine who is a wonderful mentor!"
When she is not teaching or running, Thanayi is a Lay-minister and Minister of Music at the Roxbury Presbyterian Church. She was a supporter with the RPC Social Impact Center and was at the inception of The Cory Johnson Post-Traumatic Healing Program with Rev. Liz Walker as the Executive Director.
“I proudly wear multiple hats in my life, balancing my personal activities, job, and ministry. Despite my busy schedule, I prioritize carving out time for marathon training, treating it with the same care and dedication as I would approach building a relationship or dating.
“To ensure a successful and memorable marathon experience, I have intentionally set aside specific times each week to nurture my relationship with running. This nurturing takes various forms, including running, cross-training on my elliptical or using weights, and engaging in quiet moments of prayer, meditation, and mindfulness.
“Running has introduced me to a great feeling of happiness, gratitude and accomplishment. However, when I had to work-out and run on my own without a community, I knew my growth was limited. However, once I encountered Black Girls Run! and the CommUnity Runs Boston Program, it blessed me with such a large sisterhood and mentorship that I have never seen before. To see other women and men like me complete miraculous challenges has been so inspiring to me!
“It has also helped me grow as an athlete by providing a safe place to help me test my limits and to embrace new goals. Every time the CommUnity Program gathers, I not only treasure the miles we run together, but all of the new friendships I have made on the course or during the engaging information/sharing sessions.”
“To run in the 128th Boston Marathon means the world to me! If you told me when I was a college freshman that I would run the BOSTON Marathon one day, I would have laughed and not believed you. I was a bit insecure and had low self-esteem due to the extra weight I carried. I loved to play sports and be active, but "just running" for hours did not seem possible. I wish I could go back or write a letter to my younger self and share that this moment was to come if I stayed diligent, positive and patient.”
As one of the few women of color in her school district, Thanayi has taken on the role of being a 'Mirror & Window' advocate for The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) Boston students. In this capacity, she has requested to have METCO Kindergarten and First Grade Boston students in her class, as it provides them with an opportunity to interact with a Black teacher and woman of color, which may be their only such experience until middle or high school.
“I hope that running this marathon proves to myself and other little black girls that they can keep running and chase after their dreams and goals. I also hope that I am "A Window and a Mirror" and a motivator to other women of color, women over 45 years old, and women that are plus-sized, who think this sport is not inclusive to them. I have enjoyed personally documenting my training and life-changing process.
“This is truly an unforgettable experience and I look forward to the marathon on April 15th!”
About CommUnity Runs Boston program:
In 2021-2023, the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet began its first phase dedicated to comprehensively understanding the inequities and barriers to running a marathon through the lens of community residents, building trust with community-led running organizations, nominating their first cohort of athletes and sharing their stories in a mini-documentary series.
In 2024, the city partnered with the Boston Athletic Association and its Boston Running Collaborative, combining resources and efforts to support cohorts of athletes effectively train for the marathon. Their goal is to empower athletes with the necessary resources to train collectively, improve the program through their feedback and recommendations, organize themselves through a captain model, and continue to create change in their communities by promoting a holistic, healthy lifestyle—both physically and mentally.