Dana-Farber runner trains for his sixth Falmouth Road Race to honor his late brother

Barry Cotton lost his brother, Billy, to lung cancer at the age of 59, in December 2013. A few years later, he decided to register for the ASICS Falmouth Road Race with team Dana-Farber to honor his brother’s legacy and do his part to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s mission to defy cancer. Barry has become a valued member of the Run for Dana-Farber community and will be running his sixth Falmouth Road Race with the team this August. His smile says it all: Barry is eagerly counting down until race weekend and is proud that he feels the same energy and excitement six years later as he did when he geared up for his first race back in 2017.

Barry is a passionate runner, hitting the pavement to run several miles three to four times a week—year-round. The Falmouth Road Race is particularly special to him because of the electric energy brought to the weekend by all race participants. “It’s an incredibly exciting weekend for me,” he says. “It’s awesome when I’m on the course and see other Dana-Farber runners supporting and encouraging each other. As soon as spectators see your singlet, they’re cheering and yelling ‘Go Dana-Farber, go Dana-Farber!’ It’s an incredible feeling that is both humbling and inspiring.”

Barry hopes that the funds he raises will help Dana-Farber maintain momentum and continue creating opportunities for research teams to find breakthroughs that may find cures for cancer someday. Though his brother Billy lost his fight, Barry is hoping to do his part to create hope for current and future patients and families who are also experiencing these diseases. “Defying cancer doesn’t mean accepting it,” Barry explains. “It means challenging it and continuing to fight it. I’m confident that one day there will be cures for cancer and Dana-Farber is going to be the place to make that happen.”

Support runners like Barry and make a donation to the ASICS Falmouth Road Race team today. Your donation will support The Dana-Farber Campaign, our ambitious, multi-year fundraising effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer. The Dana-Farber Campaign will accelerate the Institute’s strategic priorities by supporting revolutionary science, extraordinary care, and exceptional expertise. As a community, we have the power to create a more hopeful, cancer-free future—in Boston and around the world. Together, we can defy cancer at every turn. Learn more about The Dana-Farber Campaign and how you can get involved at DefyCancer.org.