2025 Expo Panel – Champions & Inclusion
Expo Panel
Sunday, April 20, 2025
2:00 PM
Title: The Finish Line, Where Dreams Become Reality
Many have dreamed of crossing the iconic Finish Line at the Boston Marathon and each year thousands of runners achieve that dream. Exactly what is it that motivates them to take on the rigorous training and challenging course? For some it is to win, others to raise funds and awareness and for many, it is about claiming space for themselves and others or simply proving to themselves that they can do hard things.
You will meet five extraordinary individuals who have courageously claimed space -from not waiting for permission, to overcoming messages that say ‘you do not belong’. In doing so, they invite others to follow their dreams to the finish!
Moderator:
Tiffany Gayle Chenault, PhD (Moderator): Tiffany Gayle Chenault is a scholar-activist and educator with over twenty years of experience in social justice and inequalities, urban sociology, higher education, and leadership development and organization. Her teaching and research centers around the intersections of race, gender, place, and community organizing and activism.
She holds a B.A in Sociology from Ohio University and a Ph.D in Sociology from Virginia Tech in which she was the first African-American Woman to receive a Ph.D in that department. She was also the first African-American woman to be full professor at Salem State University. Her blog Black Woman Running: www.runisee50.com contains current research on running, race, gender, and community. 50 states, 50 half marathons, by 50: More than running it’s a life journey of healing, keeping your spirit strong, empowering yourself, and being mindful of all that you are surrounded by and what you see while running!
Panelists:
Jennifer Merrigan Fay: Jennifer is a life-long runner who began competing in high school around the same time that the women’s marathon was added to the Olympic program. Jennifer continued to run through college and was the head coach for the girls track team at Mount St. Joseph’s Academy in Brighton, MA. She ran her first Boston Marathon in 1994, as a tribute to her younger sister and teammate who died of cancer months earlier. For over 30 years, Jennifer has run marathons across the US and in Brazil and Australia, usually 2-3 per year. Four years ago, she had a serious ski accident and her doctors told her she would never run another marathon. Motivated to prove them wrong and by her love of the sport, she returned Boston two years ago as a guide for an adaptive athlete. This year she will be running for the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism along with her daughters, Mari and Michaela. Her third daughter, Sarah, is running her own marathon in a few weeks. Ranked 20th in the US for her age division in the marathon for 2024, expect to see Jennifer cross the Finish Line under 3:30. When she’s not running, Jennifer practices employment law as a senior partner at Goodwin Procter, an international law firm that she has been working at for as long as she has been running marathons.
Bobbi Gibb: Bobbi is a three-time winner of the Boston Marathon Women’s Division in the pre-sanctioned era, 1966, 1967 and 1968. She was the first woman ever to run and complete the Boston Marathon in 1966 at a time when it was believed that women were not physically able to run marathon distances and were not allowed to complete in events longer than one and a half miles. Her list of honors is long and can be found on her running website. Her feat disproved widely held beliefs about women and was a pivotal event in triggering the second wave of the women’s movement and in changing the consciousness about women’s capabilities. Her sculpture reflects her love of sports and celebrates the human body in motion.
She is an author of three books, Wind in the Fire, To Boston With Love and 26.2 Essays, a personal journey, all available on Amazon, which recounts her adventures and philosophical musing in the two years from 1964 to 1966 when she trained for and ran the marathon. She has also worked as an attorney in intellectual property law, and as a neuroscience affiliate with Jerry Lettvin at MIT and currently with Dr. Robert H. Brown at the Angel Fund in affiliation with the Cecil B. Day Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Jacqueline Hansen: Jacqueline is a former two-time world record holder in the marathon, being the first woman to break the sub-2:40 mark with her 2:38.19 world record time at the 1975 Nike OTC Marathon in Eugene, OR. Her life as a marathoner was launched as a Boston Marathon winner (in 1973). She is a former USA National Champion for the 50-mile run, a national collegiate champion in the mile, and a Masters World Champion in the 1500m and 5,000m distances.
As President of the International Runners Committee, she spearheaded a movement to usher the women’s distance events (marathon, 5,000m & 10,000m) into the Olympic Games. Once the Marathon was lobbied into the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Jacqueline qualified for the First Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon in Olympia, WA and proudly added her name to the list of first finishers.
Her memoir is aptly titled, A Long Time Coming: Running through the women’s marathon revolution.
Thaddeus Miles: A United States Air Force veteran, Miles has dedicated his career to fostering environments where joy and justice can thrive. As the founder of the Black Joy Initiative, he has created a vibrant celebration of Black culture that includes music, poetry, and dialogue, with a focus on uplifting underserved communities. The initiative has also produced the youth-authored book To My Kin: Stories and Poems Written by Youth About Black Joy and a clothing line that embodies the spirit of Black pride and resilience.
In addition to the Black Joy Initiative, Miles co-founded the Road to Wellness 5K, addressing health disparities and promoting well-being, and HoodFit, which empowers youth voices and strengthens community resilience. His dedication to equity and social justice has earned him numerous accolades, including recognition as one of Boston’s “Most Influential Men of Color” in 2023, the Embracing the Legacy Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Action Corps, and the 2025 Congressman John Lewis Social Justice Award.
A well-regarded photographer, Miles’s photography captures the vibrant energy and unscripted moments of Black life, celebrating the joy and thriving spirit of the communities he photographs. Guided by his heart as much as his eye, his work offers a meditative exploration of profound connection and clarity, focusing on the essence of everyday interactions. From quiet, introspective moments to shared laughter among friends, each photograph tells a story that elevates and celebrates the rich tapestry of community life. Through his lens, Miles invites viewers to see the world as he feels it, and as he fights for it—through a lens of beauty, authenticity, and heartfelt celebration.
Hannah Adams: Hanna Adams was born with cerebral palsy, right-sided hemiplegia, and learning disabilities. As a child, she was a frequent flyer at Shriner’s Hospital for Children being fitted for leg braces and hand splints over the early years. Hanna began running track and cross country in middle and high school. She credits Coach Hanson with teaching her to set personal goals each week to improve her strength and performance.
After high school, Hanna attended the Threshold Program at Lesley University that helps people with disabilities including cerebral palsy and autism. Thriving in this program with other young adults facing challenges, she learned to believe in herself, set high goals, and take small steady steps to reach her dreams. Hanna became certified as an Early Childhood Teacher and began running half and then full marathons with her Dad.
This year Hanna will run her seventh Boston Marathon as a Qualified Adaptive Runner. She was named Captain of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism Boston Marathon Team in 2024, a role she continues to serve in this year. This will be her sixteenth overall marathon. Over the years working with her Flutie Teammates, Hanna has witnessed many people with different abilities build on their strengths and reach incredible milestones. Running is the place where she feels strong, confident and capable. She puts in the work to train with her Flutie teammates each week and crosses the Finish Line every year!
Hanna feels grateful to be surrounded by an awesome team of dedicated athletes that work hard to raise money for people with autism and their families. She recommends anyone interested to join the Flutie Foundation Team knowing that together “We Can Do 26.2!”