Whew! We made it! Thanks to all of you we more than made our goal of $4000. That makes up for me falling a bit short of my target pace for the race. Sorry! The weather was great, and I was doing great until mile 20, when I stopped to talk with my family. Stopping too fast as I came down a little downhill stretch put my right thigh into a sudden, severe cramp. I could barely hobble on over to where my wife and kids were waiting. Fortunately Karen knows a lot about massage, and she got me back to where I could jog the last 6 miles. With a lot of encouragement from friends, patients, nurses and strangers in the crowd I was able to finish and even able to shave a few minutes off my previous best time. I was pretty happy about that. I also felt that minus the cramp I surely would have met my goal pace. Ok, wait 'til next year! THANKS!!!!!! Thank you for visiting Yes, again for some of you who sponsored my 2004 and '05 runs to meet our fund-raising goals in spectacular fashion, I am definitely addicted to this terrific cause and endorphin event.  Thanks to you, and to those who are joining this year's effort, we are finding cures through the Massachusetts General Hospital Children's Cancer and Leukemia Research Fund.
       Please forward this page to your generous-spirited friends and tell them that their donations are tax deductible, whether given online right here in a fast, efficient and totally secure way, or by check to the "MGH Marathon Run" mailed to my secretary, Donna Silva, Yawkey 7944, Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 (617 726 8748). Donna and our extraordinary nurse practitioner, Jill Nelson, are working hard to convert my middle-aged athletic aspirations into more than blisters, but we need your help.
      Donna and Jill Nelson get the credit for organizing this drive, but YOU get all the thanks for giving!
      The MGH Children's Cancer Research and I appreciate your donation. Any amount will make a difference, but please try to give generously! Ask your employer about gift-matching programs to double your contribution. Over 95% of donations will go directly to research to fight cancers and leukemias that affect children. Cures for kids help adults too!
      You can follow our fundraising progress at this site.   I set a bit higher goal this year, but any amount we raise will be a big plus.    On race day 4/17 you can follow my rabbit hops at http://bostonmarathon.com/    I will be wearing a bright yellow shirt with bib # 21510.   The 26.2 miles including heartbreak hill took me 5:00 hours to complete in 2004, and 4:32 in 2005, so I am shooting for under 4:20 this year.  Wish me luck.   I'm not getting younger, and N.E. winters don't give much good weather for training. Step by step and donation by donation let's do what we can to help these great patients and families.

Check out the links to find out how far we have already come in finding cures. (As a bonus this effort has gotten me into the best physical shape I have been in since high school. No need to say how long ago that was.)

Thanks for your support!!

Dave Harmon, M.D.

P.S.  Deanna Parker is the greatest!