Team Still I Run Takes on the Berlin Marathon
- Layla Kattau
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
Since 2006, the BMW Berlin Marathon has been part of the Abbot World Marathon Majors, and as of last year, Still I Run had a team running this iconic course.
This year, we once again have 10 runners headed to Germany on behalf of Still I Run, and we're going to introduce you to two of them now.
Training for and running a marathon is no small feat. The fact that these individuals have chosen to do so in support of Still I Run and mental health awareness means the world to us.
Meet Rebecca
Rebecca Palmer-Franco has been running since she was in high school, but the sport took on a new meaning to her after she spent months in the NICU with her first son.
After facing hardships with infertility and the mental challenges that come along with that, Rebecca began to lean on running more for mental health support than for its physical benefits. "It became kind of like a reprieve for me after my second son was born, to be able to get out of the chaos that ensues when you're a mom and move my body."
Rebecca found Still I Run during her search for charities at one of the World Majors that she could run for. She never considered herself a person who was heavily focused on mental health, but after multiple miscarriages and having a premature son, she began struggling with depression.
"The organization, in and of itself, promoting the benefits of running for mental health is something that's not talked about nearly enough, and I think that if more people were to get into it, a lot of lives would be changed."
For Rebecca, running is an outlet. She sees it as something that makes her a better mom, a more patient friend, and it gives her clarity throughout the day. She is a big believer in the "talk to me after my run" memes that we all see on Facebook!
"I have run heartbroken, I have run angry, I have run sad, but I have also run with a smile on my face as I continue to prove to myself that I am stronger and braver than I ever believed."
We're so excited to have Rebecca on Team Still I Run and running in the Berlin Marathon this weekend.
Meet Jason
Jason Sarracini didn't start running until he was 35, when he joined a CrossFit gym with his sister. The first time he ran on the treadmill, he found himself unable to run more than 0.4 miles. Instead of letting that defeat him, he worked harder until he was able to easily run a 5K.
From there, he signed up for a half-marathon that he trained for in the dead of winter in Canada without proper gear. Then, of course, COVID hit, and the race was cancelled and then postponed several times.
During the training process, he decided to go for a full marathon. "What else did I have to do?" He entered the lottery for the Chicago Marathon and got in on the first try.
"Running where you had hundreds of thousands of people cheering you on... I'd never experienced anything like that before, and it got me hooked."
Since running the Chicago Marathon, he's applied about 13 times for other World Majors and finally decided to look into joining a charity team. Still I Run stood out to him because running provides Jason with clarity and a sense of purpose.
Before every race, Jason watches the Rocky movies and finds himself drawn to the quote "Ain't gonna be no rematch." That motivates him through a marathon, and he says it's become a joke among him and his friends because he keeps running marathons that he considers rematches against himself. Berlin will be his tenth marathon, and he says he's aiming to run at least twenty more if he's able to.
We're so glad to have Jason join us this weekend in Berlin to run with Team Still I Run.