WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester native Rob Orell is preparing to run the Boston Mararthon in April, honoring his friend, Melissa Hathaway, who passed away earlier this year and fundraising on behalf of Boston Medical Center.

Orell calls running a "mental game," and said a lot can go through your mind as you’re racking up the miles.

“Honest answer is I'm trying to think about how many miles I have left," Orell said. "When I need motivation, I think of Meliss. When I'm trying to just kill time, I create lists or think of football, and then I have my music going as well.”

Orell, who is a teacher at Central Mass Collaborative in Worcester and a football coach at Assumption University, said a lot of his motivation to push forward and train for the Boston Marathon comes from thinking about his friend Melissa.

“The main reason why I'm running, or I started running was for my friend Meliss," he said. "We were coworkers together at school, you know, she was my assistant teacher in the class and a great person. She was also my yoga instructor and we really just became friends over the year.

"And then unfortunately, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and ended up passing away a few months later. And so, when I visited her in the hospital, she told me that her team and her village, her group would be called '143', meaning, 'I love you.'”

Orell said Hathaway's cancer diagnosis came in February 2023. In her honor, he has already earned some medals wearing his 143 tie-dye shirt, running about a dozen races this year ranging from multiple 5Ks to a full marathon.

Now, he’s set to run the 128^th Boston Marathon, fundraising on behalf of Boston Medical Center and spreading the positive outlook his good friend and colleague had on life.

“From someone who wasn't a runner last year to someone who's done 10 going on 11 races in one year, I think it's been pretty awesome," Orell said. "But to be able to accomplish two half marathons, a marathon, do races out in Canada, in different states - it's just been something that... it's been a journey and it's been nice to be doing it with the same 143 the entire time. So, it's been like I've had Meliss there the entire time.”

Orell said one thing he’s learned from his journey to the Boston Marathon is putting your heart into what you’re working toward pays off in the end.

“If you really want something, you know, if you really care about something, you can do it," Orell said. "26.2 miles might not look pretty at the end, but you know, crossing the finish line, that's what we're here for. So, that's why I keep going.”