Anthony Yu, A25, a member of the Tufts Marathon Team, ran his first Boston Marathon in April, alongside a special mentor—his mom
Anthony Yu, A25, and his mother, Elaine Wang Yu, take a break during the Boston Marathon to pose for a photo with Don Megerle, coach of Tufts Marathon Team. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Anthony Yu, A25, probably ran an extra quarter mile at the 2025 Boston Marathon, according to his mom, Elaine Wang Yu. The pair ran side by side for all 26.2 miles, but Anthony was bursting with so much joy along the course, that he bounced the extra steps along the way.
“It’s so impressive for Anthony to be a senior in college and to train as well as he did,” Elaine said of her son. “I think that’s why he had this extra energy to bounce around and scream every time he saw a friend. Everything Anthony does, he does wholeheartedly and with such dedication. His energy never came down.”
Anthony, who majored in international relations and economics and will become an associate at Boston Consulting Group in Manhattan, was inspired by Elaine’s dedication to her training.
A mom of three, based in New Jersey, Elaine has completed 22 marathons and is a member of the Six Star Hall of Fame for completing the six Abbott World Marathon Majors in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. This was her second Boston Marathon, which she previously completed in 2023 with a time of 3:52.30.
Despite her personal accomplishments, the energy was different for Elaine this year, who said this marathon with her son was incredibly special. The pair crossed the finish line together with a time of 4:14:32.
Elaine Wang Yu and Anthony Yu pose with their medals after finishing the Boston Marathon. Photo: Courtesy of Anthony Yu
“I always love race day—I call it race day magic. There’s just something beautiful that happens on that day, because it’s not about the running, it's so much about the human spirit,” Elaine said. “To experience all of that, to see it through Anthony's eyes was just such a gift. He has such a zest for life, and I just felt so proud of him that day. He thanked every volunteer. He was very supportive. His friends came out to support him. It was just such a beautiful day.”
Both Anthony and Elaine found running as adults. Elaine was living in New York City in her 20s and signed up for the Race for the Cure, which benefits the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and now, she’s been running for 27 years. Anthony was a bit younger when he took up the sport, but not by much.
“I didn’t really run much before last year,” Anthony recalled. “But one of my mom’s friends had a daughter running with the Tufts Marathon Team and she planted the seed that this is something I should maybe look to get involved with.”
Anthony decided to give running a shot in the fall of 2023.
“I showed up to a couple of the runs with one of my good friends, and it was honestly a little intimidating as a newcomer to this sport,” Anthony remembered. “I had never run three miles, much less seven, which is the typical distance for the marathon team.”
Anthony Yu celebrates as he approaches coach Don Megerle along the Boston Marathon route. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Despite a bumpy start, Anthony became dedicated to the sport in June 2024. During his Boston-based internship last summer, he made time to run whether he was at his off-campus apartment near Tufts, or visiting a client in Ohio. Getting back into a routine in the fall set Anthony up to become even more serious with his training.
“During the school year, I found that it was really important to have a consistent schedule,” Anthony recalled. “I would block out time on my calendar and plan how many miles I would run, typically running in the morning so I can get it over with and go on with the rest of my day.”
Anthony and Elaine both find mornings the best time to train—something Anthony remembers motivated him when he was a child. When he woke up for school, Elaine would already have completed her long run, and be available to help get him and his siblings ready for the day.
Now, with Anthony training at Tufts, he stays motivated by tracking Elaine on an app called Strava, which allows runners to log their runs and share them with other runners.
“Using the app was really motivating because I would wake up in the morning and see that my mom had already run 15 miles,” Anthony laughed. “It also motivated me because I would tell her how many miles I planned to run each week, and she held me accountable throughout the process.”
“Anthony pulled me up, he gave me a hug, and it was like our roles kind of changed in that moment. He was, like, ‘You're okay, Mom. We're going to do this together. Don't worry. You're okay.’”
When it came time to cheer each other on in person, Elaine took the first shift, encouraging Anthony with mantras like “you’re going to be fine,” and “you’ve got this,” and “we’re in this together.” That changed at mile 15, when Elaine tripped on a bottle cap and took a hard fall.
“It was one of those falls where I felt like I was in slow motion and I just hoped I didn’t hurt myself so badly that I couldn't finish the race,” Elaine said. “But Anthony pulled me up, he gave me a hug, and it was like our roles kind of changed in that moment. He was, like, ‘You're okay, Mom. We're going to do this together. Don't worry. You're okay.’”
With her son’s college graduation fast approaching, Elaine reflected on how what could have been a defeating moment during the race turned into something else.
“It was actually kind of a beautiful moment, too, to see that I've raised this young man who I'm sharing this day with and know that he's a very caring and kind person, and he's taking care of me a little bit, too,” Elaine said.
