Marathon Man: 'It's Just My Attempt to Get Rid of This Disease'

About five years ago, Carl Allegretti was spending most of his days at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital. His oldest son, Joey, had been diagnosed with leukemia and was going through treatments at the medical center.

Each time Allegretti left the facility, he would see a flyer touting a marathon running team that raised money for the hospital. After a while, though, the former marathoner started taking the signs as, well, a sign. Allegretti joined the team, and in 2010, he ran the Chicago Marathon, raising $80,000 for the hospital.

I've been very fortunate in my life, and I've always wanted to give back. I wanted to give back in a very personal way. ... It's just my attempt to get rid of this disease.

"It was my first marathon in eight years," said Allegretti, the chairman and CEO of Deloitte Tax in Chicago. "It was hard, but you know what, I was not going to stop running, because I had a commitment I made. I was going to finish. You have to figure it this way: Someone going through cancer treatment couldn't stop."

And the Frankfort resident hasn't stopped either, even though his son, a senior at , has beaten his cancer. He ran the Chicago Marathon again last year, earning $35,000 for the hospital. On April 16, he'll enter the Boston Marathon, his fourth time running in that event. But instead of running with the Children's Memorial team, he'll be doing it as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, which plans to earn $4.8 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a teaching facility at Harvard Medical School and a leading cancer care and research center.

A football player at Butler University in Indiana, Allegretti got into running because it was the best way to stay shape and lose weight after college. Running as part of a fitness routine eventually turned into running as part of a race in 1986 when he entered his first marathon. From that point until 2002, Allegretti ran in 63 marathons and two ultra-marathons.

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"This is the most efficient way to exercise. You don't need to a lot of equipment to do it," he said, adding that his hectic work schedule keeps him traveling almost every week. "I run four times a week, and I train with kettle bells (weights). I have not missed a workout day since Christmas of 2010. It's my way of stress relief."

Since restarting his marathon running, Allegretti's biggest supporters have been family. Joey and Allegretti's other son, Nicky, a sophomore at L-W East, sometimes weightlifting with dad (as wrestlers, running isn't part of the teens' workouts). And in most cases, they're at the finish line of the marathon he runs, along with his wife, Tammy.

"My family is a very close family," he said. "When you live through something like you did you become incredible close."

The Boston Marathon might be one of the last Allegretti runs. At 50, the rigor of training and running those distances has taken its toll on his body, especially his knees. He plans on running in two more events this year, and then he'll make a decision.

But even if Allegretti stops running marathons, that doesn't mean he's finished doing what he can to fight cancer. Civic mindedness has always been a valued quality for Allegretti, who founded the Frankfort Youth Athletic Association and sits on the board of the Chicago Boys and Girls Club. He's also considering becoming a member of Children's Memorial Hospital's board.

"I've been very fortunate in my life, and I've always wanted to give back," Allegretti said. "I wanted to give back in a very personal way. ... It's just my attempt to get rid of this disease."

To support Allegretti and donate to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, go to his fundraising website, call (617) 632-1970 or e-mail dfmc@dfci.harvard.edu.