Bluffton man to run Boston Marathon to honor uncle, raise funds for cancer research

Bluffton resident Ron Kozlin will lace up his running shoes on April 21st, 2025, for a cause close to his heart. He’ll be running his fifth Boston Marathon® as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC), pushing toward a personal fundraising milestone of $100,000 in the fight against cancer.

Kozlin, who moved to Bluffton from Tampa, FL last year with his wife Lisa and their two rescued Dalmatians, is the Chief Financial Officer of a Nashville-based healthcare software company. But outside of work, his passion lies on the road – running to raise funds for innovative cancer research.

“This year, if I hit my $32,000 goal, I’ll cross the $100K mark since I joined the team in 2020,” said Kozlin. “It’s my way of honoring my late Uncle Joe, who ran over 50 marathons before losing his battle with leukemia. Boston was always his favorite.”

Kozlin is one of more than 500 runners who will take on the 129th Boston Marathon as part of the DFMC team. Together, they aim to raise $8.5 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. Now in its 36th year, the DFMC has raised over $132 million to date – all going directly to groundbreaking cancer research.

What makes the journey even more special is the unwavering support of his wife, Lisa. “Together, we’re #TeamKozlin,” he said. “On Saturday mornings, you’ll find her trailing me in our golf cart around the neighborhood during my long training runs.”

Runners on the DFMC team include cancer survivors, patients, and family members of those affected by the disease. Many, like Kozlin, run not just for the finish line – but for the lives that can be changed along the way.
For more information about the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, visit danafarber.jimmyfund.org.