Kate Hewig '11 and Jonathan Tillen '25 complete the race on behalf of BYSO, with Team CITGO

We were so proud to see Kate and Jonathan represent BYSO in the 2026 Boston Marathon, on behalf of Team CITGO, with impressive finish times of 04:09:25 (Kate) and 03:00:52 (Jonathan)! We all know how iconic the Boston Marathon is as not only an athletic event, but an opportunity to celebrate and bolster our greater community, including opportunities for nonprofit organizations like BYSO to be part of this special celebration. Kate and Jonathan each raised over $5,000 of support for BYSO, plus each received an additional $2,500 matching gift from CITGO, benefitting BYSO's 500+ current students.

“Supporting the next generation means a lot to me. There are kids out there who are just as inspired by music as I was, and I want to help make that possible.” - Kate Hewig '11

“It was such an important part of my middle and high school experience, even when I was applying to college, violin, BYSO, and running were my top activities. It’s really special to see those come together now.” -Jonathan Tillen '25


Prior to the race, Kate and Jonathan reflected on their time in BYSO,  the deeper connections and similarities between learning an instrument and training for a marathon, as well as how meaningful it will be to combine these interests in support of an organization they feel passionately about. 


Click below to read more about Kate and/or Jonathan's story!