Rivers Puzey Beats Cancer to Toe the Line at the Boston Marathon (2024)

Written by Sam Anderson

Rivers Puzey Beats Cancer to Toe the Line at the Boston Marathon (1)Cancer survivor, ultra-athlete, and iFIT trainer Tommy Rivers Puzey; (photo/Colleen Logan for iFIT)

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Beloved ultra-athlete Tommy Rivers Puzey will jog the race today, 2 years after an unexpected diagnosis rattled the running community and threatened his life.

It wasn’t long ago that Tommy Rivers “Rivs” Puzey — or what was left of him — laid unconscious in a hospital bed. A rare and aggressive lymphoma, first diagnosed in July 2020, took a brutal toll on the ultrarunner. Puzey weighed as little as 75 pounds while he fought the atypical cancer through comas, intensive care, and six rounds of chemotherapy.

April 18, though, constitutes a landmark for “Rivs’” phenomenal comeback: on Monday morning, he toed the line at the 126th Boston Marathon.

Tommy Rivers Puzey Comes Back

Puzey set his Boston PR in 2017, finishing 16th overall in a brisk 2:18:20. In more ways than one, his pace this year will be a little more accessible for everyday runners. The cancer survivor anchors iFIT‘s presence in the 2022 Boston Marathon, planning to take walk breaks while he jogs the course.

As part of the iFIT Race Series, Puzey’s comeback run will eventually become part of the brand’s on-demand training content. iFIT will embed a complete video crew for the entire marathon, who will run alongside Puzey for all 26.2 miles. A cameraman, audio technician, and an iFIT trainer will help support the runner as he gives spoken-to-camera coaching tips throughout the duration.

iFIT will later offer the content as a multipart on-demand workout series for ProForm, Freemotion, and NordicTrack connected treadmills.

In a statement, Puzey set a personal goal to finish the race as quickly as possible “given his current physical setbacks.” As of this writing, he last checked in at the 15k (9.3-mile) mark, at a fairly consistent 15-minute mile pace.

A ‘Medical Miracle’

“I hope those who do this series will be encouraged to know that at times progress is slow, but simply moving forward is sometimes enough,” Puzey said.

“We are honored that Rivs, who is beloved by our seven million members and the global running community, will lead our Boston Marathon race series,” said Mark Watterson, iFIT President and Chief Experience Officer. “His comeback and perseverance are profoundly inspiring to anyone facing obstacles in their life.”

iFIT said Puzey’s doctors agree his survival was a “medical miracle,” and acknowledge that his elite fitness leading up to the diagnosis “may have” keyed his recovery. Since his release from the hospital, training has helped him recover basic physical function.

How to Follow ‘Team Rivs’ Today

Today’s Boston Marathon is Rivs’ second race since his release. Last November, he finished the 2021 New York City Marathon in 9:18:57.

If he stays on pace today, he’ll hack well over 2 hours off that mark. Keep track of Puzey and #TeamRivs on Instagram here and here. Check out the full, searchable Boston Marathon results in real time.

Rivers Puzey Beats Cancer to Toe the Line at the Boston Marathon (3)

Sam Anderson

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Sam Anderson is a staff writer at GearJunkie, and several other All Gear websites.

He has been writing about climbing, cycling, running, wildlife, outdoor policy, the outdoor industry, vehicles, and more for 2 years. Prior to GearJunkie, he owned and operated his own business before freelancing at GearHungry. Based in Austin, Texas, Anderson loves to climb, boulder, road bike, trail run, and frequent local watering holes (of both varieties).

Rivers Puzey Beats Cancer to Toe the Line at the Boston Marathon (2024)

FAQs

Rivers Puzey Beats Cancer to Toe the Line at the Boston Marathon? ›

Ultra-Athlete Tommy Rivers Diagnosed With Rare Lymphoma

What type of cancer did Tommy Rivers Puzey have? ›

There, doctors diagnosed him with primary pulmonary and NK T-cell lymphoma. It's a very rare and very aggressive form of cancer. Tommy was put into an induced coma with a ventilator and what's called an ECMO machine so he could get oxygen through his blood, and allow the heart and lungs to rest.

Who is the wife of Tommy Rivers Puzey? ›

Here's a little secret about Steph Catudal's memoir, “Everything All at Once,” which chronicles her husband's harrowing skirmish with lung cancer in 2020: The book's even-numbered chapters were written years ago, long before Tommy Rivers Puzey, Catudal's ultramarathon-running spouse, developed a hacking cough that gave ...

Where does Tommy Rivers Puzey live now? ›

It features my friend Tommy Rivers Puzey, who a couple of weeks ago sent me a series of alarming voice messages from a hospital ICU in Flagstaff, where he lives with his family.

Is Tommy Rivs Puzey still alive? ›

Tommy is living.” What better way to affirm that you're still living than running Boston? “Running a marathon is a time stamp in which we're able to declare 'I am here. '” Puzey says.

What kind of lung cancer did Tommy Rivs have? ›

But cancer sucks and it can prey on anybody. And that's what the dastardly primary pulmonary NK/T-cell lymphoma has done to Tommy Rivs.

What type of lung cancer did Tommy Rivs have? ›

This story was updated at 10:20 a.m. on July 24. The well-known trail runner from Flagstaff, Arizona, was transferred to HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborne Medical Center in the Phoenix metro area on Thursday, July 23, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer known as NK T Cell lymphoma.

How old is Tommy Rivers Puzey? ›

After Facing Death, the New York City Marathon Has New Meaning for Tommy Rivers Puzey. The 38-year-old runner views the 26.2 miles as a celebration of his recovery and progress toward his new goal: to build a body strong enough to fight cancer, if and when it returns.

Is Tommy Rivs married? ›

This short film will center on the story of Tommy “Rivs” Puzey as told through the voice and recollections of his wife Steph Catudal. Tommy is a well established extreme runner, with a large following on social media, and a cancer recovery saga that has only turned up his voice.

Where does Jacob Puzey live? ›

Jacob Puzey is in Revelstoke, BC, Canada.

What is Tommy Rivers diet? ›

“I eat almost completely plant based carbs for the first 8 hours of the day and then when I'm trying to “harden up” and get lean before a race, I eat almost exclusively animal protein after 4 pm until the next morning. So all carbs for the first 8 hours of the day and then no carbs for the next 16 hours.”

What time did Tommy Rivs Puzey run the Boston Marathon? ›

Beloved endurance athlete Tommy Rivers Puzey shares his “why” for running in a short film about his experience at the 2023 Boston Marathon, which the formerly-elite runner finished in 4:53:44–which is remarkable, considering that three years ago he was stricken by a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer that nearly ...

Where is Tommy Rivers Puzey from? ›

Unlike most, he almost didn't make it to the race in the first place because he had nearly died. In July 2020, Puzey was admitted to a hospital near his home in Flagstaff, Ariz., with what was initially assumed to be Covid-19.

What is Tommy Rivers Puzey's diagnosis? ›

Steph Catudal felt her world unravel in 2020 when her husband, famed U.S. ultramarathoner Tommy Rivers Puzey (a.k.a. Tommy Rivs), was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer that put him into a medically induced coma for 84 days.

Who is the runner with rare cancer? ›

Gabriele Grunewald, a professional runner and rare cancer advocate, founded the Brave Like Gabe Foundation to inspire people to share stories of being brave through their own struggles while also helping to find better and more effective treatments for rare cancer.

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