Next Monday, Tedy’s Team rookie and heart disease survivor, Elizabeth Lang, will be running the 130th Boston Marathon® presented by Bank of America. Once she crosses that finish line, she will not only earn her unicorn, but her Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal too.

“The 2026 Boston Marathon is an opportunity for me to celebrate living a healthy life,” explained Elizabeth. “It will be my first time running Boston and an opportunity to complete the Abbott Six Star Challenge with a cause that matters to me.”

In 2006, at 28 years old, Elizabeth was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia known as Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)[1]. While this type of heart arrhythmia is usually harmless, it can be a scary diagnosis for someone with a strong family history of stroke and heart disease.

“At the time I was living an unhealthy lifestyle, and the diagnosis was a wake-up call,” Elizabeth said. “My grandfather passed away from a heart attack and my mother is a stroke survivor managing atrial fibrillation (AFib). I knew I needed to make healthier choices.”

With support and guidance from her doctor, Elizabeth focused on breaking unhealthy habits, improving her nutrition, and establishing a consistent fitness routine.

For years, Elizabeth worked tirelessly to improve her health, yet her electrocardiogram (EKG) results remained abnormal. Still, she kept going. Last August, after nearly 20 years, she finally received the news she had been waiting for: her EKG results had come back perfect.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Elizabeth. “Achieving this milestone filled me with gratitude and reinforced my belief in the transformative power of healthy living.”

Along her journey to improve her health, Elizabeth was encouraged by her colleagues to try running. She signed up for what she thought was just a 5K, but it turned into something so much bigger – she was hooked.

After completing her first 5K, Elizabeth moved onto longer races, including half marathons and then eventually full marathons.

During the summer of 2025, Elizabeth was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that increases her risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack.

“My advice for others would be to listen to your body and talk to your doctor,” Elizabeth explained. “I had to press my doctors and advocate for myself because I knew something felt off.”

On Monday, Elizabeth and her teammates will honor their heart and stroke heroes as they take on the 130^th Boston Marathon® presented by Bank of America. To support Elizabeth’s fundraising and awareness efforts, please visit her personal fundraising page and learn more about heart disease and how you can lower your risk factors.

 

[1] Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs) are extra heartbeats that originate in the ventricles and often felt as a fluttering or skipped beat in the chest. Even though PVCs are common and most times harmless in healthy individuals, frequent PVCs can indicate underlying heart disease or cause weakness in the heart muscle. (www.heart.org)

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