By Brett O'Daniell
For most runners, crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon represents the culmination of years of training, discipline, and determination. For New Town resident Paul Rosell, the 130th edition of the race represented something more.
It was the completion of a journey that began decades earlier alongside his father, James Rosell, who introduced him to running as a child and inspired a lifelong commitment to fitness. It was also the final step toward earning the coveted Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal, an achievement earned by only a tiny fraction of marathon runners worldwide.
And perhaps most importantly, it was a race he did not run alone. Tucked safely in his pocket was a small airplane containing a portion of his father's ashes.
"He got me into running and he got me into flying," Rosell said. "So after he passed away, I started carrying a little airplane with his ashes in it for every race. He's still with me every time I run."
Rosell has called New Town home since 2005 and has been a member of the community's fitness center since its earliest days. Fitness has been part of his life since childhood, when his father regularly signed him and his younger sister up for local fun runs.
"My earliest races were probably around five years old," Rosell said. "My dad would run the 5K and my sister and I would do the one-mile fun run."
Although he remained active through childhood and military service, running did not become a serious personal pursuit until later in life. "I went through a difficult breakup and started running to clear my head," he said. "I found it refreshing and relaxing. After that, it just took off."
That outlet for stress and personal growth eventually grew into a passion for marathon running. His first marathon came in 2005 at Walt Disney World.
"I didn't train nearly enough," Rosell laughed. "I finished, but I cried, threw up, had blisters everywhere, and said I would never do another marathon."
Today, he regularly runs multiple marathons each year.
The journey eventually led him to pursue the Abbott World Marathon Majors, then comprised of New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. Completing all six earns runners the coveted Six Star Medal and placed them among an elite group worldwide. Along the way, Rosell also completed the Cape Town Marathon in South Africa and also the Sydney Marathon in Australia, races that would later take on even greater significance.
The challenge is significant. Less than one percent of the world's population has completed a marathon, and only a small fraction of those runners go on to complete all of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Boston proved to be the final piece.
Unlike many marathons, Boston is notoriously difficult to enter. Most runners must achieve demanding qualifying times. Rosell earned his opportunity through Semper Fi & America's Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting wounded veterans, service members, and military families.
The cause was deeply personal. Rosell served in the Air Force, his father served in the Army, and his fiancée is also a veteran.
To secure his place, Rosell completed an application and interview process before being selected to represent the charity. He then raised more than $12,000 to support its mission.
"The charity was a perfect fit for me," he said. "Ninety-six cents of every dollar donated goes directly toward helping veterans and their families."
The fundraising effort quickly became a community project. Friends, neighbors, local businesses, and members of the gym rallied around him. The Commons Fitness Center became one of his sponsors, and Rosell proudly wore its logo during the Boston Marathon.
"The support was incredible," he said. "People from all over New Town helped make it happen."
The community backing provided additional motivation, but it also raised the stakes. Representing a veterans charity, carrying the support of friends and neighbors, and pursuing one of running's most coveted accomplishments meant Boston was about far more than a personal finish time. Fortunately, years of preparation had him ready for the challenge.
Much of that training happened right here. Rosell logs countless miles throughout North St. Charles and has developed routes for nearly every distance. While his running has taken him around the world, he remains a familiar face at local events including the New Town Triathlon, the Mo’ Cowbell Marathon, and other community races. This October, he's already looking forward to tackling the Backyard Ultra in New Town.
"If anyone ever needs a 5K route or a 10K route, I probably know one," he joked. His hill training takes place on Fox Hill, while strength training happens at The Commons Fitness Center.
"Fitness has always been important to me," he said. "Exercise was important to my dad too. It was how he handled stress and stayed healthy."
That lesson became especially meaningful after his father was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Although James Rosell managed the disease for years through exercise and activity, the progression eventually limited his mobility. As the disease advanced, dementia followed.
The father who once encouraged his son to run began believing he was running the races himself. "My mom would call me and say, 'Your dad is packing because he thinks he's meeting you at the airport for a marathon,'" Rosell recalled.
Doctors encouraged the family not to argue with him when those episodes occurred. Instead, Rosell would gently reassure him. "I'd tell him I had his ticket and that I'd meet him there," he said.
Those conversations left a lasting impact. After his father's death in 2024, Rosell found a simple way to keep those shared experiences alive. A small airplane carrying a portion of his father's ashes now accompanies him to every race.
That tradition made Boston particularly emotional. At the start line, surrounded by thousands of runners and years of anticipation, Rosell reached into his pocket and felt the small airplane.
"The first mile I reached down and patted it and got a little emotional," he said. "It felt like he was actually there."
Boston delivered everything he hoped it would. Neighborhoods lined the course, students packed the famous "Scream Tunnel" near Wellesley College, and spectators cheered complete strangers for hours.
"People don't care who you are," Rosell said. "They're just there to support you. That's one of the best things about the running community."
When Rosell crossed the finish line, he officially completed the Abbott World Marathon Majors and earned the coveted Six Star Medal. At the time, it represented the culmination of years of training, travel, fundraising, and perseverance.
Then the goalposts moved.
Shortly after Rosell completed Boston, Abbott World Marathon Majors announced that the Cape Town Marathon would become the eighth World Marathon Major and the first major marathon on the African continent.
For most runners, the announcement created a new challenge. For Rosell, it created a new distinction.
Having already completed the Cape Town Marathon and the Sydney Marathon, he instantly became one of just 1,994 runners worldwide recognized as having completed all eight Abbott World Marathon Majors.
The milestone adds another remarkable chapter to a journey that began more than four decades ago in one-mile fun runs alongside his father.
Today, whether he's training on the streets of North St. Charles, working out at the local gym, running races, or traveling the world in pursuit of new challenges, Rosell continues to carry those lessons with him.
And in a small airplane tucked safely in his pocket, he carries his father too.
"He's still sharing these accomplishments with me," Rosell said.