Frank Gentile runs for his own fitness, recreation and mental health. But he also runs for others, people who can't run themselves, like his father.

"When you think of having a father who died when he was 46, you start to feel shortchanged," said Gentile. "If I can help give someone an extra 10 years and give them a chance to see their grandchildren being born or their children get married or their children graduate from college, it's very personal to me. I think it's just part of who I am, and I think running has helped with that transformation."

Gentile, a 59-year-old resident of Lititz, is currently preparing to participate in the running of the 130th annual Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20. His preparations for the race include raising money as a charity runner for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and logging hundreds of miles and hours of training.

He's motivated by intestinal fortitude, something nurtured by his father, who passed away 41 years ago in Michigan following a three-year battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"When I got to the age of 46, I thought it was incredibly young," said Gentile. "I wanted to prevent that from happening (to me). That's what fuels me. (Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is) an incredibly debilitating disease. It brings tears to your eyes to see people in that condition. That's my why."

Gentile has already raised $10,000 toward his $25,000 goal for cancer research through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. Gentile has been soliciting donations from his large network of friends, family members and business associates, as well as conducting small fundraisers.

"I started running about 13 years ago," said Gentile. "My son was asking for donations for a fundraising run. I was never a runner. When I did the race, I just about died. But I didn't stop. I gradually built into 10Ks and half marathons. This will be my ninth marathon, and the competitiveness of me has helped me mentally. It's become a way of life for me. Hopefully, I'll always be able to run to stay fit. It's a great sport, and you meet a lot of great people."

Gentile's training regimen for the upcoming Boston Marathon has included speed training at Warwick Middle School and Lititz recCenter, hill training, endurance training on the Lititz-to-Ephrata Rail Trail and weight training.

"It's 16 to 20 weeks of training for a race that, for me, will hopefully be lasting four hours," said Gentile. "It's a lot of work for a relatively small 26 miles. With training, you have ups and downs. Sometimes you don't feel like doing it. One of the things I like to do when I'm running is say hi to people. Lititz is just an incredible town."

Gentile was a freshman at Michigan State University when his father was diagnosed with blood cancer. They were already close, but the shared ordeal made father and son even closer.

"He was a great man. He was a big supporter of the community," said Gentile. "Back then, we didn't know a lot about cancer. It probably took a year to figure out. He did all types of chemo, but (the cancer) was too far advanced. My father was a big guy and very hardy. I think about the man I am today because of what I went through."

"I remember being there, helping him and consoling him," added Gentile. "There was a point in time I wasn't sure I'd make it through college. But I think I did because of that attitude of not giving up."

Never has Gentile run the Boston Marathon, perhaps one of the most prestigious running races in the world. In April, when he does, he expects to encounter a flood of emotions.

"You never have a good night's rest the night before a race, but you try to stick to your routine," said Gentile. "As the anticipation grows, you have all this energy, but you can't go out too fast. From mile 3 to the halfway point, you're settling in. During the second half of the race, I start to pray and I think about the people I'm running for, like my father. Over the last 6 miles or so, it becomes about heart, and the emotions start. You think about all the people who helped you along the way. That all goes through your head."

To donate to Gentile's cause, email him at frank.j.gentile@gmail.com.