#BraveLikeBen
Name: Ben Davenny
Diagnosis: Stage 3 Colorectal Cancer
Years of Survivorship: 2 years
Location: Arlington, MA
Follow Ben on Instagram and on Strava as “Ben Davenny”
Published on February 18th, 2026
How do you run before, during and beyond a Stage 3 cancer diagnosis? For Ben Davenny, you adjust your expectations and continue on with brave stubbornness and resolve.
Ben was a runner before his diagnosis. In fact, while training for and completing a marathon in 2022 he noticed GI symptoms that seemed out of the ordinary. After visiting his doctor and undergoing a colonoscopy, Ben was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer due to lymph node involvement. He started 5 weeks of radiation treatment in January 2023.
During treatment, he was determined to keep running. It never crossed his mind to quit staying active, he just adjusted what it looked like. Due to the FOLFOX chemo regimen, Ben experienced peripheral neuropathy. This caused numbness and a tingling sensation in his feet. He recalls, “Running on neuropathic feet felt so strange and I was winded at my slower pace.” Even when his watch showed paces slower than his usual, he remained persistent.
In cases like Ben’s, about 30% of colorectal cancer patients do not need surgical tumor resection. Unfortunately Ben was not part of that percentage and he was devastated to hear he needed a lower anterior resection. He adjusted his expectations yet again and ran an unofficial half marathon that he had planned to do later. With a temporary ostomy bag after surgery, Ben didn’t feel comfortable running until his ostomy reversal surgery, so he chose to stay active through long walks in his neighborhood. He remembers, “I was figuring out my new body and new GI tract which was a learning curve that took a lot of trial and error.”
In the spring of 2024, Ben was upping mileage and still chasing his dreams while adjusting his plans along the way. This resilience paid off and after months of training, he ran the Old Port Half (June 2024) and Charles River Marathon (Sept 2024) earning a personal record in both races. His most recent race was the Chicago Marathon in October 2025 which is also when he decided to start documenting his journey on his social media account “Running Beyond Colorectal Cancer” on instagram. Ben’s hope is to advocate for exercise in both cancer treatment and survivorship by sharing his story with others.
Ben and his son running a local 5K in May 2023 while Ben was undergoing treatment
How has running or staying physically active affected your Cancer Survivor journey?
“Running in survivorship has taught me valuable lessons in resilience and persistence. I never really considered stopping running. I am stubborn and I wanted to keep going.
Running has also helped me come to terms with my post-treatment body. Pushing myself in training and races has shown me that I am not limited by my cancer experience.”
“I never considered stopping running. I wanted to keep going. I just needed to adjust my expectations on exercise.”
Before chemoport removal in Dec 2024
Ben and his father at Old Port Half Marathon in June 2024
What advice do you have for people on staying active throughout their Cancer treatment and recovery?
“Movement during cancer treatment and recovery is so helpful for fighting fatigue, nausea, and other side effects. When moving during treatment, especially during chemotherapy, be patient with yourself. I would rest after my infusions and then a few days later I’d start with a 2 mile jog to ease into it. It was important for me to keep a good head on my shoulders and adjust my expectations on exercise.
If you were active before treatment, you may find yourself getting tired or sucking wind at paces or effort levels that were easy before treatment. I felt winded at paces that were 2 minutes per mile slower than my typical speed. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and move as you are able.”
Charles River Marathon in September 2024
Chicago Marathon in October 2025
What are some of your proudest accomplishments as a cancer survivor?
“I am proudest of my three distance races completed since my tumor removal surgery in October 2023 and my temporary ostomy reversal in January 2024. I ran the Old Port Half Marathon in June 2024, the Charles River Marathon in September 2024, and the Chicago Marathon in October 2025, and finished with PR times in each race.
I'm also a father of two and I'm so grateful to my wife and kids for supporting me along my cancer and running journey.”
The Davenny family on vacation in 2025
Post Surgery in October 2023
Undergoing chemotherapy in 2023
How has Gabe's story impacted you or changed the way you view life as a cancer survivor?
“There is so much to take away from Gabe's story. Her quotes really resonate with me. I draw inspiration from the purpose she found in movement, her drive to show what was possible despite diagnosis, and her advocacy for exercise during treatment and survivorship.”
Chicago Marathon 2025
Chicago Marathon 2025
What does it mean to be #BraveLikeBEN?
“#BraveLikeBen means treating each day and each step as a gift. It means pushing myself past discomfort in pursuit of my race goals. It means getting back out there and back on the trail after a bad workout. It means adapting to GI and skin sensitivity issues resulting from my treatment and thriving despite them.”
“It took a lot of trial and error when marathon training. I still have big dreams, it just might take a little longer to achieve them.”
WHAt Are you looking forward to in the near future?
“I look forward to my upcoming marathons and trying to get PRs in each one. If I get my act together, there may even be a Boston Qualifier time in my future!”