Brooklyn Runner to Race NYC Marathon Just Two Days Before Double Mastectomy

Jessica Reilly, a 25-year-old Williamsburg, Brooklyn resident, is preparing to run the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on November 1 just two days before undergoing a preventive bilateral mastectomy. Reilly tested positive for the BRCA1 genetic mutation, which significantly raises the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Both of her parents have battled cancer — her mother survived cancer and her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when Reilly was 11. She spent about a year weighing her options before choosing preventive surgery. 'I've seen both of my parents endure chemo, and kind of what cancer can do to a family, even if you do survive,' Reilly told ABC7. She decided to run the marathon as a personal milestone before her operation. Dr. Elisa Port, chief breast surgeon at Mount Sinai, noted that women with BRCA1 have several options including enhanced screening or preventive surgery, and called Reilly's decision remarkable. Marathon coverage begins at 7 a.m. on November 1 on Channel 7.