Running to Beat Cancer

Matthew McIntyre, a first-year student at TouroCOM Harlem, completed a “4x4x48” running challenge to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event requires participants to run four miles every four hours for 48 hours.

McIntyre began his first run at 8 p.m. on March 5, then headed out again at midnight, 4 a.m., and every four hours after that until the two-day challenge was finished.

“It’s easier than a marathon physically,” McIntyre said. “But mentally it’s harder because you don’t really sleep.”

It was the third time he had completed the challenge. In past years he used the runs to raise money for the American Cancer Society, bringing in more than $12,000.

Cancer fundraising is personal for McIntyre. Several members of his family have been affected by the disease.

“My uncle, grandmother and grandfather passed away from cancer,” he said. “My dad and my uncle had cancer. It’s always good to do something to help.”

McIntyre grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, and graduated from Westfield High School in 2019, where he played baseball. He later attended Rutgers University, earning a biology degree on the pre-medical track in 2023.

His interest in medicine developed naturally over time.

“I couldn’t envision doing anything else other than the human body,” McIntyre said. “As I got older, the classes I ended up taking were always about science. It just felt like natural wiring.”

After graduating from Rutgers, he spent two years working before enrolling at TouroCOM Harlem. He said the school’s philosophy and approach to osteopathic medicine appealed to him.

“I really liked the DO method and philosophy,” he said. “I truly believe the human body should be understood as a whole.”

Outside the classroom, McIntyre trained daily for triathlons, alternating between running, biking, and swimming. A typical week included 30 to 40 miles of running, about 100 miles of biking, and regular swimming sessions.

He often used his runs to review material from medical school. “I listen to music or podcasts, but I also try to recite everything I’ve learned,” he said. “It’s a good way to practice active recall.”

McIntyre said he is especially interested in neurology. “If you break a bone it’s bad,” he said. “But if you lose brain function, your whole life changes.”

He first heard about the 4x4x48 challenge in college after seeing another student attempt it. Curious, he ran one of the four-mile segments. The following year, he completed the full challenge himself.

For McIntyre, the event has become a way to stay active while supporting a cause that matters to him. “It’s competition with myself,” he said. “It gives me another goal, something to strive for."