As a busy anesthesia resident at Boston Medical Center, Ezequiel (Zeke) Rodriguez doesn’t have a lot of spare time. So, to prepare to run the 2026 Boston Marathon with Team BMC in April, Rodriguez wakes up at 4 a.m. to train. He considers this a small price to pay to support patient care at BMC.
Ezequiel (Zeke) Rodriguez
“I did a lot of volunteering when I was younger,” he says. “But since becoming a resident, I spend most of my free time sleeping or studying, so it feels good to give back and make an impact. It just means I have to wake up early every morning to run.” His goal is to raise $12,000 so BMC can continue to provide essential services that go beyond the exam room.
Rodriguez grew up in Queens in a single-parent household and was the first in his family to graduate from college. He knew he wanted to be a doctor from age 12, when he met a cardiothoracic surgeon. “He was such a nice guy, but he did something so cool, and I knew right then medicine was something I wanted to get into.” After college, Rodriguez went to St. George’s University, a medical school in the Caribbean, and matched at BMC for his residency.
Rodriguez was inspired to run for Team BMC after learning that two of his anesthesia colleagues ran for BMC in 2025. “As soon as I heard about it, I thought, that’s something I’m interested in doing next year. Not only is it an opportunity to volunteer, but I also get to raise money for the hospital I work for that provides amazing care to patients.”
As a newcomer to Boston, Rodriguez has been struck by BMC’s dedication to serving all patients. “BMC offers so many unique programs in the community, like teaching food classes and the rooftop farm, where patients can get fresh vegetables in the warmer months. I haven’t seen other hospitals with these types of programs that really give back.”
Zeke hopes that by running for Team BMC, he will also inspire others to give back where they can. “If it were not for BMC, a lot of our patients would not get the care they need,” Rodriguez says. “So, any money people donate to BMC goes a very long way. I also want to empower people to donate, not just for this race, this one time, but to look for other ways they might get involved. It really makes a big difference.”
This year, 72 Team BMC runners are fundraising and training for the Boston Marathon as part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program. Together, they’re aiming to raise $850,000 to advance BMC’s mission. Learn more about Team BMC and the Boston Marathon.