Jill Hadwen to Run Boston Marathon in Memory of Fiance Joe Puciloski After Plane Crash

Jill Hadwen, a systems engineer at Medtronic, is set to run the Boston Marathon on April 20 as a member of the Mass General Boston Marathon team. 2 miles. She is running in memory of her fiance, Joe Puciloski, who died in June after a plane crash.

On June 15, Puciloski proposed to Hadwen on a beach in North Truro. Four days later, on June 19, Puciloski, aged 28, was a passenger in a single-engine plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Beverly Regional Airport. The pilot died in the crash, and Puciloski was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died a few days later while en route to a camping trip in the Adirondacks with friends.

Hadwen and Puciloski met during their sophomore year in 2017 on a school-sponsored ski trip to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine while attending Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. They began dating in their senior year and remained together until his death. Puciloski worked as a software engineer for Disney Streaming Services.

Hadwen started consistent running over the summer and began official marathon training in December.

She described the decision to run as a way to express gratitude for the compassion shown by Massachusetts General Hospital staff during Puciloski's final days. Hadwen also noted that running helps her regain a sense of rhythm and control in her life following the loss.

Both Hadwen and Puciloski were members of Hinge Fitness, a gym in Melrose founded in 2019 by Sarah Guedez, which focuses on strength training for individuals of all ages and abilities.

Puciloski had recently begun coaching at the gym. Following his death, the gym held a memorial class in his honor, and his personal record for the power clean lift—165 pounds—remains on the whiteboard. Guedez stated that Puciloski pushed hard in his workouts and that the gym misses him.

Hadwen's co-workers at Medtronic have provided support during her training. The gym's members span from Generation Z to baby boomers, with many in the 45 to 50 age range.

Hadwen, who played varsity tennis in college, said running was not her preferred sport.

On the Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday, she completed a half-marathon distance during a snowstorm. On February 15, she attended a friends' wedding where Puciloski was scheduled to serve as a groomsman; beforehand, one of his close friends accompanied her on a 14-mile training run to help manage her emotions.

The following weekend, ahead of a planned 16-mile run, Hadwen learned of a family friend's death.

She initially lacked motivation but proceeded after watching the USA men's hockey team win Olympic gold. Despite icy and snowy conditions causing slips, she completed the 16 miles and stayed on track with her training. The Boston Marathon requires participants to train over several months, building endurance for the full distance.

Hadwen's effort highlights personal resilience amid grief, supported by her community and workplace. The event draws thousands of runners annually, with teams like Mass General's raising funds for hospital programs.