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Patient Story of: Chris Gould

Flemington, NJ

Achilles Tendon Pain

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I am deeply grateful to HSS for helping me return to a life without pain and for giving me the chance to share a marathon with my son.

Chris Gould

I have been a runner since I was 12 years old, and staying active has always been a core part of who I am. Over the years, however, I faced a series of physical setbacks – Achilles tendon issues, meniscus tears and spinal compression – that gradually took away the activities that defined my life.

By 2009, after completing my fifth marathon, I believed my marathon days were behind me. For more than a decade, I could not run more than five miles without pain.

Thanks to the care I received at HSS, including procedures that restored my ability to move without discomfort, I was able to return to the activities that make me feel most alive: running, basketball, hiking, skiing and water sports.

What brought me back to marathon running, however, was not just being pain-free – it was my son, Seth. For years, he had been asking me to run a marathon with him. For a long time, I did not believe I could, and I always had a reason to say no.

In January 2026, after successful treatment at HSS for my neck and back, I decided it was finally time to try.

Training was not easy. There were setbacks, frustration and moments of doubt along the way, but I kept going.

On October 11, 2026, I ran a marathon in Upstate New York with my son by my side. I set a goal time of four hours and five minutes – and finished in three hours and 58 minutes.

Crossing that finish line was about more than a race. It was proof that with the right medical support, determination and encouragement from someone you love, you can reclaim parts of yourself you thought were gone. I am deeply grateful to HSS for helping me return to a life without pain and for giving me the chance to share a marathon with my son.