In 2019, Dominic Leventini was coming down a hill on his bike when a cement truck pulled out in front of him. He had no time to stop.
The crash left him with 26 broken bones. Doctors told him he would never run again.
On March 8, 2026, he crossed the finish line of the Los Angeles Marathon for the third consecutive year.
26 Broken Bones
The bike crash wasn’t just bad. It was the kind of accident that ends athletic careers — the kind that, for most people, ends any serious relationship with physical activity at all. Twenty-six broken bones is not a number that leaves much room for hope.
Leventini, an endurance athlete from the Pacific Northwest, was told bluntly: running was over for him. His body had simply been through too much.
He disagreed.
In the years since the crash, Leventini has completed four marathons, multiple Ironman triathlons, a 100K, and a 62-mile ultramarathon. He didn’t come back to running. He came back harder than before.
Running For Scooty
But Leventini wasn’t just running the LA Marathon for himself.
He was running for Will “Scooty” Taylor — a friend he lost to suicide at the age of 21 in 2017. In Scooty’s memory, Leventini serves on the board of The Scooty Fund, a non-profit dedicated to promoting mental health culture and supporting young people.
“It’s a great opportunity to get out and run and really embrace all those things we’re working hard for — but also start those conversations, raise money and bring together a sense of community to help in this constant battle that many of us have with mental health.”
Dominic Leventini
The Scooty Fund runs events, community programs and awareness campaigns with a focus on young people. For Leventini, every marathon mile is both a personal proof of what’s possible and a public statement about mental health — that it’s worth talking about, worth showing up for, worth running 26.2 miles for.
What The Finish Line Means
There’s a particular kind of finish line that means more than a chip time. Leventini knows what that feels like.
“When you get to that finish line, it’s not only the endorphins that are making you feel high — it’s that feeling of accomplishment, of tangible results, of ‘I just worked for six months, years, days,’ whatever it may be.”
Dominic Leventini
For anyone who has struggled with mental health — or lost someone who did — that feeling of crossing a finish line you weren’t supposed to reach is hard to put into words. Leventini has found a way to run toward it, every single year.
The Bigger Picture
Leventini’s story sits right at the intersection of the two things that make running powerful beyond sport: physical resilience and mental health. The running community talks a lot about both — but rarely do you find a person who embodies both with quite this level of clarity.
He was told he’d never run again. He ran three LA Marathons. He runs them for a friend who is no longer here — and for everyone still fighting.
If you want to find out more about The Scooty Fund or support their work, visit scootyfund.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
