'OITNB''s 'Crazy Eyes' to Run Boston Marathon for Cancer Research

LOS ANGELES - There's nothing crazy about Uzo Aduba's latest endeavor. The actress who plays Crazy Eyes on "Orange is the New Black" is preparing to run the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research.

The April 20 race will be Aduba's second marathon. Her first, also to support cancer research, was in New York two years ago.

"When I ran New York, there were four people in my life - one had passed, and three were battling cancer," Aduba said. "Now, today, there's only one still fighting."

A particularly personal loss in the fall inspired the actress to take on 26.2 miles again, this time in her hometown. Aduba is part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's marathon challenge, and the actress released a video Tuesday to spread the word about sponsoring her run.

"I can't believe I'm going from the seat of spectator to the place of participant," said Aduba, a Massachusetts native who grew up watching the Boston Marathon.

"Marathon Monday, that's what we call it," she said. "It's such a great tradition that we all love and are so proud to have in our city."

A lifelong athlete, Aduba was a sprinter in high school and during college at Boston University. She switched to long-distance running when she moved to New York to pursue her acting career.

Since beginning her marathon training, Aduba runs about 5 miles a day, with a 10- to 18-mile run on weekends. When she feels like quitting, she thinks about her loved ones fighting cancer.

"They ran a race much harder than mine," she said.

Aduba has already raised $4,000 toward cancer research with her Boston bid.

As she continues training, she's also gearing up for the third season of Netflix's "Orange is the New Black," set for release in June. Show-runner Jenji Kohan embraced faith as a theme for the season, Aduba said.

"She is really toying with that idea, about how people absorb and use faith, to their advantage or to their detriment," she said. "With Crazy Eyes, she has, in the past, been a bit of an idol worshipper. ... It'll be interesting to see whether that's something she continues doing, where she puts her faith and whether she's learned her lesson."