Shooting Hoops for the Soul at the Alex Cohen Marathon

This weekend the Alex Cohen Basketball Marathon returns to the Chilmark Community Center. The fundraiser has a long history, one that is both tragic and hopeful.

In 1988, standing at five feet, five inches tall, 16-year-old Alex Cohen organized a basketball marathon for charity with John Taylor, the pastor of the Chilmark Community Church. 

The two played pickup together with a group at the community center every afternoon of the summer, and decided their love for basketball would be a good way to give back to the Island. Their idea was to play basketball all day on the Sunday after the Chilmark Road Race, and in turn raise money for different charities on the Island.

They asked that $1 be donated per each hour played by the participants. 

The event was a huge hit, but then three years later, in 1991, just a few days after the basketball marathon, Alex died in a car accident on the way to Duke University for his sophomore year. The familiar sounds of courtside cheers during the marathon at the end of August were silenced following his death, and Alex’s parents, Irv and Margo Cohen, weren’t sure if they would ever return to the Island. 

But a few summers later, the Cohens received a call from one of Alex’s friends, Nathaniel Scott.

“He called and said, ‘Mr. Cohen, would you mind if we started the game again?’” Mr. Cohen recalled this week at his home in Chilmark.

“Mind? That would be great,” he responded.

The marathon has now continued for over 30 years. Organized by athletic director Jay Brelis-Farrell, this year’s event will take place on Sunday, August 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. Everyone is welcome to participate or watch.

The Cohens said Alex took on many roles at the community center, including camp counselor, assistant tennis pro and the van driver for a few summers. They said he never missed a day of basketball, not even after a long day of work.

“We used to go to Lucy Vincent Beach, and he would put his sneakers in the backseat of the car, and then he would come straight to the community center, put on those sneakers and play basketball at five o’clock,” Ms. Cohen said.

Despite Alex’s love for basketball, his parents admitted that it may not have been his strongest skill.

“He wasn’t tall, and he wasn’t the greatest player, but he was very scrappy,” Ms. Cohen said.

At the first basketball marathon, Alex had blue and white shirts made with Chilmark All-Stars written on the front and each player’s nickname on the back. His jersey had ‘Clicka’ scrawled on the back, because he would click his heels together every time he took a jump shot.

When the event returned, they decided to carry on the nickname tradition. Mr. Cohen, who shared Alex’s love for basketball, participated for over 15 years, sporting a jersey with Big Irv written on the back, a nickname given to him by his daughter Emily.

Mr. Cohen no longer plays in the marathon, but he and his wife will be cheering on from the sidelines. For years, Ms. Cohen said she would start the game by throwing the basketball in for the tip off. 

“He’d be very proud of us, I think,” Ms. Cohen said.

The basketball marathon will have players of all ages, including some participants who originally played alongside Alex at the community center. The Cohens said that’s one of the things that makes the event special. 

“It’s intergenerational,” Mr. Cohen said. “His friends played, and we had a lot of friends there, and their kids played, and then they got families, and then they have kids. It’s continued for generations.”

This summer, the Cohen family has their own generational ties carrying on their son’s legacy. Alex’s two nieces are working at the community center this season, and will be there on Sunday. Ms. Cohen said her granddaughters always look out for the bench dedicated to their uncle, which says ‘our friend on and off the court.’ 

“They make sure it’s always there. They’re very proud of their uncle, they’re proud to be Alex Cohen’s nieces,” he said.  

This article appears in August 7, 2026.