She spent 286 days in a row in space in an unexpected marathon mission. Her extended stay on the International Space Station in 2024 and 2025 captured the attention of the world.

And a year after splashing down back on Earth, Needham’s own Sunita Williams is now preparing for a different kind of marathon: She’s running Boston on Monday.

“It’s just such a great opportunity because I love Boston and I love this time of year,” Williams said.

She retired from NASA in January after a 27 year career.

Asked if preparing for a marathon is more rigorous than preparing for a space mission, Williams said they’re about the same.

“There are good days and bad days,” she said.

Williams knows about resilience.

“It’s slow. It’s going to be a little bit of torture this year but I decided, what the heck? I’m 60 years old and I wanted to show people you just have to get to the starting line and then see how it all works out,” she said.

After her return from her extended stay in space, Needham native Suni Williams sat down with NBC10 Boston for an interview in Houston.

Over the course of her career, Williams spent 608 days in space spanning three different missions. In 2007, she ran the Boston Marathon on board the International Space Station.

Now, a new generation of astronauts are breaking records of their own. Williams is excited after watching the Artemis II mission.

“It was so awesome to see that mission so successful,” she said. “What a great mission. We are opening the next door to get back to the moon. This mission had to be a success for us to be able to do that.”

Four astronauts are home safe after spending the last 10 days traveling to the moon and back.

The Artemis mission sent astronauts to the far side of the moon for the first time in decades.

“They did such a marvelous job through the photographs, through the commentary,” said Williams, “through their attitude. It was just wonderful to watch. The whole time I wanted to be up there. I was in Florida watching the launch and, damn, that’s a huge rocket. That’s so cool. I wish I was part of it but I am so proud of this next generation of astronauts. They’re going to do a great job.”

As for the Boston Marathon, Williams said she is excited.

Asked what the first thing she would do after crossing the finish line, she said, “Let’s see, maybe have a Sam Adams.”

A man is running the Boston Marathon to highlight the courage of his 9-year-old daughter’s battle with cancer. Here’s Emma Cohen’s story.

Another sea breeze day is upon us across New England and our temperatures range from the 40s to 80s all over! 

Eastern Massachusetts has a continued easterly breeze carrying in more fog and cold temps. While outside of 495 we have summer like heat and sunshine breaking through the clouds. 

The sea breeze actually keeps most of southeastern New England quiet as storms develop along a frontal boundary this evening. Between 4-10 p.m., some severe thunderstorms pop up across northern New York, Vermont and even some of northwestern Massachusetts. 

The largest chance for severe storms will be in New York to Vermont, isolated severe in New Hampshire and northwestern Massachusetts. 

Then the storms fizzle or completely dissipate before reaching Boston late tonight. The South Coast, Cape Cod and the islands will remain dry until some predawn showers Friday. 

Scattered rain and storms remain for all on Friday as temps reach the 60s to low 70s, even to the coast. Saturday, an east breeze carries far inland so everyone cools to the 50s to 60. Sunday, scattered showers and temps go from the 60s before dropping significantly for Marathon Monday. Lows in Hopkinton start in the mid 30s with patchy frost and a gusty west wind. Temps through the race and as runners cross the finish line in Boston, in the 40s. 

Discussion surrounding the removal of parking minimums for new development in Boston cropped up again at City Council on Wednesday.

District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan is proposing a change to the city code which would take away parking mandates from the 1950s with the goal of encouraging developers to build the number of parking spaces needed for a project instead of meeting the required city number.

Several councilors spoke in support of the idea at Wednesday’s meeting including At-Large Councilor Henry Santana and City Council President Liz Breadon.

During the meeting, Durkan also sought to clamp down on concern that this could create other issues on Boston city streets.

“Getting rid of these mandates does not eliminate or ban parking, it simply will replace arbitrary minimum requirements with flexibility,” said Durkan.

Speaking outside the chamber, Durkan expanded on the idea and cited a MAPC report that suggests much of Boston’s residential parking isn’t being used overnight.

“What we’re finding out is that over a third of parking sits empty from these residential, new residential developments overnight. So we’re building more parking than we need. The city doesn’t know the right mix here and we should let the market decide,” said Durkan.

The proposal has been sent to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation.