NORTON - Norton High School English teacher and track and field coach Kent Taylor will run the Boston Marathon with Lance Armstrong - and it's not only about the bike.

It's about the inspiration Taylor draws from the late father of one of his best friends, who died of cancer.

And about Taylor inspiring his students, who read Armstrong's book "It's Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life" during a "One Book, One School" program.

The reading started in January. Classes did activities related to it in late February.

Taylor recently began fundraising for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which raises money for cancer prevention and care. Taylor hopes to raise around $3,000.

The foundation asks runners to raise $3,500 to run the 112th Boston Marathon this Monday with the champion cyclist and cancer survivor. Runners have until the end of May to meet the target.

Taylor had already qualified for and had a number for his fourth Boston Marathon before connecting with the foundation.

For that reason, he doesn't need to meet the $3,500 target to run the marathon.

He plans to involve Norton in his fundraisers; he might run laps around the Norton High track for donations, for example.

"I'd like to keep it as the Norton community, to say, 'This is what the Norton community and the school raised,' " Taylor said.

Taylor's story starts in Taunton.

The father of his close friend Mike Matthews died during their senior year at Taunton High School, where the elder Matthews also taught.

"I used to hang out at his house all the time," said Taylor, who graduated in 1999. "Our senior year, he was stricken with cancer, and he literally withered away. It was an unbelievably hard time for all of us."

Taylor has since run three Boston Marathons. Last year, running for the Hopkinton Historical Society, he did a personal best 3:10:53 "which qualified me by 7 seconds this year." This winter, Norton High students and staff read Armstrong's book.

When Taylor, 27, heard about Armstrong's Marathon team, he submitted an essay.

He also will run the race in conjunction with the school.

"I just thought it was fitting," Taylor said. "There's a lot of people, even if they have not been struck by cancer, they know somebody who's been struck by cancer."

Taylor said students have been cheering him on.

"They know it's a serious disease," he said. "A lot of times, you have to look at the greater good and do things for selfless reasons. And if I can be that role model ..."

To donate to Norton High School English teacher Kent Taylor's fundraising campaign, visit http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2008/kenttaylor.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER covers Norton for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0439 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.