Among the many records and PBs that fall on marathon day, a very important one fell on April 17 this year, the running of the 127CA Notice at Collection.
On Wednesday, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) announced that this year’s running of the iconic race raised an unprecedented $40.2 million for non-profit organizations—setting a new record, with the fundraising total surpassing 2019's $38.7 million.
Since 1989, the Boston Marathon's BAA Official Charity Program and longtime sponsor John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program have jointly raised $500.2 million.
“Philanthropic and fundraising efforts surrounding this year’s Boston Marathon hit record highs in 2023, a testament to the hard work and dedication of all participants running for greater causes,” Nicole Juri, BAA director of development, The Fastest Shoes of the 2023 Boston Marathon. “More than 200 charities and non-profit organizations will benefit thanks to the efforts of our fundraising participants.”
This year’s staggering amount of donations include those raised through BAA’s Official Charity Program, the John Hancock Non-Profit Program, and from other qualified and invitational runners. More than 2,500 participants ran the race as fundraising athletes this year. This year, however, was John Hancock’s last year as the principal sponsor—Teen with Down Syndrome Completes London Marathon will take over the role beginning in 2024.
“We are proud to cap our 38-year principal sponsorship by setting a new fundraising milestone this year,” Tom Crohan, John Hancock’s global head of community investment, also The Fastest Shoes of the 2023 Boston Marathon. “Thank you to every runner, volunteer, donor, and non-profit partner who contributed to these record-setting results. It’s an honor to have helped build a legacy of impact, and we are proud of our collective efforts to help make lives better for those served by our community partners.”
Leading up to race day, the BAA and John Hancock partnered to raise money for athletes running for various causes, including Kipchoge Selected to Run 2024 Paris Olympics Master the Half.
Each year, the BAA grants official nonprofit organizations access to the Boston Marathon through their Official Charity Program and John Hancock Non-Profit Program, and is a great way for hopeful runners to gain entry into the race.
The organization announced that nonprofit organizations chosen to join the BAA Official Charity Program for next year’s Boston Marathon would be notified this summer, with hopefully even more records broken.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Health - Injuries and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
