Rabbit, rabbit and happy April, team! We’re officially 21 days away from Marathon Monday, but who’s counting!?

Marathon Madness – March Winners

Congratulations to our March Marathon Madness winners! Katie P. raised the most money and Abigail F. received the most donations. You have some Stepping Strong swag heading your way!

Marathon Madness – CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS

And BRAVO to our Marathon Madness CHAMPIONS! Madeline M. raised the most money and Abigail F. received the most donations during the three-month challenge!

B.A.A. Resources: Make sure to…

• Review and share the following:
  • Participant Guide
  • Spectator Guide
  • Official Program
• Download the B.A.A. Racing App for access to these GREAT features:
  • Athlete Tracking
  • Course Map
  • Race Information
  • Race Week Schedule
  • Customized Cheer Cards and more

Have questions about race weekend?

Make sure to review our last team meeting PowerPoint HERE! Still have questions? Email marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu OR schedule a Fundraising Check-In Call! Next Friday, April 11 is the LAST day for fundraising check-in calls. If you need to speak with us about fundraising or race weekend, please sign up for a call by clicking here.

The Final Countdown

It’s almost the final countdown to the 129^th Boston Marathon! From April 17-20, make sure to check your email and the runner portal every day for fun and inspiring messages!

Cross Your Fundraising Finish Line!

Now’s the time to make a big fundraising push and cross that fundraising finish line strong. To help you maximize these last three weeks, here are some fun and effective ways to rally support:

21-Day Challenge – Commit to something daily (push-ups, gratitude posts, running miles) and ask for donations to keep you going! Example: “I’m running 2.62 miles every day—donate $26.2 to support me!”

Social Media Countdown – Post daily updates, donor shout-outs, or reasons why you’re running. A countdown creates urgency!

Match a Mile – Ask friends/family to “sponsor” a mile with a donation (e.g., $100 for Mile 10, $50 for Mile 5). As a thank-you, write their names on your race-day gear!

Race Day Dedications – Dedicate each mile to a donor or cause and share why it’s meaningful to you. “Mile 5 is for my grandma—who wants to own it with a $50 donation?”

Flash Fundraiser – Set a 24-hour goal (e.g., raise $500 in a day) and promote it hard! Offer a fun challenge if you hit your goal (like running in a tutu).

Please email marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu or call/text 857 523 8052 and/or 857 505 1225 if you need us at all over the next few weeks!

From start to finish,

Ali, Ally, and Caroline

P.S. Make SURE to Submit your Photos on the Runner Portal if you want to be featured in something special by clicking HERE! The first deadline is Friday, April 4.

Thank you to our incredible team and to those who supported you on Wednesday for Support A Stepping Strong Runner Day! Together, we raised $41,596 for the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at the Brigham bringing our fundraising total as a team to $1,256,954 – AMAZING! Your support is helping trauma survivors everywhere turn tragedy into hope. Hats will be sent to those who donated $50+ and will arrive before race weekend.

And congratulations to our randomly selected chance drawing prize winners!

Second Fundraising Deadline

A friendly reminder that the second team fundraising deadline of $5,000 dollars/per runner raised is due by 11:59pm on March 31. As a reminder, if you have not reached the $5,000 minimum by 11:59pm on the 31, your credit card will be charged for the incremental amount to reach the deadline. These charges will be applied to your total fundraising commitment and will not be refunded. Again, if you have incoming donations, or incoming matching gifts, please alert us ASAP so we can make sure we update your total, even if the gifts haven’t arrived to us yet / aren’t on your page. If you plan on meeting the commitment by making an outright donation, you can do so directly onto your TeamRaiser without us having to charge your card.

If you have any questions, please contact marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu.

From start to finish,

Ali, Ally, and Caroline

TODAY is YOURS and YOUR DONORS! On Support a Stepping Strong Runner Day, make sure to ask everyone you know to support your run and make a new $50+ donation in order to receive a Stepping Strong hat to wear on Marathon Monday. You can find suggested language here for any emails or social posts you want to push out!

And that’s not all! Every runner who gets one $50+ donation or more on Support a Stepping Strong Runner Day will be entered into a chance drawing to win one of the following prizes:

If you have any questions, please contact us at marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu.

From start to finish,

Ali, Ally, and Caroline

It was great to see so many of you last night at our final team meeting! If you were unable to attend, please click HERE to review the meeting PowerPoint, important updates, and reminders as you prepare for race weekend. If you’d like, we will be happy to connect 1:1 with you and review important details!

Top SEVEN Meeting Takeaways

1. Take the following action:
   • Complete the MANDATORY Runner RSVP Form by clicking here by Friday, April 4 
2. Expo: April 18-20; Mandatory for all runners to pick up your race day bib. You must bring your government issued photo ID.
3. BWH Bag Check: Drop off your B.A.A. gear check bag during the team pep rally at the Revere Hotel & we will have it for you when you finish your run!
4. Pep Rally: Saturday, April 19 at the Revere Hotel from 1:00pm-3:00pm. Up to three (3) family members/friends are welcome to attend!
5. Transportation to Start: Take the B.A.A. buses; board bus between the Public Gardens and Boston Commons.
6. Post-Race Meeting Spot: Head over to the Revere Hotel to meet your family, grab your gear bag, change, and snap a photo! Runners will receive a goodie bag, but there will be no refreshments for guests. This area is intended for quick transitions, not for gathering. We encourage runners and their families to use this space as a meeting point before heading out to celebrate.
7. We Did It Wednesday!: Wednesday, April 23 via zoom from 5:30pm -6pm

Email marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu with any questions!

From start to finish,

Ali, Ally, and Caroline

Our final team meeting takes place tonight on Zoom TONIGHT – we can’t wait to see you! This meeting will not be recorded.

Details:

• Zoom Link: https://partners.zoom.us/j/82446781466?pwd=Tugy3Fxtxmh3q97YqGtV7IVCC9IeLF.1
• Meeting ID: 824 4678 1466
• Passcode: 715604

During this meeting, we will cover all essential details to prepare for the Marathon race weekend. We strongly encourage your attendance, as we will be discussing crucial information.

If you are unable to join, no worries! We will email out the meeting PowerPoint link and will be happy to connect 1:1 with you. Again, this meeting will not be recorded.

Email marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu with any questions!

From start to finish,

Ali, Ally, and Caroline