Ultra-athletes Frank Fumich and Matt Nelson will run over 450 miles from Arlington, VA, to the site of the Boston Marathon finish line as part of fundraising efforts for Boston Marathon bombing victims. The pair has already raised over $52,000 for two families impacted by the bombings and they hope to reach a new goal totaling $78,600 by the time they finish their non-stop trek.
The 10-state route kicks off at the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial and will continue through notable points along the Eastern seaboard including DC’s National Mall, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Newark and Ground Zero in New York City. The runners will finish their course in Boston by running the length of the Boston Marathon course.
Fumich and Nelson are using FirstGiving’s online peer-to-peer fundraising platform for their fundraising efforts. The beneficiaries of the donations are the family of 8 year old Martin Richards, who was killed in the bombings, and Jeff Baumann, who survived but lost both of his legs in the blasts. Once they cross the finish line in Boston, the two runners plan to hand deliver a check directly to both parties.
“After what we saw happen in Boston, Frank and I knew we had to show the world that the running community is a resilient, loving, and giving family,” said Matt Nelson. “The truth is, I started The Endurance Trust back in 2005 on that premise. As athletes, we're passionate about the causes we run for. We're encouraging every runner to participate on our run to Boston. Join us for a block, join us for a day. We won't turn family away.”
“FirstGiving is a Boston-based company. We were there at the finish line and feel we have a responsibility to the city and running community. We're doing everything we can to help the victims and their families,” said FirstGiving President & CEO, Nina Vellayan. “Individuals like Frank and Matt are the reason why FirstGiving exists in the first place. We're simply here to help you help others.”
In order to complete the 450-mile run, Frank and Matt will alternate marathons. While one runs, the other will rest. The two will be escorted by local and state law enforcement along the route from DC all the way into Boston and they will carry a GPS device to provide supporters and followers with live location updates. In solidarity, members of the FirstGiving office and other Bostonians plan to welcome the two by running the last 5K along with them.
The 24/7, 5-day run, now coined “DC2BOSTON” will begin on Tuesday, May 28th at 6:00 a.m. EST at the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial and is estimated to end Saturday, June 1st at 12:00 p.m. EST at the site of the Boston Marathon finish line.
