Friends, Family, Countrymen-
This Patriot’s Day I’ll be running the Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to raise much-needed money to fund their crucial cancer research. A cure is on the horizon and your donation is very appreciated not only by me and Dana-Farber, but by all those who you can help save with a cure.
With your donation- you’re also helping to contribute to my dream- that of obtaining the Six Star Medal, one of marathon running’s greatest achievements. While I can’t put a price tag on my dream… I guess it is $12,500, the amount I need to raise for Dana Farber.
Please indulge me for a minute or so while I share my running journey.
I grew up running with my grandpa. After sleeping over at my grandparents’ house, I would join my grandpa on his morning run route, followed by his favorite breakfast, blueberry pancakes.
As a child (and admittedly I am still a child at heart), I used to accompany my dad on his route from our house and back. I started out by riding my bike alongside him, then graduated to trying to keep up running with him, and then moved on to him trying to keep up with me.
These special moments are what have always inspired and pushed me to run. And I aspire to continue running when I am 90 years old, just like my grandpa still does.
There is something special about running a marathon. Pushing yourself both mentally and physically through 26.2 challenging miles is a feat (or feet) few people take on… and anyone who does it has to be a bit mad.
Before I ran my first New York City Marathon back in 2017, I never considered this dream. I didn’t even know if I wanted to run another marathon for that matter. However, that gnawing feeling that I could improve my time, that I could run faster, kept pushing me back to the proverbial start line again and again. I also decided to follow in the footsteps (literally) of my grandpa and my dad, both of whom are marathoners. (See the picture above of my grandpa and my dad after they finished the 1993 NYC Marathon. Guess who is in the middle!)
Since 2017, I have completed 9 marathons, 5 of which are part of the World Marathon Majors- NYC, Berlin, Chicago, Tokyo, and London. It’s been a fun and rewarding journey and there is no better feeling in life than the minute after crossing the finish line… after that minute there is no worse feeling in life than the agonizing pain which sets in… but nothing a proper Guinness can’t fix!
The Boston Marathon is the last of the 6 majors, and I can’t wait to cross that final finish line (for now) on Boylston Street in April 2025. Upon doing so, I will achieve what only about 20,000 people have in the world- the Six Star Medal- showcasing the 6 world marathon majors in 1 medal.
But I can’t do it without you.
The Boston Marathon is the hardest of all 6 marathons in which to gain entry. If you cannot run an absurd pace of 6 minutes and 51 seconds for 26.2 miles (sub 3-hour marathon), you need to raise money for charity to obtain entry.
Since I am not that fast as fuck boi, charity is my only option… so here I am asking for your help.
With the exclusivity of the Boston Marathon comes ridiculously high goals for raising funds for charity. In my case it’s $12,500 for Dana Farber.
Any donation you can make to help me achieve my goal will be so incredibly appreciated and I will forever thank you.
I also promise this will be the last time I will ever ask for financial help for running again.
If you made it to this point and are still reading:
1. Why?
2. Thank you for listening to my rambling appeal.
3. I appreciate you.
I hope to see you on the race route on April 21! After I finish, come celebrate and drink away the pain! Stay tuned for more details about the party!
Love,
Mitch
