About Me
My name is Ryan Schoen, and I’m a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For the past three years I’ve volunteered at the Boston Marathon, handing out cups of water and Gatorade as the runners go by. Every year, I’ve watched the tens of thousands of runners go by and always wanted to be one of them. Unfortunately, qualifying for the Boston Marathon requires running a previous marathon at a pace that I’m (at least currently) not capable of.
However, the Boston Marathon designates a certain number of spots for chosen charities. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute organizes a Marathon Challenge team, which is a team of runners who in addition to running the marathon (regardless of qualifying time) also raise money for the Dana-Farber Barr Program for Innovative Basic Cancer Research.
About the Website
This website serves as a central source of information about me, my training, and my fundraising progress for those interested. It also facilitates donations to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in support of my running in the Boston Marathon.
About the Charity
All money raised in support of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge goes to the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. Although there are several charities for which one can choose to run in the Boston Marathon, I only applied to Dana-Farber because I wholeheartedly support their cause.
First of all, I have never met anyone whose life has not been effected by cancer in some way. Any cause that attempts to prevent the pain that has caused both those individuals and everyone who cares about them is a noble and worthy cause. But furthermore, the Barr program directs the money toward innovative cancer research. Being educated in a scientific setting, I am a strong believer in the value and progress of scientific research, and it’s exactly where I would wish my money to go.
About the Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is “the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s most prestigious road racing events.” Over 20,000 participants run the 26.2-mile track from Hopkintown to Boston. The marathon is open to any runner as long as he or she has previously run a marathon in a certain qualifying time (for my age and gender, 3 hours and 10 minutes). The Boston Athletic Association (BAA), who organizes the marathon, reserves a certain number of guaranteed qualification entries for individuals who agree to raise a predetermined amount of money for approved charities.