Des Linden and Yuki Kawauchi weren’t the only ones making history this year at the Boston Marathon.
Charity runners raised $36.6 million among more than 100 charities for causes both locally and nationally. This did not break the Boston Marathon fundraising record which was set in 2014, but it did represent a 7 percent bump in money raised from 2017’s total and the John Hancock Nonprofit Program broke its record for fundraising for the 10th consecutive year.
The Boston Marathon is tough to gain entry to with its sacred BQ system, but charity runners are able to gain guaranteed entry by agreeing to fundraise for their various organizations and causes. Each runner must raise at least $5,000, according to the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.).
Total funds from the race include $19.2 million from the B.A.A.’s Official Charity Program, which includes the American Liver Association and American Red Cross. Runners also raised $13.1 million through John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program, which includes 131 charities such as Autism Speaks and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Another $4.3 million came from other qualified and invitational runners.
“Every year, it’s gratifying to see the positive impact that the Boston Marathon shares with its surrounding communities,” said B.A.A. CEO Tom Grilk. “Many benevolent organizations are helped by these fundraising efforts, and we’re proud to be associated with their good work. And we’re very thankful to our friends at John Hancock, with whom we proudly reflect on another great year of fundraising.”
The record-breaking year was led by the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, which raises money to benefit the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They earned more than double the second highest charity with more than $5.7 million. Here is how the rest of the top 10 earners performed.
The Top 10 Earning Charities
| Charity | Total Raised |
| 1. Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge | $5,775,894 |
| 2. Boston Children’s Hospital | $2,372,363 |
| 3. BWH Stepping Strong Marathon Team | $1,472,746 |
| 4. Mass General Marathon Team for Pediatric Hematology Oncology | $1,118,508 |
| 5. Team MR8 | $1,080,409 |
| 6. Team Eye And Ear Boston | $839,572 |
| 7. Boston Medical Center | $814,650 |
| 8. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Boston | $775,624 |
| 9. American Liver Foundation Marathon Team | $731,456 |
| 10. Team BIDMC | $665,292 |
Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
