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These celebrities are running the 2023 Boston Marathon
Participants in Monday's big race include two former Red Sox players and a Bruins legend.
It will be hard to spot a face in the crowd of 30,000 participants at the 2023 Boston Marathon on Monday. But if you search hard enough, you may spy a couple of famous faces along the 26.2-mile race course.
Each year, a handful of celebrities head to Boston to try their luck at the Boston Marathon. Recent participants include former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, “The Bachelor” star Matt James, and “Supernatural” actor Jared Padalecki, who tackled the race in 2019 along with his wife, Genevieve.
At the 2023 Boston Marathon, the famous participants will include two former Red Sox World Series champions, a Bruins Stanley Cup winner, and a number of runners who have become Boston Marathon figureheads.
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Here are the celebrities and notable figures running the 2023 Boston Marathon.
Zdeno Chara
The legendary Bruins defender, who spent 14 seasons with the team and won a Stanley Cup in 2011, will be running to support the Thomas E. Smith Foundation and the Hoyt Foundation. Father and son duo Dick and Rick Hoyt were Boston Marathon fixtures for years, with Dick (who passed away in 2021) pushing Rick in a wheelchair. The Smith Foundation supports those living with paralysis, while the Hoyt Foundation aims to “build the individual character, self-confidence and self-esteem of America’s disabled young people.”
“Dick and Rick Hoyt made an incredible impact on millions of people worldwide and personally helped to motivate us to our 2011 Stanley Cup Championship,” Chara wrote on Instagram. “The Hoyt Foundation has an amazing legacy with the B.A.A. and this iconic marathon.”
Ryan Dempster
It’s been 10 years since Ryan Dempster won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2013, and now the pitcher will return to the city as a runner on Marathon Monday. Dempster was the starting pitcher for the Sox on Patriots Day when the bombs at the finish line went off.
“I only played one season in Boston, but it feels like 10 with everything that happened that season,” Dempster told The Boston Globe. “I’ll never forget that day.”
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Dempster will be running for the Lingzi Foundation, created by the family of Lingzi Lu, one of the victims of the bombing.
Lydia Edwards
State Senator Lydia Edwards, who served as a Boston city councilor from 2018 to 2022, is running her second Boston Marathon this year. For 2023, Edwards will be running in support of the local nonprofit Junior Achievement for Greater Boston, which “inspires and prepares young people for success.”
Doug Flutie
From his playing days at Natick High School and Boston College to wrapping up his pro career with the Patriots, former quarterback Doug Flutie has always been a hometown favorite. Flutie will be running the 2023 Boston Marathon in support of his nonprofit, The Flutie Foundation, which supports individuals and families impacted by autism. The foundation is also this year’s sponsor for the Boston Marathon’s adaptive program, which helps people with developmental, intellectual, and physical impairments (including autism) participate in athletic events like the Marathon.
Sara Hall
One of the elite American runners who has made a name for herself at past Boston Marathons is Sara Hall, who will represent Team Asics at this year’s race.
Brock Holt
Former Red Sox utilityman Brock Holt, who won two World Series (in 2013 and 2018) during his seven seasons with the team, will be running with his wife, Lakyn, in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
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“Never thought I would voluntarily choose to run 26.2 miles but could not be more excited to do so,” Holt wrote on Instagram. “Lakyn and I are running as part of team Dana-Farber. As we train and look to break the course record, our main goal is to continue to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer.”
Daniel Humm
Daniel Humm, a highly decorated celebrity chef who runs the triple Michelin Star-winning Eleven Madison Park in New York City, is running this year’s Boston Marathon.
Des Linden
Along with Hall, Des Linden is one of the most notable American women elite runners set to compete in the Boston Marathon on Monday. Linden previously won the rain-soaked 2018 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:39:55, becoming the first American to win the category in 33 years.
Mike Myers
No, not that Mike Myers. The former Red Sox relief pitcher (not the “Wayne’s World” and “Austin Powers” actor) will be running his second Boston Marathon in support of The Angel Fund for ALS Research. Also representing The Angel Fund in the race are Dawn and Mykayla Timlin, the wife and daughter, respectively, of former Red Sox relief pitcher Mike Timlin.
Marichka Padalko
Ukranian journalist Marichka Padalko has been training for the 2023 Boston Marathon in between reporting on the war between Russia and Ukraine. Padalko is running for Sunflower of Peace, a nonprofit started by a Ukrainian immigrant living in Newton that “provides life-saving medical and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians affected by the Russian military invasion.”
“If Ukrainians sometimes feel exhausted, I can understand how people in other countries get tired of hearing about the war that is so far away,” Padalko told The Boston Globe. “I so appreciate how the world helps us. I’m running not just to ask for more help, but also as a way to say thank you.”
Monica Puig
Tennis player Monica Puig, who made history in 2016 as the first tennis player to win an Olympic gold medal while representing Puerto Rico in the sport, is attempting to run all six major world Marathons. As soon as she finishes the Boston Marathon, Puig will head to the U.K. to compete in the London Marathon on April 23.
Matt Reed
The Boston Marathon has switched stations locally for the first time in awhile, with coverage airing on WCVB Channel 5 instead of WBZ Channel 4. With that switch in mind, WCVB reporter Matt Reed will be running the race in support of Boston Children’s Hospital.
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“Discovering hope after Boston’s darkest moment inspired my first Marathon run,” Reed said. “Now, 10 years later, I’m running for Boston Children’s Hospital. As a father, there’s comfort knowing if my son ever needed medical treatment, some of the best care is here in Boston. So I’m running to support the life-saving work Children’s Hospital does every day.”
Kyrsten Sinema
U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the polarizing legislator from Arizona, drew protests when news broke that she was slated to run the Boston Marathon in 2021. Sinema said she ended up skipping the 2021 race due to a broken foot, but she successfully finished the race in 2022 and is back on the course again this year.
Kourtney Turner
Justin Turner hit his first home run as a member of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, and on Monday his wife, Kourtney, is getting into the swing of things by running the 2023 Boston Marathon. Kourtney told WCVB that as soon as Turner signed with the team in January, she began looking into how she could run the race. She’ll be running in support of the Boston Red Sox Foundation, which aims to “make a difference in the lives of children, families, veterans, and our communities in need by improving their health, education, and recreational opportunities.”
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