Help make this father-daughter duo’s dream come true and support a great cause in the process! David and Amanda are lifelong runners who have received the immense honor of running the 2025 Boston Marathon through The Esplanade Association.

Every mile run and each dollar raised will go toward caring for the 64 acres of park space that stretches from Hopkinton to downtown Boston. The Esplanade Association offers free community fitness classes, children’s field days and playground access, and guided tours to show how time outdoors can improve mental health, physical fitness, and overall well-being. The organization is dedicated to serving the millions of visitors each year and is working toward a climate plan to promote sustainability and wellness for the greater Boston area.

David ran on the Esplanade almost daily while attending the University of Massachusetts, and while working in Boston over 30 years ago. He passed his love of running on to his daughter Amanda, who joined her school's cross-country team in 5th grade and never looked back.

David introduced Amanda to his favorite running route while they were helping his oldest daughter move into an apartment in Boston. A few years later, when Amanda moved to Boston herself, it became her go-to running route as well.

On a spring day in 2024, Amanda woke up and wondered why she hadn’t tried running longer distances. She decided to challenge herself and began training for a half marathon in Boston. After a month and a half of training, she successfully ran her first half marathon—the longest distance she had ever completed! Motivated by her success, she set her sights on running the Boston Marathon, a goal she had never thought possible before.

But Amanda knew she didn’t want to do it alone. Running the marathon would only feel right if she could share the experience with her father and favorite running buddy. Together, they applied to charities, and amazingly, they were accepted by their top choice: The Esplanade Association. It felt like fate that the very running route that had inspired David 30 years ago, and Amanda more recently, would now help make their dream of running the Boston Marathon together a reality.

What began as daily runs on the bike trails of Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod grew into a much-anticipated family triathlon each summer, cheered on by their wife/mother and daughter/sister. Now, it has culminated in the ultimate challenge: training for the Boston Marathon, the greatest honor of their running careers.

To make this dream come true, David and Amanda must raise $25,000 to secure their numbers for the marathon. Every dollar raised will help maintain Amanda’s current running route and the same route David ran in the early 2000s. By running for Team Esplanade, they’re giving back to the organization that has given them so much.

Whether you take a daily sunset walk along the Esplanade, commute to work via Storrow or Memorial Drive, or enjoy a boat ride on the cleaner Charles River, know that this beautiful part of Boston is made possible by the Esplanade Association.

You can support this amazing organization and help make David and Amanda’s dream a reality!