From Will Ferrell to Tedy Bruschi to Danica Patrick, the Boston Marathon has often had some big name participants. When runners take the starting line this year, there will also be a few recognizable faces and names. In honor of the big day, we’ll take a look at some celebrities that have run the Boston Marathon.
This Year’s Race
When the participants take to the starting line in Hopkinton, MA on Monday morning, there may be a familiar head lined up above the rest. Boston Bruins legend, Zdeno Chara will be running this year. This will be in support of the The Thomas E. Smith Foundation and The Hoyt Foundation.
Former Red Sox pitcher, Ryan Dempster will also be running. Dempster was Boston’s starting pitcher 10 years ago on Patriot’s Day. This, of course, was the horrible Boston Marathon Bombing year. One of the people who tragically lost their life this day was Lingzi Lu. Dempster will be running in her honor and in support of the Lingzi Foundation.
Olympian Monica Puig, who won the gold medal in tennis during the 2016 games will also be running this year. She will then be running the London Marathon one week later in her attempt to run all six major marathons.
Marathon Monday
30,000 runners from over 100 countries are expected to participate this year. This course has a longstanding tradition as being one of the most renowned races. Last year’s event raised $35.6 million for area non profit organizations.
Speaking of big names, and furthermore, in the spirit of this year’s sure to be emotional race, we’ll highlight celebrities that have run the Boston Marathon in the past.