Community Rowing Recruits Team for 127th Boston Marathon®

BOSTON, MA [September 12, 2022]—Community Rowing, Inc. (CRI) has been named a member of the 2023 Boston Marathon® Official Charity Program for the fourth consecutive year and is now accepting applications for its marathon team. Participants will race on Monday, April 17, 2023.

“We thank the Boston Athletic Association for the continued opportunity to participate in this cornerstone Boston event,” said Ted Benford, Executive Director of CRI. “We’re looking forward to assembling a team for this year, who will not only run one of the most iconic marathons in the nation but will be fundraising for individuals of all backgrounds and abilities to experience the benefits and growth of rowing.”

CRI has 10 invitational entries to the 127th Boston Marathon® in support of its Para Rowing and Let’s Row Middle School programs. The former provides youth and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities an opportunity to experience the profound physical and mental benefits of rowing; the latter brings ergs and certified coaching to Boston Public Schools and increases access to rowing through no-cost programming and transportation to BPS student-athletes. Team CRI marathon runners will provide direct support to CRI’s innovation and advocacy.

Those who are selected to run the 2023 Boston Marathon® team on behalf of CRI will receive:

• Training support from Dan Fitzgerald, co-founder of Heartbreak Hill Running Company and founder and coach of the Heartbreakers running club. Dan will provide both local and remote training options
• Fundraising support including an online fundraising page, goal planning, communication templates, and more
• Special events for you and your guests leading up to the marathon and on the weekend of the race
• Access to complimentary tickets to the Red Sox game on Patriots’ Day
• Guaranteed room reservation at The Colonnade Hotel
• Limited Edition Marathon Team Gear

Each year, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) Official Charity Program selects and supports organizations that strengthen the local community by providing a significant fundraising opportunity. In 2022, participants running the Boston Marathon® on behalf of the Official Charity Program raised $20.1 million; Team CRI contributed over $100,000 towards that amount in support of rowing outreach programs.

Today, CRI is among the largest public access rowing organizations in the world with more than 10,000 active participants. While providing access to the sport of rowing is CRI's overarching goal, another critical focus is delivering rowing to groups that have traditionally been excluded.

This year, our charity runners will support two programs that achieve this objective:

• The Let’s Row Middle School Program brings rowing into over 40 schools as part of their physical education curriculum. Adolescence is a critical time for teens and is particularly challenging for students in under-resourced communities. Let’s Row participants come from Boston Public Schools across the city where 71% of students are economically disadvantaged. The program serves about 5,000 youth from ages 12 to 19, and includes academic tutoring and guidance on the college application process.
• Para & Adaptive Rowing opens rowing to people with physical and cognitive disabilities annually, who row both indoors and on the water and enjoy an enhanced feeling of well-being, independence and health. Over the past six years, CRI has emerged as the leader in innovation and advocacy for para rowing. Our staff develop custom equipment, crafted onsite, that improves the athletes experience and enables para athletes to row on more of an equal playing field with people of all abilities.

CRI is currently accepting and reviewing applications on a rolling basis from charity and qualified runners. To submit an application for CRI’s 2023 Boston Marathon® team, visit https://bit.ly/CRIMarathonTeam.

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Community Rowing Inc. (CRI) was founded in 1985 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the belief that the sport of rowing provides unique opportunities to promote personal and community growth through teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness. We invite individuals of all backgrounds, abilities and experience to grow through rowing.