Foxboro’s Catherine Miller to run Boston Marathon® on YMCA Team

This April, Catherine Miller, 34, of Foxboro, will take on the Boston Marathon for her first time as part of the YMCA of Greater Boston’s Boston Marathon® team. An experienced half marathon runner, Miller’s goal has been Boston since participating in her first Marathon Monday nine years ago.

A fundraiser, a mother of three and an advocate for social justice, Miller can’t imagine a better cause to support. “I'm so excited to be running Boston and I’m even more excited to be running for the Y,” says Miller. “I'm not sure I would even have the motivation to run if it weren't for the Y's commitment to youth, equity and accessibility.”

Admittedly not a natural runner, Miller has made up for this with a dedicated training regimen, including long runs on the weekends in the fresh winter air and cross-training multiple times a week. She’s focusing on increasing her protein intake so that she gets to mid-April ready to take on the race. “Mentally, I am fully prepared to run Boston,” says Miller. “I think having children can mentally prepare you for anything!” The only thing weighing on her mind is a factor that’s out of her control: the race-day weather forecast.

Aside from her training, Miller has also thrown herself whole-heartedly into her fundraising. As the Chief Advancement Officer at the Community Music Center of Boston for nine years, Miller is no stranger to tough fundraising goals, and she’s set herself a lofty goal of $10,000 in support of the Y for this event. To do this, she plans to draw on the philanthropic network she has built over the past 14 years of working in the field.

“The future of our city lies in the vision of our youth,” says Miller, whose children use the Foxboro Y for team sports and dance lessons. “In order to create a sustainable and inspired community, we need to enrich and empower the lives of those who call Boston home. The YMCA of Greater Boston provides opportunities for youth of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to succeed in society. When you support the Y’s Boston Marathon team, you support the future of Boston. The YMCA has been and will continue to be a consistent resource for youth for generations to come.”

All funds raised by Y Marathon team members will support the YMCA of Greater Boston’s teen programs. This past summer the YMCA of Greater Boston gave out 17,000 free three-month memberships to teens at the Y’s 13 branches with unlimited access and held more than 900 community events. Programs like Safe Dating, Cyber Bulling, Job Readiness, Volunteerism, Leadership, SAT prep and mentoring programs empower and engage youth in productive ways.

“When you run for the Y’s Boston Marathon team, you are raising money to help us give a teen in Greater Boston access to summer programming, swim classes, and camp,” says James Morton, YMCA of Greater Boston President and CEO. “This past summer was our busiest to date with each of our branches creating programming to fit the needs of the youth in their neighborhoods, which would not be possible without funds raised by our runners. We wish them the best this April.”

Runners who have qualified to receive a Boston Marathon bib and would like to experience the camaraderie of running with a team while supporting charity are welcome to join the YMCA of Greater Boston’s Marathon team by raising a minimum of $1,500. To donate to Catherine Miller and the rest of the YMCA team, please visit: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/ymca-boston-2019.

ABOUT THE YMCA OF GREATER BOSTON:

The YMCA of Greater Boston is the state’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities. Every day the Y works with thousands of men, women and children to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. As the nation’s fifth largest charity, the Y is creating meaningful memberships. Going beyond gym and swim, the Y provides members with access to quality health and fitness experts and equipment while giving back and providing support to thousands every day. For more than 165 years, the Y has been developing skills and emotional well-being through education and training, welcoming and connecting diverse populations, preventing chronic disease and building healthier communities through collaborations and policymakers. The Boston YMCA is the first Y in the United States.