Horsham Native Running Boston Marathon To Honor Friend

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —Michael O’Neill isn't your typical Boston Marathon runner.

The 24-year-old Horsham native has been training for months for what is considered one of the biggest marathons on the planet, which takes place on April 17.

He's running not for sport, but for spirit.

O'Neill is running to honor the memory of his close friend Jack Duffy, a fellow Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate who lost his battle with depression while attending Dartmouth College in 2019.

He's also running in the 127th Boston Marathon to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

"We lived in the same town. We went to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school," O'Neill said of Duffy. "We had the same core group of guys and hung out on weekends."

O'Neill said he's never run a marathon before, just a half-marathon. But he knows this race is for a greater cause and a greater good.

“Many of us have been affected by mental health issues either personally or through family and friends,” O’Neill said. "Representing Team AFSP in the Boston Marathon is a privilege. It’s an opportunity to spotlight mental health, shift the norm of talking about these issues, and raise funds that will save lives.”

Every year applicants from across the country apply for a spot to represent Team AFSP and run in the marathon, O'Neill said. He received one of 10 bids to run the race.

O'Neill, who graduated from Georgia Tech with an engineering degree, now lives in Boston and works for Ernst and Young as a business consultant.

O'Neill said Duffy was a "brilliant student, a gifted athlete, and a genuine friend."

Duffy graduated from Hatboro-Horsham High School in 2017 and started at Dartmouth College that fall.

AFSP is an official partner of John Hancock in the Marathon Non-Profit Program. Through this program, John Hancock helps to foster healthier, more equitable communities by annually donating 1,000 marathon entries to select non-profit organizations that use them for fundraising.

In 2022, Team AFSP raised more than $177,000.

“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States,” AFSP Executive Director of Massachusetts Jessica van der Stad said. “Our runners take on a tremendous training and fundraising challenge when it comes to the Boston Marathon. They each have a personal reason for joining Team AFSP but their shared stories of hope and healing inspire all.”

O’Neill is determined to not only cross the finish line but to also raise money for AFSP. Click here to make a donation to O'Neill's cause.

"Jack will always be remembered by those who loved him and were touched by his kindness, sharp intellect, and unique insights, well beyond his years, O'Neill said.