Ali Evans: From Boston to NYC, this marathoner has heart (and speed!)
Meet Ali Evans, a member of our amazing 2015 NYC Marathon team who is running 26.2 miles to provide education to kids across the world.
One of our most PoPular campaign methods is no small feat — runners from all over the world conquer 26.2 miles after raising money for months to support Pencils of Promise. With the New York City Marathon coming up this Sunday, it’s a perfect time to feature one of our very own marathoners, Ali Evans!
Not only is Ali a motivated campaigner — he’s already surpassed his fundraising goal of $5,000 for PoP — but he also has a pretty incredible story: he ran the 2013 Boston Marathon, the same year that tragedy struck at the finish line.
“The 2013 Boston Marathon has a special place in my heart due to the tragic events that happened that day and my thankfulness for the strength of the city that withstood the attack and has bounced back even stronger.”
Ali added that the primary focus of his fundraising efforts has been to tell his story from the 2013 Boston Marathon and make sure people know how grateful he is for the opportunities he’s been given through education.
“I feel deeply fortunate for being safe, healthy and motivated to run the NY marathon after all the experiences in my life and I want to share that inspiration with my friends, family, and others through the NY Marathon and raising money for PoP.”
Ali told us that he chose the 2015 NYC Marathon to be his first race after Boston because he wanted to take part in an incredible race in one of the most energizing cities on earth. “After the 2013 Boston attack and having an old football injury threaten my chances to run again, I was eager to run another race as soon as possible. Overcoming my own physical obstacles, showing gratitude for the opportunities education has made in my life, and honoring the families and city of Boston inspired me to run NYC 2015.”
Ali has a rather athletic (and ambitious) goal for the marathon: to complete it in 3 hours and 45 minutes.
“It makes me nervous to announce that publicly, but I believe you have to speak your goals into reality,” he told us. “More important than my athletic goals will be enjoying the race, engaging with the volunteers and supporters who watch the race, and reaching (and hopefully surpassing!) my fundraising goal for PoP.”
Ali and the rest of our NYC 2015 PoP Marathon Team have already raised over $67,000 together, so crossing the finish line will just be an added bonus to their already incredible efforts. We’ll be cheering them on when they do!
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Our PoP family is always growing. We’d love for you to join us.
To support Ali and the rest of our incredible runners, visit PoP’s 2015 NYC Marathon campaign page:
