Why this Allston runner is tackling the Boston Marathon for the 9th time

Danielle Bishop is running the Boston Marathon for the Esplanade Association to honor the place where they fell in love with the sport.

April 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM

1 minute to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.

Name: Danielle Bishop
Age: 30 (31 on race day)
From: Allston

I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon to support the Esplanade Association.

I have lived in Boston for the last 13 years and can truly say the Esplanade is where I fell in love with running. I have shared thousands of miles with friends here and am extremely thankful to give back to one of the most beautiful running spaces in the world! Being a Boston local, I am very emotionally attached to this race. Having worked in run specialty stores and now at a major athletic company (New Balance), it’s amazing to see and hear how many individuals have been impacted by this race, whether as a participant, spectator, or volunteer.

This is my ninth Boston Marathon (eighth consecutive). I have been on both sides of the qualifying time and the cutoff time, and running with a charity team has been an extremely rewarding experience. I have loved connecting with others on my team (and other teams!) and acting as a mentor and marathon expert to newer runners. They have been amazing in supporting me as a newer fundraiser.

Last year and in 2023, I was named one of the fastest Bostonians in the race in the non-binary category. I am extremely thankful for the BAA’s efforts to make sure all athletes feel included and celebrated in this race. It has been great to watch this category grow over the past few years.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

Kelly Chan

Content Producer

Kelly Chan is a content producer at Boston.com. She designs multimedia content on site and across social media platforms, and experiments with new ways to engage readers.

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