Fundraising Goal: $3,000 by race day

Race Day Information: Bib #18268 in the Blue Wave departing Hopkinton at 10:50 a.m.

Target Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes.

If you are donating in support of Josh’s marathon run, please check the applicable box on the checkout page.

Join us in cheering on Josh Bers as he takes on the 2025 Boston Marathon in support of Valor Together and in memory of Karen Hirschfeld. By participating in this incredible race, Josh is helping to raise awareness and vital funds to further our work. Your support is crucial in making a lasting impact—together, we can destigmatize mental illness and support those who struggle under its grip.

From Josh:

On April 21st, 2025 I will be running the storied Boston Marathon for the 3rd time but the first as a qualified runner. The first two times, I got a bib by committing to fundraise for a cause. This past Fall, after much training and 2 failed attempts at qualifying through the Providence Marathon, I finally qualified by running the Charles River Marathon in 3 hours 24 minutes. You can see the relief on my face in the pictures taken after the race above. In January, when I learned that we had lost my high school classmate, Karen Hirschfeld, to suicide, I decided to dedicate my 3rd Boston run to her memory and legacy.

Karen was a true champion and warrior for the causes and the people that she cared about. Whether it was bringing education and support to women in Afghanistan or helping to feed those in need with Oxfam America, she never backed down from a challenge. Sadly, with her death this past January, we lost the presence and passion she gave to helping others. She is and will be deeply missed by both those who knew her and those whose lives she touched. Through my Marathon run, I hope to honor Karen’s legacy of kindness by supporting a non-profit that seeks to provide children and youth the mental health support they need: Valor Together. 

Valor Together is a non-profit organization founded by another high-school classmate, Zoe Meselson Forbes in memory and honor of her sister, Amy.

Karen Hirschfeld