About us
A diagnosis
A diagnosis
is not the
finish line.
We are a movement built on the belief that exercise is medicine, and that no one should run this race alone.
We are a movement built on the belief that exercise is medicine, and that no one should run this race alone.
Run With Parkinson's exists to prove that movement is medicine, and to make sure every person living with Parkinson's disease knows it. Founded by Dan Alperin in 2025, this organization was born from a diagnosis that could have been a full stop and became a starting gun instead.
We are not a medical organization. We are a community of runners, advocates, caregivers, researchers and believers who understand that the best thing you can do, right now, today, is move. And then move again tomorrow. And then move together.
The research is clear. Exercise is one of the most powerful interventions available for people living with Parkinson's. It improves motor function, supports brain health through neuroplasticity, and reduces anxiety and depression. We do not just talk about this. We live it, run it and champion it.
Parkinson's is an isolating diagnosis. The tremors are visible, the uncertainty is heavy, and the world does not always know how to respond. That is why community is not a nice to have. When you run with us you are running with a pack of people who show up and who understand.
Ten million people worldwide live with Parkinson's disease. That number deserves a louder voice. Parkinson's is not just a tremor, it is a daily negotiation with your own body. Every race we run and every story we tell is an act of advocacy for a community that has been quiet for too long.
In October 2025, Dan Alperin, a man who had already run all six World Marathon Majors and raised over $200,000 for charity, received a Parkinson's diagnosis five days before the Chicago Marathon.
He travelled to Chicago and started anyway. He did not finish that race.
The more important decision came afterwards. Instead of retreating, he turned the diagnosis into fuel. He had spent a decade running for causes that mattered to other people. Now he had one that was personal, and a platform built from ten years of miles.
Run With Parkinson's was founded on a simple idea: that the people who need movement most are the people who are told they cannot.
Read the full history →A diagnosis is not the finish line. It is a new starting line.
Four things, and nothing else. Where something is not open yet we say so, rather than leave you clicking a button that does nothing.
Online and in person community for people living with Parkinson's, their caregivers and their allies. A group that meets in Boston, and a newsletter that keeps everyone connected. The most powerful medicine is knowing you are not alone.
The science on exercise and Parkinson's is compelling and it needs funding to go further. A portion of every dollar raised goes to Team Fox.
Virtual and in person events that bring the Parkinson's community together, from 5Ks to marathon distance. You do not have to be fast. You just have to show up. Opening as the community grows in each city.
Turning miles into dollars through personal fundraising pages and team challenges, so a first time 5K runner and a seasoned marathoner can both raise meaningful money. Opens once the giving side is live.
A cause worth running for, and a community that will run it with you. Start with the list. Everything else opens to the people already on it.