Boston, MA, USA
Boston Marathon
Heartbreak Hill couldn't stop him. Neither can Parkinson's. Multiple finishes including the 130th Boston Marathon in 2026 — proof that the best miles are still ahead.
The Man Behind the Mission
The Marathon
The Marathon
Never Ends.
Dan Alperin. Six stars. One diagnosis. A new mission.
The Story
Dan Alperin didn't start running until he was 50. Most people slow down at 50. Dan just found his stride.
Watch
Dan's Story,
Dan's Story,
In His Own Words
A quick look at the man behind the mission — and why he runs.
The Journey
A Decade of Miles, Milestones, and Meaning
Dan Alperin is a lifelong competitor who discovered distance running at age 50 and never looked back. Since completing his first marathon in 2015, he has gone on to finish all six World Marathon Majors — including earning his sixth star in Tokyo — and has run the Boston Marathon multiple times, achieving a personal record in 2025.
Along the way, Dan combined his passion for running with fundraising, raising over $200,000 for organizations such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Boston Children's Hospital, and The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Every race had a reason. Every bib had a purpose. Every mile carried someone else's story.
"I didn't run to win. I ran to show up — for myself, and for every person whose name was on my charity bib."
In October 2025, just days before the Chicago Marathon, Dan was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. A moment that could have been a finish line became something else entirely. Instead of slowing down, he transformed his diagnosis into purpose — and Run With Parkinson's was born.
New York City Marathon 2025 — the last major before everything changed
The Six Stars
Every Major. Every Mile. Every Star.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors are six of the most prestigious races on earth. Dan finished them all.
New York City, NY, USA
TCS New York City Marathon
Five boroughs. Millions of witnesses. Every mile for a cause. New York never let him run alone — and he never ran without raising something larger than a finish time.
Chicago, IL, USA
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
October 2025. Five days before the starting gun. The diagnosis arrived. Dan laced up anyway — because that's what runners do. Chicago will always be the race that changed everything.
London, UK
Virgin Money London Marathon
Across the pond and into history. London added an international chapter to a story that had always been about more than running — it was about showing up, every time.
Berlin, Germany
BMW Berlin Marathon
The fastest marathon course in the world. Dan showed up — not to chase a record, but to be part of something bigger. Berlin gave him his fifth star and a story to tell.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Marathon
The sixth star. The final Major. The beginning of a new chapter. Tokyo wasn't a finish line — it was the moment Dan realized the next mission was just beginning.
Fundraising Impact
Over $200,000 Raised.
Over $200,000 Raised.
Every Dollar a Milestone.
Dan didn't just run. He ran for something. Every charity bib he wore represented a commitment to causes larger than any finish time.
$200K+
Multi-Cause Fundraising
From the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson's research to Boston Children's Hospital, ALS research, and The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp — Dan's miles have always carried a cause larger than the finish line.
Significant
Boston Children's Hospital
Because the fight isn't just for those who have lived a full life. Dan ran the Boston Marathon for children who deserved the chance to reach their own starting lines.
Significant
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Paul Newman's legacy — a camp for children with serious illnesses. Dan ran to give children the freedom to just be kids, even when life tried to take that away.
October 2025
The Race That Changed
The Race That Changed
Everything
It was five days before the Chicago Marathon. Dan had trained for months. His gear was packed, his travel booked, his mind already running the course. Then the phone rang.
The diagnosis was Parkinson's disease. A neurological condition that affects movement, balance, and coordination. A condition that the world often associates with slowing down, stepping back, giving in.
Dan has never been good at giving in.
He ran Chicago. He crossed the finish line. And then he got to work building something that would outlast any race clock — a movement that could change the lives of the 10 million people worldwide living with Parkinson's disease.
Because Dan understands something that Parkinson's cannot take: movement is not just physical. It is defiance. It is community. It is proof that a diagnosis is not a definition.
"Parkinson's didn't give me a reason to stop. It gave me a reason to run with purpose."— Dan Alperin, Founder, Run With Parkinson's
What Drives Him Today
Three Pillars. One Mission.
Everything Dan does now is built on three foundational beliefs.
Movement
The science is unambiguous: exercise is one of the most powerful tools available for people living with Parkinson's. Dan runs to prove it — and to inspire others to believe it. Every mile is a study. Every finish line is a data point.
Community
No one fights this alone. Dan knows that the miles are easier when there's a pack beside you — runners, caregivers, advocates, and allies who show up because showing up is everything. Community is not an afterthought. It is the mission.
Advocacy
Parkinson's affects 10 million people worldwide. That number deserves a louder voice. Dan uses every platform — every race bib, every speaking opportunity, every mile logged — to push for awareness, funding, and a future where the diagnosis doesn't write the ending.
He ran for everyone else.
Now he runs for himself, too.
Dan Alperin · Run With Parkinson's Founder
Miles Logged
Every Race. Every Reason.
From Boston in the rain to the Golden Gate in the fog — Dan has run everywhere, always for something bigger than a finish time.
Heartbreak Hill Running Company — The pack that keeps him going.
130th Boston Marathon, 2026 — Bib P141. Post-diagnosis. Still running.
Boston 2026 — Every step earned.
Boston 2022 — Every April, he returns.
2018 Boston — Rain, mud, and purpose.
2015 Boston — Where it all began.
NYC 2025 — Five boroughs. One family.
NYC Marathon — Running for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
NYC 2021 — Millions of witnesses. Every mile for a cause.
NYC 2015 — First Major medal. First of many.
Chicago — Run to Defeat ALS. Always for something bigger.
Chicago 2025 — The race that changed everything.
Tokyo — The sixth star. The final Major.
Berlin 2021 — Five stars earned. One to go.
San Francisco — Running in the fog. Still moving forward.
Team Hoyt Memorial — 5.1 miles. 49:30. Never stopping.
Chicago 2025 — The race that sparked a movement.
Walpole 10K, 2023 — Local races, global mission.
17 miles on Patriots Day — Zero days off.
Spring 2024 — Racing through every season.
Winter 2026 training — Post-diagnosis. Still putting in the work.
Spring 2026 — Building toward Boston again.
Board of Advisors
The People Behind the Mission
A team of scientists, athletes, advocates, and community leaders helping guide Run With Parkinson's toward its greatest impact.
Brett Miller, PT
Physical Therapist & Adaptive Fitness Expert
Founder of 110 Fitness in Rockland, MA — the largest wellness center in the world dedicated to individuals with Parkinson's Disease. Licensed PT with 29 years of experience, creator of BOXH2O®, and PWR!Moves® Certified Therapist. U.S. Army veteran and ambassador for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Davis Phinney Foundation.
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Coming Soon
Elite Athlete & Advocate
Details to be announced.
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Coming Soon
Nonprofit Strategy
Details to be announced.
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Coming Soon
Community & Outreach
Details to be announced.
Run Alongside Dan
The mission needs runners, donors, volunteers, and believers. There's a place for you in this pack.