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.
Why We Exist
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 but became, instead, a starting gun.
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.
Boston 2022
NYC 2025 — Five Boroughs
Chicago 2025 — The Race That Changed Everything
Three Pillars. One Direction.
Everything we do is built on these foundations.
Movement
The research is clear: exercise is one of the most powerful interventions available for people living with Parkinson's disease. It improves motor function, supports brain health through neuroplasticity, and reduces anxiety and depression. We don't just talk about this — we live it, run it, and champion it every single day. Because when science and action meet, lives change.
Community
Parkinson's is an isolating diagnosis. The tremors are visible. The uncertainty is heavy. And the world doesn't always know how to respond. That's why community isn't a nice-to-have — it's the mission. When you run with us, you're never running alone. You're running with a pack of people who show up, who understand, and who believe in what the next mile can bring.
Advocacy
Ten million people worldwide live with Parkinson's disease. That number deserves a louder voice. We advocate for research funding, for awareness, and for the recognition that Parkinson's is not just a tremor — it is a daily negotiation with your own body. Every race we run, every dollar we raise, every story we tell is an act of advocacy for a community that has been too quiet for too long.
One Diagnosis. One Decision.
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 ran Chicago anyway.
But the more important decision came after the finish line: instead of retreating, Dan turned the diagnosis into fuel. He had spent a decade running for causes that mattered to others. Now he had a cause that was personal — and a platform built from ten years of miles and community.
Run With Parkinson's was founded on a simple but radical idea: that the people who need movement most are the people who are told they can't. Dan is proving them wrong — one mile at a time.
Read Dan's full story →Movement changed his story.
It can change yours too.
Run With Parkinson's · Keep Moving Forward
Programs That Move the Mission
From virtual 5Ks to research partnerships, everything we do puts movement at the center.
Awareness Runs
Virtual and in-person running events that bring the Parkinson's community together. From 5Ks to marathon-distance challenges, our events create moments of collective movement that raise visibility, funds, and community. You don't have to be fast. You just have to show up.
Fundraising
We help runners turn their miles into dollars. Through personal fundraising pages, team challenges, and event-based giving, we've built a framework that lets anyone — from a first-time 5K runner to a seasoned marathoner — raise meaningful funds for Parkinson's research and community programming.
Research Support
The science on exercise and Parkinson's is compelling — and it needs funding to go further. A portion of every dollar raised goes directly to Team Fox, the grassroots fundraising arm of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Because understanding is the first step to curing.
Community Building
We build the pack. Online and in-person communities for people living with Parkinson's, caregivers, and allies. Monthly virtual runs, local chapter development, story-sharing platforms, and a newsletter that keeps the community connected — because the most powerful medicine is knowing you're not alone.
Our Values
Five words. Non-negotiable.
Resilience
Science
Community
Empowerment
Authenticity
By the Numbers
Team Hoyt Memorial — Every Mile Earned
Heartbreak Hill Running Company — The Pack
Every City. Every Mile. Every Star.
Dan's path to this mission ran through six of the world's greatest races. Each one a chapter. Together, a story.
Where it began. Multiple finishes. A PR at Boston in 2025.
Five days after diagnosis. Dan ran anyway. This race became a beginning.
The final three majors. Tokyo closed the chapter — and started the mission.
Join the Movement
There's a mile waiting for you. A cause worth running for. And a community that will run it with you.