Team Rising Hearts at the Boston Marathon
Hello Community!
Let’s celebrate these amazing humans! Our community runners, who ran in the Boston Marathon! They have helped promote Rising Hearts and some of them have helped fundraise for the heart work we are grateful to keep doing. This year, Team Rising Hearts has 4 runners we are supporting at the 130th Boston Marathon - Mel Devoney, Ashleigh Thompson, Caroline Sekaquaptewa, and Jordan Whetstone. This team has a fundraising goal of $7,000 for Rising Hearts to keep supporting the heart work.
We have a handful of runners who have helped fundraise for us! No matter large or small, that financial support has it’s place to be and support in the heart work we do!
Funds towards:
+ Running On Native Lands Initiative
+ Running With Purpose Athlete Advocates (38 runners)
+ RH Charity Runner’s (37 runners)
+ Rising Hearts Stories | Filmmaking (4 films, plus new project)
+ Virtual Movement Events | Race Organizing (48 and counting since June 2020)
+ Consulting - DEI / Collab opportunities / Facilitating Connections
Special Incentives:
+ With every $100 donation, you get a new Rising Hearts shirt and other smaller goodies.
+ With every $250 donation, you get a coffee mug, Rising Hearts shirt, and other smaller goodies.
Learn a bit more about our runners, read their run reflections and support them as they make their way to that Boylston finish line!
- Rising Hearts
‘26 BOSTON RUNNERS
Indigenous Presence at the Boston Marathon
Indigenous Peoples from all over were able to hold space at the @bostonmarathon Expo for the Indigenous Runners Panel last year, moderated by Abby Burgess (Mi’kmaq), Ben Burgess (Mi’kmaq), Verna Volker (Diné) of Native Women Run, Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc) of Ohketeau Cultural Center, Patti Dillon (Mi’kmaq), Wings of America Board and runner up at the Boston Marathon 1979-1981, and Jordan Whetstone (Lakota) of Rising Hearts!
Not only were they all able to share in their experiences of running and community, they were each able to speak to all or some parts of the heart work they all do. The history and legacy of Indigenous running and presence at the Boston Marathon, has been woven into the miles with the lands from start to finish.
Indigenous Legacy Runners:
Tom Longboat (Onondaga), Boston Marathon’s first Indigenous Champion in 1907 (runner up in 1901). Now, his great-grandson, Kristian Jamieson will be running in his footsteps on Marathon Monday!
Tarzan Brown (Narragansett), 2 time winner of the Boston Marathon in 1936 and 1939. He ran the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Heartbreak Hill was named because of Brown’s effort to break Kelley’s heart on the course to continue on to win the marathon!
Andrew Sockalexis (Penobscot), ran the marathon at the 1912 Sweden Olympics. Finished runner up in 1912-1913 at the Boston Marathon. - their legacy of Indigenous running and our presence at the Boston Marathon!
Patti Dillon (Mi’kmaq), we mentioned her before on the Panel. She has held the world record and American road records. She was considered one of the most dominating American female runners of the 1970’s. And runner up at the Boston Marathon 1979-1981! Going from never running and smoking, to dominating running, she has inspired many Indigenous runners! And continues to coach the next generations.
What an honor to share space with all these inspiring voices and looking forward to more programming with the BAA. Being able to have the space created for us, to bring our voices, prayers, song and a round dance, further shows the community we want to see and bring! We can’t wait for more in the years to come!
Rising Hearts Meet + Greet RECAP
Last year, we collaborated with our friends at On, to hold space for community. Here’s our reflections from last year and we will share more of what we may be up to as we are still planning for 2026.
”What. A. Morning! Wow. It was an incredible honor to hold space, all thanks to On, for creating the space for us, to bring community together.
We were able to have Rising Hearts, Wings of America, Redhawk Singers, Indigenous Peoples Day of Newton and North American Indian Center of Boston present, along with many runners, friends and community who joined us! Earlier that morning, Indigenous youth, part of the Boston Pursuit Program of Wings of America, ran in the BAA 5k! The youth chosen, were announced on March 31st. What an experience for them to have, the chaperones, Sky and Hosava, along with Wings staff, Dustin and Mariah!
We began the morning with a land blessing, led by Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc), of Ohketeau Cultural Center. Blessed everyone there, including the runners! Then we moved back inside, and honored two amazing humans, doing inspiring heart work for the community. Rising Hearts honored Dustin Martin (Diné) of Wings of America and Daryl ‘Stretch’ Murphy (RH Athlete Advocate) with a starquilt and pendleton.
We continued with community in getting to know each other, catch up, meet for the first time, learn from the organizations that tabling, and beautiful songs by the Redhawk Singers! New connections made, exciting ideas already being talked about, and we are excited to help continue the conversations and do what we can to create the spaces for us to be in and thrive in!
Redhawk Singers
We are so grateful for the Redhawk Singers joining us that morning! The drum is the heartbeat of our Nations and communities. To have them center within our event, just brought more meaning and purpose. We look forward to more opportunities like this to come.”
RUNNING FORWARD
Ashleigh Thompson | Rising Hearts Charity Runner and Athlete
I’ve heard about the Boston Marathon since I started running competitively, but never had the opportunity to run it, until now. I am grateful to Rising Hearts for extending the invitation to race with the team.
Training is going well, despite the winter season. I’ve been mixing my Boston training with ultrarunning training because I have a 50k trail ultra in a couple of weeks.
Come April, I look forward to seeing the sights, connecting with community, and fundraising for one of my favorite organizations.
Race: 2026 Boston Marathon | April
TEAM FUNDRAISING GOAL: $7,000
FUNDS RAISED: $0
Mel Devoney | RH Charity Runner and Athlete
I was born in Western Massachusetts, so I grew up seeing how big of a cultural phenomenon the Boston Marathon is even before I began running. I've wanted to race Boston since I started running in high school, and it's even more special now because it was the first race that Jordan gained nationwide attention for MMIW/G in 2019. Plus, my family and friends at home will finally be able to come cheer me on.
For training, I just had a great race at the Avalon 50k and took two rest weeks (for the first time in what feels like forever). I'm excited to see where my fitness is!
Race: 2026 Boston Marathon | April
TEAM FUNDRAISING GOAL: $7,000
FUNDS RAISED: $0
Jordan Whetstone | RH Founder, Athlete Advocate and Charity Runner
I’m coming back for my 5th Boston Marathon, my 4th Boston running in prayer for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Peoples, and back for community. With each opportunity to visit, connect, and create, community gatherings and opportunities to see people you admire from social media, just fills your heart and looking forward to Team Rising Hearts having this experience together.
For me, I run in prayer for missing and murdered loved ones like Emily Pike ad Cole Brings Plenty, for their families, for our communities, for our younger and next generations, and holding space for other issues, like protecting our trans kin, immigrant communities, and for the genocide that is continuously happening in Gaza. It’s a privilege to be able to run, to be able to create these spaces with community, to participate, and to just live right now during times that are very scary, uncertain, and triggering for many.
So much as happened since the 2019 Boston Marathon, in bringing MMIWP to that race and platform, wearing the red handprint, and the names and prayers I carried, my life changed. And I can’t imagine running being any different now than by using it as a means to build community, discuss things that need to be included, hold space for those that can’t be here, and still enjoy running. Running for Justice, still continues. Now more than ever is to continue supporting the heart work that is making impacts and using our voices and bodies to help communicate what is important.
I want to give back in a big way to Rising Hearts, since it’s not just giving back to just Rising Hearts, it’s the opportunity to give back to all we do, and who we support. We have an incredible team of friends, sisters and runners at the Boston Marathon this year - Mel, Ashleigh, and Caroline, who are also my fellow teammates at the 2025 Every Woman’s Marathon, all looking to cross that finish line in Boston! Help us reach our goal of raising $7,000 for Rising Hearts. Rising Hearts is bringing more and more incredible humans to the start line, events, stories, and platforms, and that’s the world we want to invest in to keep our communities healthy, thriving, diverse and reflective of us, so that we see ourselves in these spaces. Let’s keep creating community and seeing the faces and hearing the voices we want to see and learn from!
Race: 2026 Boston Marathon | April
TEAM FUNDRAISING GOAL: $7,000
FUNDS RAISED: $0
Caroline Sekaquaptewa | RH Athlete Advocate and Charity Runner
For the past 12 years, the Boston marathon has become part of my April calendar. This year will be my 13th in a row. Years ago I ran my first marathon and never thought I would do it again; it was so hard! The next year, I was back at it. By my 3rd attempt, I was determined to qualify for Boston- a huge goal I never thought I would qualify!
Boston has represented many things to me: achieving goals, representing Hopi women, prayers always through each mile for family and those who cannot run.
It means so much to me to run the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston…a Hopi woman from Sipaulovi village.
Race: 2026 Boston Marathon | April
TEAM FUNDRAISING GOAL: $7,000
FUNDS RAISED: $0
RUN WITH PURPOSE
For 2025, we met our goal and raised $36,000 and 37 charity runners! Here’s a chance to support our heart work through a different means - running, movement, events for Rising Hearts! We hope to find 13 MORE runners for 2026!
2026 RACES ARE OPEN!
OPTION ONE:
WANT TO RACE FOR RISING HEARTS OUTSIDE OF THESE WE HAVE SELECTED?
Not seeing a race you want to run in this list? Check out all of the Wander Project events and choose the “Your Choice” option. They will reach out to learn more about your charity of choice and once you let them know that you’ll be running for Rising Hearts, they will make sure your funds come to support our mission!”
Athletes who want to support Rising Hearts for a race that is not listed, can sign up for any of the events on The Wander Project calendar: https://www.wanderproject.org/event-partners/ and pick 'Your Choice' for charity and then fill out the form to indicate they want to support Rising Hearts: (FAQ page here: https://www.wanderproject.org/athletes/frequently-asked-questions/)
OPTION TWO:
This is more new for us! We have a givelively link specifically for runners/individuals, who want to raise funds for the heart work we do! If it’s not through our partnership with The Wander Project, or our other partners at CIM or Boston, you can run for Rising Hearts at any race you choose and bring more fun and purpose to your why and the run.
Suggested fundraising limits:
RH Athletes / Community = $600
Open to Community = minimum $800
Perks: RH Singlet, merch, stickers, fuel, reimbursement of your race (on case by case basis) and if shoes are needed, we can help you!
Reach out to us via email, info@rising-hearts.org. Share with us your plans, then we’ll set you up with the link!