Somerville’s Ellenor Barish is raising funds to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition as she prepares to run the Boston Marathon. — Photo courtesy of Ellenor Barish

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Local Somerville resident Ellenor Barish is eager to do something she has not done in 17 long years: complete a marathon. She will also do it in one of the most iconic races of all, the 126th running of the Boston Marathon.

The race, scheduled to be run on April 18, is set to receive 30,000 runners from around the world. But for Barish this run means more than just running 26 miles, it also means representing a cause.

She plans to represent the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC), a local non-profit seeking to provide services and housing for homeless individuals.

“When I saw that the Homeless Coalition needed a runner I was just inspired, I was like, I would do that. If it means I can support the homeless coalition and I get to run the marathon, then I think I can do it,” Barish said.

Barish and her family have been very involved with the SHC, attending almost every event for the past 15 years. “We are very aware of the Barish family, they’re a regular supporter, a regular donor of SHC,” according to Felicity Beal, director of Development at the SHC.

Scan the QR code to connect with Barish’s fundraiser.

According to Barish, SHC has always struck her as one full of compassion and generosity. “I’ve always been struck by the compassion of the organization, the way they collaborate with businesses in town and with other organizations in town to support their clients in the broader community,” Barish said. “I just get the sense that they are really good at what they do.”

In order to run in the Boston Marathon runners can qualify in one of two ways. The first is based on merit, where runners have to run the race distance at a predetermined time.

Another way to achieve qualification is through a charity. Every year charities are given bibs to run the marathon, but these organizations have to raise funds for their causes in order to be considered in future races.

Both for Barish and the SHC, this year’s marathon is very important. 2022 is the first year the SHC has a bib to run the race. According to Beal, the bib came about in a very organic way. “We didn’t put ourselves forward for a charity bib, but we were always on the lookout for one,” Beal said. “We have a board member who was able to secure a charity bib through a member of John Hancock.”

With this being the first year the SHC has a charity bib in the race, Barish feels the pressure to perform well both in the race and outside of it. “If their runner does a good job fundraising it improves their chances for getting a charity bib in the future, so that’s sort of an extra incentive for me with my fundraising to do a good job,” Barish said.

Initially, her goal was to raise $10,000 by race day. She reached that goal 10 days ago. With less than two weeks before the race, Barish has set a new, ambitious fundraising goal: $12,500.

For more information and to donate to Barish’s fundraiser, visit https://www.givengain.com/ap/ellenor-barish-raising-funds-for-somerville-homeless-coalition/#updates.