Run for a Cause

What Is Team Boomer?

Team Boomer is a program that: encourages people with cystic fibrosis to incorporate exercise into their everyday lives; provides an avenue for individual athletes in a variety of sports to raise money for cystic fibrosis; and offers assistance to grassroots athletic events looking for a cause to support.

When you run for Team Boomer, you help spread the word about how exercise can help people with cystic fibrosis keep their lungs clear, you support a scholarship program specifically designed for scholar-athletes with CF, and you contribute to efforts to find a cure for CF and to help people with the disease live longer, healthier lives.

Run for Team Boomer … It’s Easy

Running for Team Boomer is easy. You simply pick an event, register for the race, let us know about your plans by completing a Team Boomer registration form, and start training. Of course, you can’t compete for Team Boomer in name alone – each runner sets a fundraising goal and then uses a variety of tools to meet it. Check out our Fundraising 101 page to see how easy it is to set up an online fundraising page and get your friends and family involved in supporting your efforts.

While Team Boomer runners participate in some pretty major races – like the ING New York City Marathon – we also have a lot of casual and non-competitive athletes who participate in smaller events in the New York area and around the country. For example, Team Boomer has been represented at the Boston Marathon, an Ironman Triathlon in Texas, the Ragnar Relay in New York, a 10K on Long Island, a “Beef ‘n Beer” race in Pennsylvania, and a number of other similar events.

If you decide you want to run for Team Boomer at an event in your hometown or another location, that’s great! We welcome you to the team and are here to support your efforts. Please complete a Team Boomer registration form and let us know more about your plans.

Each year, Team Boomer offers the opportunity to participate in several "signature" events, including:

Boomer's Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe – Team Boomer works closely with the New York Road Runners organization on this popular 10K run/walk in New York City’s Central Park, held for the first time in 2011. Plans are under way for the 2012 event, to be held on July 7. Please visit the 2012 Run to Breathe page for more information and to pre-register.

ING New York City Marathon – For the fourth year in a row, Team Boomer will provide a limited number of guaranteed marathon entries to runners who pledge to raise funds for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Please visit the 2012 New York City Marathon page for more information.

You also will find a variety of other events listed on the Team Boomer Events page.

But I’m Really Not a Runner …

Registering for a local race can be a little scary, especially if you’ve never before run a road race. But setting a goal – like running your first 5K – is a great way to start a fitness program and, hopefully, a healthier lifestyle. It also gives you the opportunity to support the cystic fibrosis community by running for a cause.

There are several reasons you might consider setting an exercise goal that culminates in running a race:

It encourages an overall healthy lifestyle. Whether you are signing up for your first 5K or a full marathon, racking up the training miles isn’t the only way to measure your success. You’ll be a better runner and have a more fruitful training experience if you practice healthy habits in other parts of your life, including eating better, sleeping more and staying compliant with your medications.

It helps you stay on track. Registering for a race costs money, and that kind of monetary investment is a good incentive for people to follow through with their fitness plan. In addition, making your goal public by telling your friends and family about the race will result in the support and encouragement you need to stick to your training schedule … even when you don’t feel like it.

It’s a great way to support a cause. Many races and other athletic events donate a portion of their proceeds to charity. Even if they don’t, nonprofits like the Boomer Esiason Foundation often offer programs – like Team Boomer - that help you run for a cause.

Starting an exercise program is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming one. Whether you decide simply to commit to a plan, or you step it up a notch by registering for an event, you are establishing a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.