The 128th Boston Marathon is right around the corner and once again, New England Honda Dealers are leading the pack. As the official vehicle of the Boston Marathon, New England Honda Dealer not only provides the lead car that paces the way for the athletes, their Team Honda is again running to raise money for a good cause while competing for first place at the oldest marathons in the world.
In 2023, Team Honda raised over $60k for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, but their success didn’t end there. Susannah Scaroni, world famous three-time Paralympian and Team Honda racer, won her first Boston Marathon, using her Honda-build competition wheelchair. This year, Scaroni returns to race alongside fellow Team Honda Paralympian Manuela Schär, the Swiss international whose won the Boston Marathon in 2022. Honda’s continued legacy of building the best racing wheelchairs keeps Team Honda at the front of the competition just like Honda vehicles lead one of the world’s legendary marathons.
By StoryStudio on March 19, 2024
SPONSORED BY
Susannah Scaroni, Paralympian
Supporting Paralympians in their quest to make history, raising money with Team Honda for cancer research plus providing the lead vehicles at the 128th Boston Marathon—these are prime examples of New England Honda Dealer’s commitment to their New England community.
“As a community, we have the power to create a more hopeful, cancer-free future, in Boston and around the world,” Team Honda said in a statement. “Each donation during The Dana-Farber Campaign, no matter the size, adds up to provide patients with compassionate, personalized care and keeps Dana-Farber at the forefront of cancer medicine. When you support our efforts, you are a part of this transformative effort.”
Honda at the Boston Marathon: Setting the Pace, Raising Money for Cancer, and Helping Champions Win
In its third year as lead vehicle, Honda is used to setting the pace. This year, Honda vehicles will escort the honorary Grand Marshal along the course, as well as the top professional men, women, and wheelchair athletes as they make their way toward the finish line. Honda vehicles also will be part of the road reopening program at the conclusion of each event.
Honda Leads the Way
Honda: There for Champions
Susannah Scaroni is no stranger to challenges. Not only is the Team Honda member one of the most accomplished Paralympians in the world, she’s overcome serious setbacks. In 2021, just after the Tokyo Paralympics where she won a gold medal, Scaroni was struck by a car while training.
“I was a hit from behind,” Scaroni said in an interview. “I ended up fracturing three vertebrae in my back. Everybody’s back is important, but it’s especially important for wheelchair users. And I, to be perfectly honest, had no idea how the recovery would go.”
While severe injuries are never a good thing, Scaroni’s presented an unexpected opportunity. When it was time to begin rehabbing, Scaroni borrowed a teammate’s racing chair, a high-end Honda-build.
As a community, we have the power to create a more hopeful, cancer-free future, in Boston and around the world.
Team Honda
“My teammate was retiring and she let me train with her chair,” recalls Scaroni, who notes how lucky she was to have the opportunity to use such a high-end racing chair for her recovery. “Honda is one of the huge sponsors for wheelchair racing, but they don't sponsor many athletes.”
The next May, Scaroni set a new world record in the 5000m in her new Honda-build racing chair. Then, in 2023, she won the Boston Marathon. It would be overstating it to credit anyone but Scaroni for her triumphant victories after overcoming such a serious injury, but Team Honda was there for her every step of the way.
Team Honda: Running for a Cure
Every year, Team Honda, comprised of a select group of around fifteen runners and a few Paralympians, fundraises during the Boston Marathon. Like last year, the recipient of the funds is the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since its founding in 1947, has been committed to providing adults and children with cancer the best treatment available today while developing tomorrow’s cures through cutting-edge research.
“Dana-Farber runners set the pace in the fight against cancer by raising funds to support groundbreaking research and extraordinary patient care,” Team Honda said. “Thanks to your support, Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund continue to race toward the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.”
If you’d like to support this year’s runners, visit the Team Honda fundraising page.
About Honda
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. Honda has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO2 emissions of any major full-line automaker in America, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Honda lineup includes the Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda’s electrified vehicle lineup includes the Clarity Fuel Cell and Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid and Insight hybrid-electric sedan – to be joined in 2024 by the Honda Prologue, Honda’s first volume battery-electric vehicle.
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for 40 years and currently operates 18 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2021, more than 95% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
