Participants running on behalf of more than 200 non-profit organizations raised $30.6 million for charity this year in the 120th running of the Boston Marathon. The overall total includes $16.5 million raised through the Boston Athletic Association's Official Charity Program, $11.26 million raised through John Hancock's Marathon Non-Profit Program, and $2.8 million raised by qualified and other invitational runners.

The majority of the fundraising runners gained entry through the B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program and John Hancock's Marathon Non-Profit Program, which provide non-profits with guaranteed entries ("bibs") that enable runners to fundraise for their organizations.

Among the charitable organizations benefiting from the B.A.A's Official Charity Program in 2016 were Brigham and Women's Hospital, MetroWest YMCA, and Tenacity.

"As stewards to the world's oldest annual marathon, the B.A.A. and our principal sponsor John Hancock Financial are proud to invest in our local community by providing invitational entries into the Boston Marathon to be used by selected non-profit organizations," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "The fundraising total is testament to the effort of these dedicated participants and the recognition by donors of what it means to train for and run our race. We salute and celebrate the tremendous fundraising achievement of these organizations, and we are honored to support their important work."

John Hancock-sponsored runners ran to benefit organizations including: US Fund for UNICEF, Alzheimer's Association MA/NH Chapter, and Citizen Schools.

Team John Hancock, consisting of 131 employee runners, raised funds for the Boys & Girls Club of Boston and the Ron Burton Training Village. In addition, 36 employee runners from parent company Manulife ran on behalf of Pathways to Education Canada.

"Our company theme for the 120th Boston Marathon, 'Endurance,' celebrates the journey and commitment each participant makes to reach the finish line. Our non-profit runners are to be celebrated as well for their generosity of spirit, giving back to the wider community, and we are grateful for their contributions," said Craig Bromley, President of John Hancock. "In our 31st year as the principal sponsor of this iconic race, we are proud to continue to provide meaningful support to our community partners through our non-profit program."

Over the past 31 years, the official B.A.A. Charity Program and John Hancock's Non-Profit Program have combined to raise more than $293 million for community-based organizations.

For the fifth consecutive year, John Hancock utilized a centralized online platform to capture fundraising through a partnership with CrowdRise (www.crowdrise.com/2016bostonmarathon), the world's largest and fastest growing online platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising.

About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) 

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs, including high performance athletes and running club. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with the international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. The 121th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 17, 2017. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife 

John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were $904 billion (US$697 billion) as at March 31, 2016. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.