This father-daughter duo is running Boston for The Home for Little Wanderers

"In our household, mental health is of the utmost importance." Duxbury residents Addi and Brian St. Jean will run the 129th Boston Marathon, side by side.

March 23, 2025

2 minutes to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.

Names: Addi and Brian St. Jean
Ages: 20 and 52
From: Duxbury, Mass.

We’re a father-daughter duo from Duxbury that share a love for serving others—it drives our actions, attitudes, and now, our determination to cross the most iconic finish line in the world. We only began running in 2024, and soon after completing Boston’s Run to Remember, our first half marathon, we both immediately craved a more ambitious challenge. That’s when we set a goal to secure two charity bibs to run the 129th Boston Marathon, side by side.

In our household, mental health is of the utmost importance. As a family, we’ve experienced its impact firsthand, as well as the power of a strong support system when one of us is in the thick of its challenges. So, when it came time to partner with a charity, we aimed to find an organization that supports the mental, emotional, and social well-being of children and families. Once Addi discovered The Home for Little Wanderers, we felt that we had found our perfect match. Last December, we also jumped on the opportunity to support children and caregivers of The Home through the organization’s Big Wishes Gift Drive, which gave everyone in our family an opportunity to pitch in and help create positive holiday memories for disadvantaged youth.

The Home for Little Wanderers has helped children and families build permanent, positive change in the Northeast for more than 200 years. The Home cares for children in at-risk circumstances and offers more than 30 community-based and residential programs that support youth who have often experienced abuse, neglect, trauma or a disrupted family life. The organization serves 15,000 children and family members each year in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York, through its foster care and adoption, behavioral health, clinical services, special education schools, residential care, and young adult programs.