The Martin Richard Foundation’s Team MR8 will field its last squad for the BAA Boston Marathon this week through next Monday, but with a distinctive twist: The run will be done virtually.

The 2020 BAA race was set to be the final time that Team MR8 would make its journey from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, ending the biggest fundraiser for the Martin Richard Foundation. But, with its cancellation by the pandemic, runners will instead complete the 124th BAA Virtual Boston Marathon Experience this week on courses chosen by them for meaningful reasons.

“We launched Team MR8 in a historic comeback race for the BAA and the City of Boston and we end with yet another unique Boston Marathon experience,” said Denise Richard, co-founder of the Martin Richard Foundation. “We are proud of our 2020 team for persevering through this challenging season and are ever grateful for their commitment to fundraise for a Legacy Fund anchored in promoting inclusion, kindness, social justice, and peace.”

On Monday, the Foundation kicked off a week-long campaign to commemorate and celebrate all who have laced up or supported a runner to advance the organization’s mission in the last seven years. Since 2014, more than 1,000 runners have raced over 23,000 miles and raised more than $6 million to establish a Legacy Fund that will ensure that the Foundation’s grant making continues to fund direct service, community-based organizations that address social equity in the areas of youth development, adaptive and inclusive efforts, and community building.

A highlight of the campaign will be an art installation in Martin’s Park later this week. 

Team MR8 will continue to promote teamwork and healthy lifestyles while challenging runners to #RunForMore through the MR8K race, the organization’s new annual signature event co-sponsored with Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises and the Boston Bruins Foundation in which runners of all abilities participate in a family-friendly road race to collectively advance the spirit of sportsmanship and inclusion in Boston.