Mark Agostinelli, shown with his family, is attempting his first Boston Marathon this year.

Mark Agostinelli is quick to point out that while he certainly is an athlete, he is not a runner.

“I played college lacrosse years ago, and I think since then I had not run longer than three miles,” Agostinelli said. “I am not a runner, not a runner at all.”

The Hopkinton resident is a dedicated CrossFit athlete, however, and the spirit of having the world’s most famous race start in his hometown drove him to take the plunge and run his first Boston Marathon this year.

“I don’t think I’d be running the marathon if I didn’t like in town, but when you live in town and you bring your kids to the start line, you can’t help but see people and think, ‘If that guy can run it, I should try it at least once,’’ he said with a laugh.

Agostinelli is going to be running for the sport he loves, lacrosse, raising money for Hopkinton Boys Youth Lacrosse (hoplax.com/donate-to-mark).

“Raising money for the charity is awesome,” he said. “I am a board member for Hopkinton Youth Lacrosse, and I love being a part of it. I am very passionate about lacrosse.”

After the program asked around for about a week in search of a runner, Agostinelli said he realized this was his chance to run Boston and do so for a cause that he really cares about.

“The emotional drive is there from the charity standpoint,” he said. “I am definitely happy to be helping Hopkinton Youth Lacrosse. I feel like that game has given me life so much, this is like I am giving back to the game.”

Agostinelli has had good days and bad through his training. Traveling for work adds another wrinkle into the mix, but he has been able to run with a Hopkinton moms group where he is the only male. Starting out in a new endeavor, he said the women’s support has been an incredible resource to aid in his training as he ramped up his mileage and prepared for the big day.

“I think there is going to be a ton of adrenaline and some nervousness, and just overall excitement,” Agostinelli said of his expectations for race day.

He said he has felt the nerves every Friday evening before his Saturday long runs and imagines the feeling will be amplified on the day of the actual race. But there is also going to be a tremendous amount of energy with the crowds lining the course and friends and family watching him along the way.

Both the start in his hometown and the finish in Kenmore Square are going to be memorable, he said.

“I will admit, I am most excited about getting to the finish line and seeing my kids, coming down Boylston Street and knowing my family is going to be on the other end of that line,” Agostinelli said. “I think that’s probably the thing that is going to motivate me when the grind gets real.”