Julie Colantuoni stands with her daughters, Sophie (left) and Emmy.

Julie Colantuoni has been a part of the local field hockey scene for some time now. A member of the Hopkinton Youth Field Hockey board, she also is a coach, and this year she will step into the role of marathon fundraiser when she tackles her first Boston Marathon to support the organization she holds near and dear to her heart.

“I have run four half marathons, and I had always wondered if I wanted to run a full marathon,” Colantuoni said. “I wasn’t sure if I could. I had some minor injuries in the past, and I always thought trying the full distance might not go well.”

But then she moved to Hopkinton and, as is so often the case, “caught the running bug.”

Colantuoni said her training has been going well. She has run more than 19 miles during a training run and hired a coach to help guide her through this new experience.

Her fundraising also has gone well, as she set a goal of $6,000 and was more than $2,000 over that as of early April (gofundme.com/f/Julie-Runs-Boston).

Colantuoni is familiar with the route she will run in April.

“I grew up in Framingham, so my parents used to take my brother and I to watch along the route,” she said. “We would watch either there or in Ashland. I just love the energy. It’s always been such a fun time of the year.”

In Hopkinton, Colantuoni lives within walking distance of the course and has been taking her two children to watch the race. Those two daughters, Sophie and Emilia, have followed in their mother’s footsteps and are playing field hockey. Colantuoni coached both of them last fall and is happy they have the chance to start in the sport at a younger age than she did growing up.

“I look back, and that is something I really would have enjoyed,” said the 40-year-old. “I love field hockey. I feel like there is something special about this league, it’s such a wonderful experience. I feel that this sport can be so empowering and such an opportunity to build confidence in young girls. It’s been fun to watch them learn the sport and love it.”

On Marathon Monday, the two girls and Colantuoni’s husband, Brock, will be bouncing around the route to try to see her in as many spots as possible, including the Newton Hills. They will be joined by Hopkinton youth field hockey players, who plan to line the race course with some of Colantuoni’s other family and friends.

A nurse practitioner with an active lifestyle, Colantuoni said she is not sure yet whether the running “bug” will lead to more marathons after this initial race. The hardest part of training, she said, has been making the time to get in her long runs without a lot of leeway for taking time off. But she has been aided by 10 other women who have run with her regularly, many of whom also are running Boston for local charities. She knows the effort will be worth it come race day.

“It’s just a remarkable thing to be a part of,” she said. “I am excited for all of that and to see all of my training come together and getting to treat that day like a celebration of it all.”