Amanda Ross, who is running the Boston Marathon to support the Hopkinton Women’s Club, poses with her four children (from left), Madigan (4), Declan (10), Keegan (6) and Griffin (9).

Although she freely admits she is not a natural runner, Amanda Ross is excited to be running in her second Boston Marathon on April 15 to support the Hopkinton Women’s Club.

“I have a big job and four young children, so running a marathon is completely outside my comfort zone, but to be able to run Boston and to raise money for my town is really a cool experience,” said Ross.

She ran last year to raise funds for the Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA).

“I was part of the team that helped HCA get enough funding for their new building, and I have an interest in its success,” she said. Ross added that her children have enjoyed many programs at the center.

This year, she was happy to receive an invitation to run from the Women’s Club, for whom she had raised closed to $1,500 heading into April (GivenGain.com/cc/support-us-via-the-2024-boston-marathon-28061/webpage).

“They are very involved in philanthropic and educational events in the town and put on many social functions. I am honored that they would ask me to represent them,” said Ross.

Ever since she and her husband, Patrick, moved to Hopkinton 10 years ago when they were starting their family, Ross has been involved in the community. Besides supporting the HCA, she was part of the fundraising committee for the Hopkinton Public Library expansion and currently sits on the school councils for both Elmwood and Hopkins elementary schools. She also has been active for about two decades in the community fundraising efforts of her employer, Bank of America in Boston, where she is a managing director.

This year, the Boston Marathon will be even more special for Ross, since Bank of America has taken over sponsorship of the event from John Hancock. She noted that more than 100 of her work colleagues will be running in the event, the majority raising funds for different charities

“Most of them are much faster than I am, so I will look forward to seeing them at the finish line,” Ross said with a laugh.

Her goal this year is to shave some time off her 2023 run.

“Last year, I stopped a lot to talk to everyone I knew along the route,” she said. “This year, I will hug and kiss my kids, but my focus will be on running faster.”

During her training, Ross has been making good use of the treadmill in her basement and the topography of Hopkinton to build up her stamina.

“I feel that those of us who live in Hopkinton have an advantage,” she said. “We have all these gnarly hills to train on during the weekends.”

She enjoys the local runners she met last year and the occasions when they get together for training runs.

“It has been great meeting a whole new group of people through running,” she said.

Summing up her feelings about the 2024 Boston Marathon, Ross said, “I feel really fortunate for my situation. The marathon starts in my town, I get to run for a local charity and represent my town, and my employer is the sponsor. It just doesn’t get any better. All the things that are very important to me are represented and wrapped up in this race.”

It also is important to her family, which goes to the start line the night before the race to take photos and turns out the next morning to cheer her on.

“It is good for my four young children to see me work toward a fitness, endurance goal and know you don’t have to win, you don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to be fast, you just have to finish,” she said. “It is so cool to model that and to represent my community.”