For Thomas Kronstrøm and Bo Holden, running has never been about chasing trophies. Growing up in Denmark playing football (soccer), running began simply as conditioning for the pitch. Over the decades, even as life and careers pulled them across borders, running evolved into something deeper: a shared ritual to catch up, stay grounded, and explore new cities and landscapes together whenever their paths crossed.
Today, Thomas, 44, lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, while Bo, 56, lives in Måløv, Denmark. Despite the ocean between them and heavy international travel schedules for work, their bond has stayed seamless. When both friends learned they had won coveted entry spots through the TCS New York City Marathon lottery, they celebrated an incredible stroke of luck. But almost immediately, Thomas and Bo realized that having two bibs for the world’s most iconic race presented an opportunity far bigger than a personal reunion.
They decided to dedicate their 26.2 miles to A Foundation Building Strength (AFBS), running in honor of a young girl named Harper Rose.
Finding Inspiration Across the Street
The connection began when Thomas and his family relocated to the United States from Denmark in 2017.
“Through my daughter’s school we became friends with a family that also moved to Hoboken at the same time as us,” Thomas shares. “Becoming close with their family gave us the chance to know Harper Rose. Over the years, we’ve watched how hard she pushes and the real difference AFBS has made for her and her family. We feel so lucky to have gotten into the marathon, and the least we can do is give back by fundraising for AFBS.”
Harper lives with Nemaline Myopathy (NM), a rare congenital neuromuscular disorder that disrupts the thin filaments within skeletal muscle cells. Caused by genetic mutations, NM leads to muscle weakness throughout the body. For individuals with the condition, everyday essentials that healthy runners take for granted, such as walking, maintaining posture, swallowing, and breathing, can present tremendous daily hurdles. Because Nemaline Myopathy currently has no approved therapeutic treatments, families rely heavily on coordinated care, physical therapies, and specialized guidance to navigate daily life.
Witnessing Harper’s quiet courage firsthand gave Thomas and Bo a deeper reason to run.
Running Together, Staying Healthy
As veterans of multiple marathons, Thomas and Bo understand the toll that 26.2 miles can take on the body. But with both men managing demanding careers that require frequent international travel, their training philosophy this year has been built around wisdom, balance, and patience rather than rigid pacing sheets.
Instead of obsessing over a specific finishing time, their primary objective is simple: navigate the training block uninjured, line up healthy in Staten Island, and run all twenty-six point two miles side by side from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to Central Park.
For two old friends who trace their athletic roots back to Danish football fields, crossing that finish line together in New York will be a victory in itself.
Every Mile and Every Dollar Counts
To support the cause, Thomas and Bo are focusing their fundraising efforts on direct word-of-mouth outreach to their personal and professional networks, making a concentrated push as race day draws near.
Every dollar raised through their campaign goes directly to A Foundation Building Strength, the only non-profit foundation in the world dedicated exclusively to funding therapeutic research into effective treatments for Nemaline Myopathy. Because rare disorders rarely attract commercial pharmaceutical capital, grassroots fundraising like theirs is critical to moving potential gene therapies, small-molecule drug screens, and natural history studies from laboratory benches into human clinical trials.
When asked what they would tell someone who is considering supporting their run, their message cuts straight to the point:
“We have seen the difference the work does and every dollar counts!”
When the starting cannon fires on race morning, Thomas and Bo will take to the streets of New York as teammates once again, turning years of friendship and every stride through the five boroughs into real hope and strength for Harper Rose and the entire Nemaline Myopathy community.
Support Thomas & Bo’s Journey
Please consider supporting Thomas & Bo, Team AFBS, and the individuals and families at the heart of this mission. You can read more about their journey and make a donation directly to their personal campaign by visiting their GoFundMe Page.
A Foundation Building Strength (AFBS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of treatments for Nemaline Myopathy. Our mission is to fund cutting-edge research to find effective treatments while providing resources and a strong community for families affected by NM. We are proud to be at the forefront of driving Nemaline Myopathy research breakthroughs forward through collaborations with research teams across the globe.
Donate to AFBS: Your monetary gift will support critical research and provide vital resources for NM families.
Stay Connected: Sign up for our email list to receive the latest updates from AFBS and learn more about NM research. Are you an individual or a caregiver of an individual affected by NM? Fill out the AFBS Contact Survey to be connected with valuable resources, support, and research opportunities! Visit our “Get Involved” page for even more ways to connect!