Do you want PRIORITY registration into the 2025 Chicago Marathon?!? Apply to run with TEAM NOSTIGMAS now!
There are so many benefits to joining Team NoStigmas…
Official NoStigmas running apparel
Fundraising page, tools and strategies
Strava app team group
Dedicated NoStigmas support contact
First-time runners and teams welcome!
Guaranteed entry for the race
Coaching, training guides & support
Team dinner and banquet
Hosted race day team suite
Private race day gear check
Team NoStigmas 2024 - Look at those faces and all the fun we had!
MARATHON TEAM FAQs
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Team NoStigmas
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Mental health education and advocacy
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Chicagoland, National and International
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Prior to the event
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Minimums range between $2000-$2250 for the 2025 Chicago Marathon
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Please review, download and sign the waiver here: NoStigmas Participant Waiver
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We understand that life sometimes gets in the way of your marathon plans. Our goal is to understand your situation and help you to find a solution that can work for all involved.
According to the terms of your registration and our agreement with the BOA Chicago Marathon, you will be fully responsible to meet your fundraising commitment, even if you become injured, sick or otherwise unable to participate in the Chicago Marathon.
However, there are some potential options based on when you withdraw:
Prior to March 31st: If you are unable to run and notify us prior to March 31st, we may be able to reduce your fundraising minimum or explore other options. This will be dependent upon several factors that are largely up to the marathon administrators.After April 1st: We may be able to waive your fundraising minimum for the current year, provided the following:
1. You register for the following year’s team prior to October 31st, of the original registration year and
2. You commit to raising an additional $1,500 over the minimum for the following year’s race.
Registration fees are subject to the terms of your registration with BOA Chicago Marathon and not within our control. Please review the Refundable Registration FAQs provided by the marathon. -
We recommend using Haku, the preferred platform of the marathon. However, we can accept donations directly via our site and checks mailed to:
NoStigmas
301 W Grand Ave, #255Chicago, IL 60654
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Yes!
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45-1343051
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NoStigmas
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Send us an email at hi@nostigmas.org
Who We Are
NoStigmas is a non-profit organization that aspires to improve the health and wellness of individuals by addressing behavioral and social determinants to reduce health disparities. We aim to cultivate the go-to peer support community, and to be the driving force behind a positive shift in perspective by fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment—creating a world with NoStigmas.
Our mission is to ensure that no one faces mental health challenges alone. We envision a world without shame or discrimination related to mental health, brain disease, behavioral disorders, trauma, suicide, and addiction.
This mission is fulfilled by utilizing a uniquely individual approach that provides universal access to mental health prevention and education, support systems, and resources.
Why We Advocate
The Chicago National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), reports that 38.5% of adults in Illinois ages 18 and older reported poor mental health (feeling very depressed and/or anxious and having to limit daily activities because of mental health problems). According to the Healthy Chicago 2.0 Report, it was self-reported that 18.4% of adults in the Chicagoland area feel that their health is fair or poor compared to 10.3% nationally.
Because mental health challenges and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) are common across all socioeconomic and ethnic groups, it is important to think about universal prevention measures. NoStigmas also provides services that enhance the systems-of-care available to individuals in the Chicagoland area living with a mental illness. We aim to lower the stigmas of mental health services and to provide free peer-to-peer services for individuals.
Let’s Talk Stats
Half of mental health challenges start by age 14, with depression being the leading cause of illness and disability among adolescents according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is important to note that most of these cases are “undetected and untreated” (WHO). This disparity is a risk factor for suicide, which is the third leading cause of death in those ages 15 - 19 (WHO).
Furthermore, when left unaddressed, these mental health challenges continue across the lifespan. Approximately 50% of all Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their lifetime, with close to 45 million currently living with a mental illness according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institute for Health (NIH).
With these high numbers of individuals experiencing mental health illnesses, we also address the dose-response relationship between trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) for developing mental health challenges. One out of every four adolescents have been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect their learning and behavior according to The National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network. Individuals experiencing both chronic trauma, multiple traumas, and a high ACE score are at a higher risk for mental health challenges, because it negatively affects individuals’ neurobiology.
Research thoroughly demonstrates the benefits of peer support programs that include stronger social support systems, improvements in self-efficacy, increased knowledge of a disorder and likelihood of treatment follow-through, and reductions in hospitalizations, use of emergency services, and readmissions due to mental health crises. The research is evidenced across several studies and published in well-known journals of psychology.
Chicago Roots
NoStigmas was founded in Chicago in 2007. Jacob Moore, NoStigmas’ Founder and CEO, introduced the grassroots movement on the 20th anniversary of his father’s death. Jacob’s father had a severe mental health condition and died by suicide in 1987.
Striving to make a positive impact in the mental health community, NoStigmas implements programs designed from a lived-experience perspective with the intent to eliminate stigmas throughout the Chicagoland area. Our programs include community-based events, lived experience talks, and Ally-driven activations aimed at generating awareness about stigmatized issues, as well as fundraising and expansion of our community. These local events aim to inspire mentally healthy lives throughout Chicago and beyond by encouraging and educating individuals about prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.
Chicagoland Partners
NoStigmas fosters relationships with many stakeholders from the Chicago community, including Room to Breathe, Chicago Center of Behavioral Medicine, Chicago Mind & Body, Chicago Dance Therapy, Allstate, Esurance, Leo Burnett, C.H. Robinson, Accenture, The Joint Chiropractic, Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, The Purple Pig, Bull & Bear Fund and many other Chicago-based businesses and organizations.
Chicago Collaborators
We also work with many educational and charitable partners, including UNITY Charity Fashion Show at Northwestern University, DePaul University School of Nursing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Roosevelt University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Community in Schools, Hope for the Day, Imerman’s Angels. These community stakeholders have collaborated with NoStigmas since its inception, and are invested in making the Chicagoland area a better and healthier place to live. They share similar missions and goals with NoStigmas, which makes their partnership and participation an important and valuable resource to the success of our programs.
2024 Chicago Marathon Team Fundraising Page
NoStigmas Fundraising Info Page
Charity Team Management
General - hi@nostigmas.org
Media inquiries - patrick@nostigmas.org
Address: 301 W Grand Ave #255, Chicago, IL, 60654