Burgerman Finishes Race But Continues Fundraising

Is the saga of Burgerman over—or is it just beginning? This past Monday, Samuel B. Novey ’11, the Burgerman of legends yore, ran the Boston marathon in a giant burger suit.

Why did this sociology concentrator in Adams House, a man of class and taste, choose to run the Boston Marathon, among the hordes of men and women who come from all over the world, dressed as a popular food item?

Why for charity, of course.

Novey, who ran the marathon as a “bandit,” meaning he wasn’t a registered runner, described the experience of running as “epic."

“Boston’s marathon is the greatest in the world,” Novey said. “It was great. I ran alongside two fries who also wanted to help out the cause.”

Novey is a volunteer for Citizen Schools, a national network of after-school education programs for students in the middle grades. Novey teaches a group of middle schoolers from Edwards Middle School in an after school apprenticeship at B. Good. In order to raise money from the program, Novey decided to run the Boston Marathon in a burger suit, collecting sponsors along the way.

But Novey says that the race is far from over for Burgerman.

Novey, who garnered the support of the Game Show network—which spent the day of the marathon filming him and donated $5,000 to his cause—said he has had more success than he ever expected, though he initially aimed to raise $100,000. He has currently raised $13,643, but he is still “counting.”

More importantly, B. Good has given Novey and his Citizen Schools students the opportunity to design their own burger in the course of their apprenticeship. The burger will be unveiled on May 6.

Photo courtesy of Samuel B. Novey '11.