JeansMarines was founded in 2002 by Toronto physician, author and columnist, Dr. Jean Marmoreo. After running the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. the year before, Jean and her husband, Bob Ramsay, thought it would be fun to ask some friends to join them the next year. So was born JeansMarines, and by October of 2002, one hundred Toronto women stood at the start line of the Marine Corps Marathon, the first of hundreds to follow in the years after.

Jean had long believed that women had the psychological discipline and endurance to take on such an ‘impossible’ goal, and knew that if you gave them the physical discipline and endurance, nothing could keep them back. She was right.

JeansMarines is a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead women toward a mighty goal: to run or walk a marathon. We take in revenues through memberships, sponsorships and the sale of JeansMarines gear. And like any self-respecting non-profit, we try to break even.