Though the New York City Marathon doesn’t kick off until November 2, the foundation created on behalf of eight-year old Martin Richard is already putting a team together. On Monday the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation announced it will be gathering runners to pound the pavement on behalf of the young Dorchester native whose life was taken during the tragic Boston Marathon bombings.

Team MR8 – the pack of runners whose moniker is derived from Martin’s initials and favorite sports number – has been aptly allowed eight charity spots by the New York Road Runners, the organization which organizes the NYC race, and anyone who’s already registered with the NYRR can apply to join the team as well.

“We are excited to participate in the TCS New York City Marathon, the largest in the world, and are grateful to the New York Road Runners for supporting us in our first year,” said Bill Richard, Martin’s father, who co-founded the charity with his wife Denise, in a statement.  “There was such a powerful response to Martin’s message of ‘No more hurting people. Peace’ during this year’s Boston Marathon, and we are excited to carry that momentum to New York.”

In the days after the Richard family’s devastating loss, a photo began circulating of Matin holding a sign that read reads ‘No more hurting people. Peace’ and has since become the theme of the Foundation created in his memory.

The deadline to submit an application to run with Team MR8 is July 28, and you can fill one out right here. Bill and Denise are asking that runners raise $3,000 each and $1,000 for those already registered with the NYRR.

Bill went on to note that all of the proceeds will go toward three fundamental aspects of the Foundation: education, athletics and community – all sentiments that were important to young Martin.

Exemplifying just how much support the Foundation has received, consider that for the 2014 Boston Marathon the Richard family was hoping to field a team of about 25 to 30. Instead, Team MR8 was comprised of 102 runners from 305 applications who banked $1.25 million for the Foundation.

Images via Team MR8 Facebook