Sacramento veteran and EMT Brian Kropf trains for the Boston Marathon with Team USO while attending fire academy after recovering from a recent illness.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento resident is preparing to run the Boston Marathon as part of a charity effort supporting military service members and their families.

Brian Kropf, an Army veteran and EMT, is training for the race with Team USO while attending the American River College Fire Academy. His campaign includes fundraising for the United Service Organizations.

Kropf said his schedule has shifted significantly in recent months as he balances training with coursework and physical demands tied to the fire academy. “My life had gotten a lot more complicated. I joined a fire academy… it’s keeping me super busy and super physical and mental,” he said.

His preparation was also interrupted by a medical issue during a key training period. Kropf was hospitalized for several days with bacterial pneumonia and sepsis, leading to a pause in his running schedule. He has since resumed training, working to rebuild endurance ahead of race day.

“It’s been slow. Everything is just harder. I’m really just clawing back every mile I can to prepare me as well as I can be for Boston,” Kropf said.

Kropf served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2012, including time with the 82nd Airborne Division and deployments to Iraq and Haiti. After his military service, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, later transitioning into the private sector before pursuing a career in emergency services.

He said his decision to run is connected to his military experience and his familiarity with the USO, an organization that provides programs and services for service members and their families. His fundraising is part of a broader effort by Team USO runners participating in the marathon.

Kropf is continuing to train in Sacramento while preparing for certification as a firefighter. He said the goal now is to reach the starting line and complete the race while representing those who have supported his effort.

The Boston Marathon is scheduled for later this month, with participants from across the country raising funds for affiliated nonprofit organizations.

Here is a link to Brian’s fundraising efforts ahead of the race: Brian Runs Boston to Support Those Who Serve

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