Boston Medical Center Names Jake Gyllenhaal Co-Captain for Marathon Team

Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman will also serve as a co-captain.

Boston Medical Center announced on Monday that actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman will serve as honorary co-captains for the hospital’s Marathon running team.

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Bauman was treated at BMC after sustaining severe injuries during the 2013 bombing. He will be portrayed by Gyllenhaal in the upcoming film Stronger, which is gearing up production in Boston.

Gyllenhaal isn’t the first celebrity to help Team BMC as House of Cards star Kevin Spacey served as an honorary captain in 2014.

“It’s a privilege to serve alongside Jeff as an honorary co-captain for Team BMC,” Gyllenhaal said in a statement. “He is an extraordinary human. I’ve spent a lot of time in Boston over the years; so this is a real honor. I can already feel the excitement and pride around the upcoming marathon.”

Bauman also expressed his gratitude for the honor in the statement, adding that he knows that his story is in the right hands with Gyllenhaal.

“I know that getting my story right is important to him, but it’s also very important that he feels the impact 2013 had on everyone-the runners, the first responders and medical staff, the people cheering on the finish line, everyone,” Bauman said. “This is Boston’s story, not just mine and I can’t think of a better way to share what ‘Boston Strong’ means. BMC was my first stop after the bombings and where this new chapter of my life began. It is pretty surreal and exciting to be going back with a movie team behind me.”

This year’s group, consisting of 87 runners, will be participating in the Marathon to raise funds for the hospital’s various construction projects, which includes building a brand new Emergency Department.