Boston marathon runners are poised to set an off-course record this year, in the form of charity fund-raising.

Donations to charity teams linked to the world-renowned race are flooding in from around the globe and are poised to break last year’s record performance of $21 million, a year after a bombing at the finish line killed three people and injured more than 260.

Some of the biggest beneficiaries will include foundations set up by families of the victims, as well as some of the Boston-area hospitals that provided life-saving support for the injured, according to charity organisers.

The Boston Marathon has long been a major fund-raising event for charities, since committing to raise money can help a runner secure a berth without meeting the race’s fast qualifying time requirement.

Last year’s bombing energised fund-raising to a new level, bringing in more charity runners and greater interest from donors.

The Boston Athletic Association accepted 9,000 additional runners for the April 21 race to accommodate the thousands of people caught mid-course at the time of the bombings, bringing the race to its second-largest field of runners ever at 36,000.