RESOURCES FOR RACE DIRECTORS

B.A.A. Half Marathon Registration Opens Today

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund present eighth annual event on October 12, 2008

Boston, Mass. – Registration for the eighth annual B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund will open on Wednesday, July 16 at 9:00 a.m. (EDT). This year's race will be held on Sunday, October 12 (Columbus Day weekend) and begin at 8:00 a.m.

Starting tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m., athletes may register online or download a PDF of the application at www.baa.org. The online registration fee is $54 and the field will be limited to 5,000 runners. The event has reached its field size limit in each of the past seven years, and race organizers expect the field to fill quickly. Runners are encouraged to enter early as no entries will be accepted once the field limit of 5,000 has been reached.

A $30,000 prize purse and a full slate of age group awards have helped attract numerous top athletes to the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Past champions have included Marie Davenport, Lornah Kiplagat and Samuel Ndereba, while several Olympians and road racing stars such as Jen Rhines, Valentina Yegorova, John Kagwe, Timothy Cherigat, and Mark Carroll have also participated. In 2007, Tom Nyariki of Kenya set a new men's course record of 1:02:20, while Edna Kiplagat, also of Kenya, won the women's race with a time of 1:13:36.

The B.A.A. Half Marathon course starts and finishes at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston's Back Bay Fens neighborhood. The route encompasses much of Boston's famed Emerald Necklace park system, proceeding along the Riverway, past Jamaica Pond and the Arborway, and into Franklin Park before reversing course. A portion of each participant's entry fee is donated to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and is directed toward the enhancement and maintenance of the park system.

For more information about the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, please visit www.baa.org or http://www.jimmyfund.kintera.org/half-marathon. Other sponsors of the B.A.A. Half Marathon include adidas, Poland Spring, Gatorade, Long's Jewelers, and PowerBar.

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs.

Media Contacts:

B.A.A.: Jack Fleming (617-236-1652, x2627; mobile: 617-459-1587; fleming@baa.org)
or Marc Chalufour (617-236-1652, x2632; mobile: 617-459-1586; chalufour@baa.org).