FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
B.A.A. Announces 125th Boston Marathon Programming, Race Starters,
Grand Marshals & $125,000 Grant Recipients
Celebrations to honor Boston Marathon history & future of running
BOSTON-With two weeks until the 125th Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic
Association (B.A.A.) announced today a slate of race weekend events and
programming that honor the history of the race and support running for the
next generation.
"I am delighted to share the many ways we at the B.A.A. will celebrate the
historic running of the 125th Boston Marathon," said Tom Grilk, President
and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. "Whether it be through free
children's fitness activities or a dine-out campaign to spur economic
recovery, our events throughout Boston Marathon weekend demonstrate that it
is more than a race-it's a community celebration."
Celebrating 125 Years
More than 900 days after the last in-person Boston Marathon took place, the
B.A.A. will host its first-ever Opening Celebration, which will highlight
important moments from Boston Marathon history and feature a presentation
of the Greek Olive Wreaths presented annually to Boston Marathon champions.
The celebration will be held on Friday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m. in Copley
Square.
A woman's running pioneer who finished first three times at a point when
women were not yet welcome in the Boston Marathon, Sara Mae Berman will be
honored and recognized with a banner on the occasion of the 50th
anniversary of her final victory-which falls on International Day of the
Girl. The B.A.A. will also welcome Anna Brown-Jackson and Michael Monroe,
Sr., the grandchildren of two-time Boston Marathon champion Ellison Brown,
to accept a banner on behalf of their family. Brown, a member of the
Narragansett tribe, took first place in 1936 and 1939. The 85th anniversary
of his first historic win falls on Indigenous Peoples' Day.
"Running and winning the Boston Marathon was something grandpa loved! He
had gained another family through the Boston Athletic Association that he
always talked about, one that we today are also glad to be a part of," said
Brown-Jackson. "Being an Indigenous person meant everything to grandpa
because he was very competitive to begin with. If someone told him he
couldn't do something, whether it was winning the marathon or crossing
through a path of land to gather shellfish for his family, he'd make sure
to prove them wrong and do it!"
The Opening Celebration will also honor the legacies of notable Boston
Marathon figures who were lost this year. The B.A.A. will award the first
Dick & Rick Hoyt Award, which will be presented annually to someone who
exhibits the spirit of Team Hoyt's legacy. Additionally, Boston Marathon
champions and members of the John Hancock Professional Athlete Team Des
Linden, Meb Keflezighi, Manuela Schär, Yuki Kawauchi, Lelisa Desisa, Edna
Kiplagat, and Geoffrey Kirui will help dedicate the Gloria Ratti
Collection-the expansive archives compiled over decades by the B.A.A.'s
late Vice President and archivist Gloria Ratti. Throughout the weekend, a
mobile collection of the archives will be on view in Copley Square.
In consultation with the Boston Running Collaborative Steering Committee,
the B.A.A. is awarding $125,000 to organizations working to increase access
to running for communities of color. The B.A.A. is proud to recognize those
organizations during the Opening Ceremony: Boston Public Schools, Black
Girls Run Boston, Black Men Run, PIONEERS Run Crew, TrailblazHers, Adaptive
Sports New England, Boston Lions Track Club, Boston United Track Club,
MetroCobras Track Club, SoleTrain: Boston Runs Together, Youth Enrichment
Services, and YMCA of Greater Boston.
Boston Marathon Weekend Programming
Copley Square will be buzzing with free, outdoor programming all weekend
long at the Boston Marathon Fan Fest presented by Amazon. From community
shake out runs led by Black Men Run and Black Girls Run, to kids fitness
activities and panels with the top Americans racing Boston or with 2020
Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, there will be something for everyone. Fan Fest
will be held Friday, October 8 until Sunday, October 10 and will coincide
with the Boston Marathon Expo. Open to the public, anyone can shop the
largest adidas Boston Marathon store in Boston. Masks will be required
within the Expo, and only participants who have received their health and
safety bracelet may enter the bib number pick up area.
Looking for something to eat before race day? Celebrate the 125th Boston
Marathon while supporting restaurants across Boston with Boston Marathon
Restaurant Week presented by Samuel Adams. Beginning Monday, October 4
through Sunday, October 10, select restaurants will feature
marathon-inspired items to dine with friends and families, grab something
to go, or carbo load for race day. This year the Mile 27 Post-Race Party
presented by Samuel Adams will also be transformed into a citywide
celebration. The B.A.A. and Samuel Adams invite you to toast the 125th
Boston Marathon at one of the official Mile 27 Post-Race Celebration spots,
located across Boston, on Monday, October 11.
Honoring the Boston Marathon's Indigenous History
For the only time in its history, the Boston Marathon will take place on
Monday, October 11-which is recognized as Indigenous Peoples' Day in cities
and towns on the marathon route. Patti Catalano Dillon, Mi'kmaq, three-time
Boston Marathon runner-up, will be interviewed at Fan Fest about setting
the American marathon record at Boston 40 years ago. Catalano Dillon, who
is also featured in the 125th Boston Marathon Banner Program, will serve as
an official starter for the Men's and Women's Open Races on October 11.
"It's such an honor to be asked and I'm so humbled and excited to celebrate
both aspects of my identity-as a Bostonian and an Indigenous person," said
Catalano Dillon. "The Boston Marathon and the Native community both made me
who I am today, and I am delighted to have an opportunity to celebrate
them."
On the five-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon Pursuit Program, the
B.A.A. will donate $10,000 to WINGS of America, a national organization
with a mission of strengthening Native youth and their families through
running, to support youth programming. Dustin Martin, executive director of
WINGS of America, will be recognized in a race weekend event. At Fan Fest,
painter and muralist, Yatika Starr Fields, who will be running in support
of WINGS of America on October 11, will create a piece that expresses
gratitude to the history of Indigenous runners of the Boston Marathon past
and present. From October 8-10 in Copley Square, Fields will engage with
local artists, community members, and Indigenous runners to develop a piece
inspired by Ellison Brown.
In August, the B.A.A. announced it would donate $20,000 to fund the
first-ever Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration in Newton. The B.A.A. will
also read a land acknowledgment prior to the October 11 race.
Grand Marshals & Official Race Starters
The 125th Boston Marathon Grand Marshals will be frontline workers who have
been nominated by hospitals from the John Hancock Non-Profit and B.A.A.
Charity Programs. The frontline workers, who will be announced over race
weekend, will be accompanied by marathon champions including Meb
Keflezighi, Sara Mae Berman, Bill Rodgers, and Joan Benoit Samuelson and
driven the 26 miles in two Boston DUCK Boats, Back Bay Bertha and Catie
Copley.
In addition to Patti Catalano Dillon starting the open races, 1968 Boston
champion Amby Burfoot will start the Men's and Women's Wheelchair Races.
Russell Hoyt, son of the late Dick Hoyt, will be the starter for the
Handcycle and Duo Divisions, while Christina Welton, great granddaughter of
the late George V. Brown, will keep the family tradition going by serving
as a starter for the Para Athletics Division. Finally, the Boston
Marathon's first-ever rolling start will be signaled by Hopkinton Fire
Chief, Bill Miller. Returning to the Boylston Street announcers' booth for
the final stretch of the race is 1983 Boston Marathon champion Greg Meyer.
Announced earlier this year, the 125th Boston Marathon will feature a
rolling start and earlier start times:
DIVISION/PROGRAM
START TIME
Men's Wheelchair 8:02 a.m. ET
Women's Wheelchair 8:05 a.m. ET
Handcycles & Duos 8:30 a.m. ET
Professional Men 8:37 a.m. ET
Professional Women 8:45 a.m. ET
Para Athletics Division 8:50 a.m. ET
Rolling start begins 9:00 a.m. ET
The B.A.A. strongly encourages everyone to "Earn A PR" by practicing
personal responsibility for the 125th Boston Marathon. From participants to
guests traveling with athletes to spectators cheering on participants, all
are encouraged to take efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Everyone
is strongly encouraged to wear a mask when they cannot socially distance,
including at any outdoor events, and all will be required to wear a mask
indoors. Anyone who develops any symptoms must avoid public activity except
for going to get a COVID-19 test.
The 125th Boston Marathong will be broadcast live in its entirety locally on
WBZ-TV (CBS Boston), nationally on NBC Sports Network, and on the NBC
Sports App. Participants, volunteers, and spectators can also download the
new B.A.A. Racing App to stay updated on news, leaderboards, athlete
tracking, and more.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The
Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with
international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York
City. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been
John Hancock. The 125th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on
Monday, October 11, 2021. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
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