FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boston Marathon® Returns to Patriots' Day for First Time in Three Years
Oldest annual marathon injects more than $200 million
into Greater Boston economy
BOSTON - The Boston Marathon returns to Patriots' Day this year, marking
the 126th running of the world's oldest annual marathon. For the first time
in three years, the 26.2-mile race will be held in April, bringing 30,000
athletes back to the Commonwealth in the pursuit of athletic excellence.
An annual rite of spring, Marathon Monday and associated events surrounding
the Boston Marathon present an opportunity to showcase Boston's array of
cultural, historical and sports-related assets. From Patriots' Day
reenactments to morning baseball, the Boston Marathon is run against a
distinctively Boston backdrop. Taken together, the magic of the
Hopkinton-to-Boston event marks the onset of Boston's peak visitor season.
Boston Marathon-related events, including the Boston Marathon Expo, Boston
Marathon Fan Fest, and the B.A.A. 5K, inject tremendous visitor spending to
the Greater Boston economy and annually bring hundreds of thousands of
visitors to Greater Boston. In recent years, before the pandemic
interrupted the April running of the Marathon, the Greater Boston
Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) estimated that the event injected
approximately $200 million into the metropolitan economy.
Now the race is back in April and there will be 30,000 official
participants, including runners from 122 countries and all 50 U.S. states.
Global, national, and local media will cover the 126th Boston Marathon,
providing supporters near and far with content celebrating this year's
event.
"The Boston Marathon truly represents the onset of our visitor season,
which runs from April through October," said Bureau President and CEO
Martha J. Sheridan. "Having the Marathon back on Patriots' Day is a boon to
our city and our region. It is an iconic, international event that puts
Boston on a global stage, serving as a spectacular springboard for our
visitor economy as we enter our busiest months."
"After a three-year stretch that saw the Boston Marathon move to a virtual
format in 2020, then shift to a fall edition in October 2021, we are
delighted to return to our traditional date of Patriots' Day for the 126th
running of the Boston Marathon," said Tom Grilk, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the B.A.A. "The B.A.A. looks forward to restoring back
to a traditional Boston Marathon weekend, welcoming 30,000 participants,
nearly 10,000 volunteers, and countless more supporters to what surely will
be an exciting and memorable race day."
This year, more than 9,800 volunteers will assist athletes on their journey
from Hopkinton to Boston. Participants competing and raising funds for
various charities and non-profit programs are anticipated to raise in
excess of $30 million. For the 37th consecutive year, the principal sponsor
of the Boston Marathon is John Hancock.
The Boston Marathon Expo will be located at the Hynes Convention Center
from Friday, April 15, through Sunday, April 17. The Expo is widely
regarded as the running industry's premier expo for new products and
features the city's largest adidas Boston Marathon store. All Boston
Marathon participants must claim their bib numbers for this year's race at
the Boston Marathon Expo.
Boston Marathon Fan Fest presented by Amazon also will be held from April
15 through April 17. Boston Marathon Fan Fest is a three-day festival on
Copley Square Park featuring live music, activities, Boston Marathon
champions panels, photo-ops, and more. Free and open to the public, Boston
Marathon Fan Fest is the place to relax and soak in the spirit of Boston
Marathon weekend.
The 2022 B.A.A. 5K will be run on Saturday, April 16, two days prior to the
Boston Marathon. The B.A.A. 5K will feature 10,000 entrants racing a
3.1-mile course through Back Bay, starting and finishing at Boston Common.
Following the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. Invitational Mile will showcase mile
and 1K races for middle school, high school, and professional athletes on
Boylston Street. Saturday's events conclude with the B.A.A. Relay
Challenge, a student-athlete focused event featuring more than 20 middle
school teams from the Greater Boston community.
The Boston Athletic Association is committed to a world where all people
can access and benefit from running and an active lifestyle.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
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.'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.
Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John
Hancock. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors,
along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and
New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., or the B.A.A. club,
racing team, and High Performance Team, please visit www.baa.org.
ABOUT THE GREATER BOSTON CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU (GBCVB)
The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) is the official
marketing and visitor service organization charged with the development of
meetings, conventions and tourism-related business for Boston, Cambridge
and the greater metropolitan area. For more information on what to do,
where to stay, and what to see when visiting Boston visit
www.BostonUSA.com.
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