FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boston Athletic Association Announces Pregnancy Deferral Accommodations
for All B.A.A. Events, Including Boston Marathon
BOSTON-The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today
accommodation enhancements pertaining to runners who are expecting or have
recently welcomed a child into their families. Pregnancy and postpartum
deferrals of entries will now be available for registered participants at
all B.A.A. events, including the Boston Marathon (April), B.A.A. 5K
(April), B.A.A. 10K (June), and B.A.A. Half Marathon (November).
"In listening to our participants and stakeholders, the desire from mothers
and expecting mothers to participate in our races –particularly the Boston
Marathon-while also focusing on building a family was clear," said Jack
Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. "Women who are
entered in a B.A.A. race and want to expand their family will be able to do
just that without giving up a chance to participate at a future B.A.A.
event."
Any athlete who is a registered entrant in a B.A.A. event and is or becomes
pregnant prior to race day and chooses not to participate due to such
circumstances will be eligible to receive a deferred entry into one of the
next two subsequent future races. The new pregnancy and postpartum
deferment policy is effective immediately, and includes athletes who are
entered in the Boston Marathon by way of qualifying time or invitational
entry.
Athletes seeking a pregnancy or postpartum deferral may submit a request in
writing to any time between receiving confirmation of
acceptance into the event and up to 14 days before race day. Upon receipt
of a pregnancy or postpartum deferment request, the B.A.A.’s Athlete
Services team will be in contact with the athlete and will request
confirmation of pregnancy from a physician, registered midwife, or other
medical professional.
"We at the B.A.A. are always looking for ways to improve the participant
experience starting at the point of registration, and have been
collaborating to create this policy for many months," said Susie Cleary,
the B.A.A.’s Director of Athlete Services. "This new deferral accommodation
has been implemented with the goal of supporting mother runners along their
journey at all our events, from the 5K distance through the marathon."
If an athlete becomes pregnant again during a pregnancy or postpartum
deferral period, they may request a second consecutive pregnancy or
postpartum deferral. This would permit the athlete to defer their race
entry for a subsequent two-year period. The B.A.A. will allow up to two
consecutive pregnancy deferral requests per athlete. Policy details will be
posted on www.baa.org soon.
The pregnancy deferral opportunity is an accommodation in addition to the
registration insurance currently offered to Boston Marathon participants,
which covers refunds for a variety of situations, including pregnancy. All
other rules and requirements for race entry after a pregnancy or postpartum
deferral will apply, including payment for future registration entry fees.
In addition to deferrals, the B.A.A. will be enhancing accommodations for
recent mothers on race weekend. For more than a decade, mothers have been
provided the opportunity to utilize designated tents at the start and
finish of the Boston Marathon for lactation pumping. In response to the
overwhelming support of this program and the accompanying medical device
transport program (where race officials transport devices such as breast
pumps from the start to finish), the B.A.A. plans to share additional
accommodations as race day approaches. The B.A.A. is currently consulting a
group of mother runners to help facilitate best practices at our events.
More information will be shared with participants over the coming months.
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 127th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on
Monday, April 17, 2023. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
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