Online Registration for BAA Half Opens (& Closes) Wed., 7-13

Boston Athletic Association to Open
Registration for

11th Annual B.A.A. Half
Marathon on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
ET

 Online registration is
expected to fill quickly.

Boston, Mass. ‰ÛÓ The
Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) will open
online registration for the 2011 B.A.A. Half Marathon on Wednesday, July 13 at 10:00 a.m. (ET), on its
website, www.baa.org. Registration for last year’s race closed in just two
hours, and the B.A.A. expects the 11th edition of the race may also fill
quickly. The field size for the October 9th race has been expanded from 6,000 to
7,000 entrants.

The B.A.A. Half Marathon begins and ends in Boston’s scenic Franklin
Park at 8:30 a.m. on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. After
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leaving the park, the race takes runners along Boston and Brookline’s Emerald Necklace park system on an
out-and-back route that puts autumn’s foliage on full display. In addition to
the nearly 7,000 runners expected to compete, a field of international athletes
will vie for a combined prize purse of $30,000.

“The popularity of our Half Marathon in recent years
is indicative of the current boom in running, and especially here in Boston,” said Tom Grilk,
Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association. “Bostonians make personal
fitness a priority, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon is an event where personal fitness, collective
well-being, and athletic achievement are in full form. We look forward to
welcoming them by putting together an event worthy of their
participation.”

Since its inception in 2001, the B.A.A. Half Marathon
has featured some of Boston and Brookline’s most beautiful
parks and the Franklin Park Zoo as part of its course. The B.A.A. has directed a
portion of runner’s entry fees towards the Emerald Necklace Conservancy which
works to preserve, maintain, and promote its historic park
system.

Last month, the B.A.A. introduced its newest event ‰ÛÓ
the B.A.A. 10K.  Also, the B.A.A.
has a year-round schedule of running and community events, including charitable
and youth support.

The B.A.A. Half Marathon is presented annually by Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and The Jimmy Fund. Through its Running the Race Against
Cancer® team of participants, more than 500 runners will
advance cancer research and improve patient care through their fundraising
efforts. To learn more about joining the Dana-Farber team, click here.

(http://www.rundanafarber.org/faf/home/ccp.asp?ievent=442415&ccp=112822)

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.
Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston
Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The
Boston Marathon is part of the World Marathon
Majors along with the Virgin London Marathon, BMW
Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago
Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon.