News & Press

Statements on the passing of John Thomas by B.A.A. officials:

"John Thomas transcended what it meant to be a champion and an Olympian, and he achieved legendary status not only within the Boston Athletic Association but also in Boston sports. As the first African American member of the B.A.A., he made a profound, positive impact on us. He was a gentleman who we greatly respected, and he displayed the very best that sports can offer through his successes and how he represented himself and others. John was an inspiration to all, and we will aspire to honor his memory as we continue in our 125th Anniversary year."

-- Joann E. Flaminio, B.A.A. President

In its 28th year as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock Financial today announced the elite field for the 117th running of the Boston Marathon on April 15. A complete field list follows.

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that registration for the 2013 B.A.A. Distance Medley will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, January 23, 2013, and will continue until Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. ET. During this exclusive registration window, runners interested in entering all three of the B.A.A. Distance Medley events will have the opportunity to sign up for the series. Registration will be held online at www.baa.org and will be limited to the first 2,500 registrants. Each of the three races will have its own maximum field size limit.

John Hancock Financial today announced the Elite USA Team for the 117th running of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. The strong U.S. team, recruited to compete with a deep international field, includes Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman, Jason Hartmann, Fernando Cabada, Serena Burla, Stephanie Rothstein, and Alissa McKaig. The group joins previously announced Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan.

Desiree Davila, a member of the 2013 John Hancock Elite Boston Marathon Team has withdrawn from the upcoming April 15 race due to a slow-healing femoral stress fracture of the right leg. The injury occurred shortly before the 2012 London Olympic Marathon this past August. Although her recovery is taking longer than expected, Davila said she is making progress and looks forward to competing in future Boston Marathons.

John Hancock Financial today announced the return of 2012 Boston Marathon champions Sharon Cherop and Wesley Korir of Kenya for the 117th running of the race on April 15.

The World Marathon Majors® (WMM) today announced that Kenyans Geoffrey Mutai and Mary Keitany are the champions of the 2011-2012 World Marathon Majors Series. With the cancellation of the 2012 ING New York City Marathon, the 2011-2012 Series has concluded and there will be no additional points awarded.

New York, NY - The World Marathon Majors® (WMM) today announced the addition of the Tokyo Marathon to the World Marathon Majors Series. The seventh Tokyo Marathon, which will be held on February 24, 2013, will be the first race in the 2013 - 2014 World Marathon Majors scoring period. The Tokyo Marathon is the first World Marathon Majors event to be based in Asia.

BOSTON –  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute today announced that the 2012 recipient of the Sidney Farber Medical Research  Award is the Boston Athletic Association. Since 1989, the B.A.A. and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have collaborated to incorporate fundraising initiatives into B.A.A. programming. Since the partnership’s origin 24 years ago, and through participants in the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. Half Marathon, and the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, the Jimmy Fund has raised more than $144 million.

The Boston Athletic Association today announced that registration for the 2013 Boston Marathon® has closed, and applications for entry are no longer being accepted.

Registration began on September 10 and were accepted on a rolling admission basis through Thursday morning, October 11. For the second year, registration for the Boston Marathon allowed the fastest runners to enter early during the process, resulting in an orderly system.