BOSTON, April 15, 2010 - The 114th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 19, 2010 will bring approximately $122.7 million in direct and indirect economic impact to the Greater Boston region, according to Greater Boston Convention & Visitor Bureau President and CEO, Patrick Moscaritolo.
This year there will be 26,800 official runners including 4,200 runners from outside the United States.
An estimated 500,000 spectators line the 26.2-mile course each Patriots’ Day to view the Marathon in person.
“The spending impact of the 114th Boston Marathon is the equivalent to our region hosting the NCAA Final Four. It is a huge economic benefit for our visitor industry and it kick starts our Spring tourism season,” said Greater Boston Convention & Visitor Bureau President and CEO, Patrick Moscaritolo.
“Boston Marathon weekend is the unofficial start of Spring in Boston,” said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association, which has organized the race since its inception in 1887. “Every year, hometown heroes from every state and from countries worldwide come to Boston to test their fitness at the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon and in the process they patronize our shops, restaurants, hotels and stimulate our businesses like at no other time of the year. The B.A.A. is proud to provide the infrastructure and be responsible for this energy, enthusiasm and spending.”
More than 1000 members of the media from 200 outlets will cover the Boston Marathon, providing the City with an international reach. No sporting event in Boston draws a larger or more diverse media corps.
This year runners are from more than seventy (70) countries including the United States.
The estimated $122.7 million in spending impact will be generated from the following categories:
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Total spending by 26,800 runners and their guests, including spending at John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo: $85.6 million
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Total spending by spectators: $10.0 million
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Total spending by the Boston Athletic Association: $6.0 million
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Charity Fundraising events by marathon runners $11.0 million
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Total sponsorship /media Marathon-related spending $10.1 million
TOTAL $122.7 million
The 114th Boston Marathon is second only to the 100th anniversary race in economic impact and number of runners. In 1996 there were 38,708 runners and spending impact reached $172 million.