In celebration of the 10th Annual B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund in October of 2010, the Boston Athletic Association count down the 10 days until the 10th Annual B.A.A. Half Marathon. The countdown displayed a different highlight every day, encompassing the rich history of this event. Enjoy!

#1

The Emerald Necklace

The Home of the B.A.A. Half Marathon for ten years, more than one million people annually enjoy the Emerald Necklace park system which runs through Boston and Brookline. Nine urban parks from the Boston Common to Franklin Park stretches for seven miles through 10 neighborhoods and encompass more than 1,100 acres.

In the Back Bay Fens and the Riverway area, neighbors may picnic in a quiet spot, run or walk along stone dust paths, play at Mother’s Rest playground or visit the Victory Garden, the oldest remaining wartime garden. The Riverway leads into the town of Brookline and Olmsted Park, popular for its hiking, walking and biking trails along the shores of Wards and Leverett Ponds. Dog walkers and runners navigate trails around the Emerald Necklace’s largest body of standing water, Jamaica Pond, bordering Brookline, and Boston’s Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. Many also enjoy fishing and boating in Jamaica Pond. 

Nearby, 15,000 trees, shrubs and plants cover the 265-acre Arnold Arboretum, with spectacular Boston skyline views from Peters Hill.
At the end of the necklace, Franklin Park covers 527 acres in Dorchester and Roxbury. Long considered the crowning jewel of the Emerald Necklace, Franklin Park holds the Franklin Park Zoo, William J. Devine golf course, a world-class cross country course and White Stadium.
Several organizations, including the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, collaborate with the City of Boston, the Town of Brookline, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to ensure perpetual enjoyment of the Emerald Necklace. In particular, the B.A.A. works closely with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation on the B.A.A.’s Half Marathon. A portion of each entry fee of the B.A.A. Half Marathon is donated to both the Conservancy and the Zoo, the race beneficiaries.

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s mission states, "The Emerald Necklace Conservancy was created to protect, restore, maintain and promote the landscape, waterways and parkways of the Emerald Necklace park system as special places for people to visit and enjoy." To accomplish that mission, the Conservancy’s volunteers and participants spend more than 20,000 hours annually to accomplish those goals. 

In addition to the B.A.A. Half Marathon, several other B.A.A. events make use of the Emerald Necklace. April’s B.A.A. 5K runs past the Boston Common, Boston Public Garden and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Races, sponsored by the B.A.A. since 1997 but conducted since 1991, cross much of Franklin Park.

As the conservancy oversees the Emerald Necklace on a daily basis, the Franklin Park Zoo is one of its top attractions. Founded in 1912, the Franklin Park Zoo is one of the nation’s oldest and contains more than 220 species of animals in ten main exhibit areas. A loop in the Franklin Park Zoo has become one of the highlights for runners in the B.A.A. Half Marathon.

The Zoo marked the course’s half-way point from 2001-2009. This year runners will complete the Zoo loop in the final mile.

 

#2

The Battle of the Best - 2007

 A record field of 3,591 runners completed the seventh annual B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Unseasonably balmy weather greeted runners, but cooler air blew in by the time the gun sounded at 8:00 a.m.

After seven miles, the two real contenders were sorted. Defending champion Samuel Ndereba (KEN / Norristown, PA), 30, and Tom Nyariki (KEN / Boulder, CO), 36, took over and quickly strung out the pack with a blazing 4:26 eighth mile--the fastest split of the race.

Nyariki (#3, above) and Ndereba (#1) needed nearly every inch of the final five miles to determine a winner. Nyariki, owner of the fastest personal best in the field (1:01:22), repeatedly tried to shake Ndereba. “I tried to move from him whenever he came close, but he’s a strong man,” Nyariki said following the race. Meanwhile, Ndereba was concerned about waiting too long to drop a man who once was one of the fastest 5,000m runners in the world. “This guy is a fast runner!” Ndereba said, with a big grin, afterward.

Despite the efforts of both men, however, the race did come down to a sprint as they charged toward the finish on Clemente Field together. Nyariki, calling upon his superior speed, finally pulled ahead in the final 50 meters for a one-second victory. Both Nyariki (1:02:20) and Ndereba (1:02:21) finished well under the previous course record of 1:02:57 (Luke Metto, 2004).

#3

Davenport Dominance in 2003

At the time, the 28-year-old Irish citizen was an Olympian for the Irish. It didn’t take long for her to get her bearings in 2003, as she set the still-standing course record of 1:10:57. The former Providence College athlete, living at the time in Chester, Connecticut, was debuting at the B.A.A. Half at the half marathon distance.

Davenport bolted from the pack early in the race, extending her lead by the six mile point. Lioudmila Kortchaguina, 32, a Russian citizen living in Toronto, Canada, was runner-up in 1:11:27.   Kortchaguina made an attempt to close the 10-second gap between her and the front-running Davenport at mile 10, but Davenport put her away over the ensuing mile and cruised in with what was essentially a victory lap around the Fens.
Davenport also won $5,000 for her effort.  

In 2006, Davenport won the race for a second time, pulling away from 20-year old Tanzanian Josephine Deemay at mile 10 and breaking the tape in 1:12:10.

#4

Running Through Boston's Franklin Park Zoo

Just because it’s eerily quiet, don’t think you’re not being watched.
Since the race began in 2001, a portion of the B.A.A. Half Marathon course has looped through the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. As runners leave the streets that run through Franklin Park and enter the Zoo, the spectators vanish, and the scenery changes from lush parklands to outback desert, and savannah grasslands. Zebra, tapir, camel, giraffe, and lion enjoy their morning snack while runners of the B.A.A. Half Marathon hustle through. Although the Zoo is always closed during the race, it’s where the animals live – and 6,000 runners isn’t something they see every day. They’ll be watching.

#5

Sarah Nixon Wins in 2001 and 2002

Sarah Nixon, 37, of Medfield, MA became the first woman ever to cross the break tape of the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2001 with a 1:21:16 finish. “Seeing the cheering crowd really pumped me up, and I just tried to hang on for as long as I could,” said Nixon, a member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute training team.

In addition to being the first female champion of the B.A.A. Half Marathon, Nixon was also the first American woman to cross the finish at the 2001 Paris Marathon, where she established her personal best of 2:53:30. She went on to successfully defend her B.A.A. title in 2002 when she won the Half-Marathon with a 1:22:34 finish.

 

#6

44 People Aiming to Run Ten Straight

 

44 people have run the B.A.A. Half Marathon since its inception in 2001, and all 44 will be back to the starting line for 2010. If you see someone with a bib number that begins with 10, stick with them, after nine years, they know the hills of this course.

 

#7

 

In the fledgling B.A.A. Half Marathon’s first year, the Boston Athletic Association Running Club was poised to do well in the team competition. Though few expected the host organization to field the winner, when Wayne Levy broke the tape in 1:10:57, he did just that. Amid fog and drizzle, 2,529 runners from 28 states participated in the first B.A.A. Half Marathon. Led by Levy, the B.A.A. won the team competition in 2001, and has fared well in each year since. In 2005, the 40-year-old Levy won the Masters division with his time of 1:12:50. The Jamaican-born UMass graduate has completed each of the nine previous races, and will be on the starting line on 10.10.10.

 

#8

The Unbeatable Tony Nogueira

Course record holder and  five-time winner, Tony Nogueira has become with synonymous with winning at the B.A.A. Half Marathon. The Glen Ridge, New Jersey native comes into the 2010 race looking for his sixth win along the Emerald Necklace, and his fourth consecutive title. In 2007, the top three entrants in the men’s push rim wheelchair division each owned two previous B.A.A. Half Marathon titles. Timothy Kelly (Weymouth, MA), 40, won in 2001 and 2002, Nogueira took the next two crowns, in 2003 and 2004. In 2005 and 2006, Mark Ledo (Maple, Ontario), 30, claimed the crown. Emerging from the field to become the division’s first three-time champion was Nogueira in 2007, who finished in 54:19 that year, and has won the 2008 and 2009 editions of the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 53:07, and 55:36 respectively.  His identical performances from 2004 and 2008 of 53:07 remain the course record. Only his 2007 performance has come close to that.

#9

Martin Fagan Holds on for Thrilling 2009 Win

Marking the last year the race began and finished at Clemente Field, Ireland's Martin Fagan (1:02:21) emerged through the Emerald Necklace route just one second off of Thomas Nyariki’s 2007 course record time. Fagan, a Providence College graduate and  Philemon Terer of Kenya decided to take the race out from the gun and dared the other runners to keep close. After his recent Irish record in the half marathon of 1:00:57 earlier in the year (Den Haag, 2009), Fagan was both confident and experienced on this course.

The race seemed to be down to two men by the first mile mark, and they were shoulder to shoulder from that point on. After opening miles of 4:43 and 4:41, the pack was left in Terer and Fagan’s wake. The two continued to battle until they entered Franklin Park Zoo, where Fagan seemed to relax and give Terer a chance to make a move. Fagan admitted, "I put my head down, and just kind of lost myself running through the zoo. Before I knew it, Terer has a three second gap on me." Terer’s lead, however, was short-lived, as Fagan kept confident with his knowledge of the course. "I got it back around the 8th mile," he said. "I knew the course, and once I saw him fade on the uphill coming back, I knew I could pull him back." That hill near Arnold Arboretum (8-mile mark) seemed to take just enough out of Terer’s legs for Fagan to pull up alongside and continue the two man battle they created from the start. With another 4:43 in the 10th mile, Fagan was clearly daring Terer to keep up with his newfound momentum. Coming into the final two miles, neither were giving up an inch to each other, bringing the race outcome to the final strides.

With 100 meters to go, Fagan found the edge he needed and pulled five meters ahead to earn the victory and become only the second Irish born runner to take the title behind Marie Davenport's two victories (2003, 2006) and women's course record effort ('03). Fagan was full of praise for the event and especially the course design. "After I lost that lead, we started to come back towards the rest of the participants heading into the zoo," he said. "Everyone was cheering for me to catch up, and that's all the motivation I needed to get back into the race."

 

#10

B.A.A. and Dana-Farber - A Strenghtening Partnership

Since 2003, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund have been the presenting sponsor of the B.A.A. Half Marathon. This partnership has allowed members of the Dana-Farber Runners team to raise funds while training for the 13.1 mile race. Between 2003 and 2009, team members in the Half Marathon have raised more than $2.2 million to help fund cancer care and research.

On 10.10.10, there will be a large number of Dana Farber Runners aiming to not only get to the finish line, but who, through their fundraising, further the important cause they support.

Good luck to Dana-Farber Runners, and thanks for your noble work!