BOSTON, Mass. – Online registration for next year's Boston Marathon commences Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at noon eastern time. The 111th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 16, 2007 -- Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts -- and the field size will be limited to 22,500 official entrants.
To register, go to www.baa.org
New for 2007, the race will begin at 10:00 a.m. (Wave 1). Wave 2 will begin at 10:30 a.m.
In addition to runners enjoying cooler temperatures, the 10:00 a.m. start will enable officials from the cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route to re-open their roads to vehicular traffic earlier than in the past. Runners should note that due to the efficiency of the wave start program, the majority of runners will not be transported from Boston to Hopkinton much earlier than in past years.
To qualify for the 111th Boston Marathon, athletes must meet the designated time standard which corresponds to their age group. Qualifying times must be run on or after September 24, 2005. Seeding is based on qualifying times, which are subject to review and verification. Go to www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp for more details on qualifying standards.
As with the 2006 Boston Marathon, the two-wave start will provide a better experience at the beginning of the race both for participants and residents of the Town of Hopkinton, where the race begins. The wave start reduced the amount of time that it took for runners to cross the starting line and for participants to begin running freely and without obstruction during the race’s early stages. A separate start for elite women and a push rim wheelchair division, prior to Wave 1, also remains in effect.
Entry fees are $95 USD for qualified entrants and $150 USD for international qualifiers. There will be a $50 USD late fee for entries postmarked after March 1, 2007. The B.A.A. will accept entries until the maximum field size is reached.
Besides online registration, entrants may also enter by submitting a PDF of the application or by requesting that a hard-copy application be sent to them (registration@baa.org).
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 Services. Earlier this year, the Boston Marathon launched – along with the Flora London Marathon also in April – the World Marathon Majors series. Other events in the series include the BMW Berlin Marathon, LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and the ING New York City Marathon.
Media Contacts:
Jack Fleming office: 617-236-1652, x2627; mobile: 617-459-1587; fleming@baa.org or Marc Chalufour (617-236-1652, x2632; mobile: 617-459-1586; chalufour@baa.org.
