Projo Running Blog

Catching up with a release from the Boston Athletic Association regarding registration for next year's Boston Marathon:

2008 Boston Marathon Registration to Open on Wednesday, September 5
Six organizations added to B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program

Boston, Mass. – Online registration for the 112th Boston Marathon, scheduled for April 21, 2008, will begin at 9:00 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday, September 5. Held on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts holiday, Boston is the world's oldest annual marathon. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial Services.

In coordination with the launch of registration for next year's race, the B.A.A. has announced that the maximum field size for 2008 has been set at 25,000 entrants. 23,869 runners entered the 2007 Boston Marathon.

To qualify for the 112th Boston Marathon, runners must meet the designated time standard for their age group. Qualifying times must be run on or after September 23, 2006 at a certified marathon. Qualifying standards may be viewed at www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp. Seeding of the race is based on qualifying times, which are subject to review and verification.

In addition to online registration, runners may download a PDF application at www.baa.org, or request a hard-copy application by emailing registration@baa.org. Entries will be accepted until the maximum field size of 25,000 athletes has been reached.

The 2008 Boston Marathon will once again feature a two-wave start, with Wave One beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by Wave Two at 10:30 a.m.

Adding to the festivities during Boston Marathon weekend this year will be the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon, which will take place in downtown Boston and Cambridge on Sunday, April 20 at 8:00 a.m. The top three finishers in that event will represent the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

B.A.A.'s Charity Program Expands

The official Charity Program for the B.A.A. recognizes a select group of charities each year, providing each with entries to be used for fundraising purposes. In 2007, the more than 1,200 runners who took part in the B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program raised more than $10 million, while John Hancock's Boston Marathon Fundraising Program raised an additional $3.3 million.

The Boston Marathon Charity Program began in 1989 and has raised more than $70 million in 19 years. The B.A.A. recently selected six new charities to participate in the 2008 Boston Marathon, bringing the total in the program to 24.

New members of the Boston Marathon Charity Program:
Boston Living Center
Boston Partners in Education
Bottom Line
The Esplanade Association
Home for Our Troops
The New England Center for Children, Inc.

Returning organizations:
Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter
American Liver Foundation, New England Chapter
American Stroke Association-Tedy's Team
Casa Myrna Vazquez
Children's Hospital Boston
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Good Sports
Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc.
Lazarus House Ministries
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Melanoma Foundation New England
MetroLacrosse
Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Central New England Chapter
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Inc., Massachusetts Division
Read Boston

Contact information and descriptions of each charity can be found on the B.A.A.'s Charity Program webpage at www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Charity.asp. Applications will become available tomorrow, and runners of all ability levels are encouraged to apply early.

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