Race Facts and Notes

Boston Athletic Association

Among the nation’s oldest athletic clubs, the B.A.A. was established in 1887, and, in 1896, more than half of the U.S. Olympic Team at the first modern games was comprised of B.A.A. club members. The Olympic Games provided the inspiration for the first Boston Marathon, which culminated the B.A.A. Games on April 19, 1897. John J. McDermott emerged from a 15-member starting field to complete the course (then 24.5 miles) in a winning time of 2:55:10. The Boston Marathon has since become the world’s oldest annually contested marathon. The addition of principal sponsor John Hancock Financial Services in 1986 has solidified the event’s success over the past 26 years and ensures it well into the future.

New Boston Marathon Registration Procedure

In February 2011, the Boston Athletic Association announced a number of changes to the methods by which runners register and qualify for the Boston Marathon. For the 2012 Boston Marathon, rolling admission lasted for 12 days, during which the fastest qualifiers were able to enter first. For the 2013 Boston Marathon, the qualifying standards will become more stringent by five minutes, while registration will employ the same rolling, merit-based concept as 2012. For full information, visit www.baa.org.

Patriots’ Day

Since its inception, the Boston Marathon has been held on the holiday commemorating Patriots’ Day. From 1897-1968, the Boston Marathon was held on April 19, unless the 19th fell on a Sunday. Since 1969, the holiday has been officially recognized on the third Monday in April. The 116th race will mark the 44th consecutive year the race has been held on a Monday. The last non-Monday champion was current Runner’s World editor Amby Burfoot, who posted a time of 2:22:17 on Friday, April 19, 1968.

$806,000 Prize Purse at Stake

The total prize money distributed among the top finishers of the 116th Boston Marathon will be $806,000, plus an additional $220,000 in bonuses if records are broken in the open, masters, or push rim wheelchair divisions. As principal sponsor, John Hancock provided the first-ever prize money and bonus awards in 1986 and continues that tradition. The top finishers have received nearly $14 million in prize money and course-record bonuses over the past 26 years. See page 24 for a complete breakdown of the 2012 prize purse.

Third Wave

For the second year in a row, the Boston Marathon will employ a three wave start at the beginning of the event. The three waves will begin at 10:00 a.m., 10:20 a.m., and 10:40 a.m. and will each include approximately 9,000 runners. These waves will be seeded by qualifying time, with the fastest runners in the first wave. The elite women will begin at 9:32 a.m.

Patriots’ Award

Since 2002, the B.A.A. and the City of Boston have presented the Patriots’ Award at a ceremony in the days before the Boston Marathon. Awarded to a New England-based individual, group, or organization that is patriotic, philanthropic, inspirational, and fosters goodwill and sportsmanship, the Patriots’ Award further unifies the Boston Marathon with Patriots’ Day, the holiday on which the race has been held since 1897. The recipients of the award have been Robert and Myra Kraft and the New England Patriots (2002); Red Auerbach and the Red Auerbach Youth Foundation (2003); Ron Burton and the Ron Burton Training Village (2004); the Boston Red Sox Foundation (2005); Rick and Dick Hoyt (2006); Joan Benoit Samuelson (2007); Mike Andrews and the Jimmy Fund (2008); longtime Boston bartenders and philanthropists Eddie Doyle and Tommy Leonard (2009); lifetime New England Patriot and three-time Super Bowl Champion Tedy Bruschi (2010); and Carol Fulp, Senior Vice President of Brand Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility for John Hancock Financial Services (2011).

Charity Programs

The Boston Marathon Charity Program enables selected charitable organizations to raise millions of dollars for worthwhile causes. In 2011, 31 charities combined to raise nearly $10.6 million, bringing the total to $122 million in funds raised for Boston-area organizations since it began in 1989. See page 19 for additional information.

The John Hancock Non-Profit Program offers local organizations the opportunity to secure invitational entries into the race. These entries provide a significant fundraising opportunity and important exposure for these non-profits. In 2011 over a thousand John Hancock sponsored non-profit runners, including 100 John Hancock and Manulife employees, raised $5.3 million for 90 local charities and Habitat for Humanity–Canada. John Hancock non-profit entries from 2002–2011 have raised $29.84 million for charities.

World Marathon Majors: In 2006, the Boston Marathon joined the Virgin London Marathon, BMW Berlin-Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and ING New York City Marathon in launching the World Marathon Majors. Athletes placing in the top five in these events are awarded points (25 for first, 15 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth, and 1 for fifth). Points are also awarded for performance at the IAAF World Championships Marathon and the Olympic Marathon. The cycles of the World Marathon Majors Series overlap, so while 2011 concluded the sixth year of the Series, it also marked the beginning of the 2011-2012 Series. For more information, see the World Marathon Majors section of this Media Guide.

First to Sponsor Wheelchair Division

The Boston Marathon became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division competition when it officially recognized Bob Hall in 1975. Since that time, the Boston Marathon has hosted over 1,300 competitors in the wheelchair division. This year, they’ll compete for a $60,000 prize purse, with $15,000 going to the first place finishers.

Spectators

Approximately 500,000 spectators line the 26.2-mile course annually, making the Boston Marathon New England’s most widely viewed sporting event, according to estimates by police and public safety officials from the eight cities and towns along the route.

Financial Boost

The Boston Marathon brings in an estimated $132.2 million to the Greater Boston economy during race week. The 2011 Boston Marathon was 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.

Boston Marathon in Afghanistan

In 2011, 363 service members and civilian personnel at Bagram Airfield (Parwan Province) hit the streets in the first-annual Boston Marathon in Afghanistan. (The previous six years were in Iraq.)

Van Dyk Seeks Tenth Victory

Former push-rim wheelchair division champion, and current world record holder Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa is seeking his tenth victory, which would extend his margin of most Boston Marathon victories in any division. Van Dyk won six consecutive Boston Marathons from 2001-2006, and then won again in 2008, 2009, and 2010. His 2004 world record time of 1:18:27 is the current world record. Last year he was denied his tenth victory by Masazumi Soejima (JPN) and Kurt Fearnley (AUS), with all three athletes finishing within one second of each other.

AT&T Athlete Alert Program

Official runners of the 2012 Boston Marathon can register to send friends and family automatic updates on their progress along the course using the AT&T Athlete Alert Program. Messages will be automatically delivered to any device capable of receiving short messages, such as a digital cellular phone, pager, hand-held device, or e-mail address. Alerts will be broadcast from the 10-kilometer, half-marathon, and 30-kilometer marks, as well as the finish, when the runner passes those locations. The B.A.A. first used the electronic timing and scoring device in 1995 on a trial basis with the push rim wheelchair division. All participants in the historic 100th Boston Marathon in 1996 were scored using the ChampionChip.

B.A.A. 5K

In 2012, for the fourth time, race weekend will include a competitive citizens’ 5K, with a field limit of 6,000 runners. The 5K will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday, and the 3.1-mile course is a scenic tour mostly though Boston’s Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods, while passing some of Boston’s historical attractions. The race begins at Copley Square Park and finishes at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street. The race has a $30,000 prize purse at stake, with $5,000 going to the first place men’s and women’s finishers. This year’s 5K is the kick-off to the 2012 B.A.A. Distance Medley, comprised of the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. 10K in June, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon in October. The overall male and female champion of the series (determined by the lowest cumulative time) will each receive $100,000 in prize money.

B.A.A. Invitational Mile Races

The top scholastic boys and girls from the cities and towns of the Marathon course, as well as a field of professional male and female milers from around the world will take off in the third annual mile races. The races start at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Races begin on Boylston Street, end at the Boston Marathon finish line, and provide an opportunity for athletes of a shorter distance to excel on race weekend. For the second year, as part of the B.A.A.’s commitment to the cities and towns which host the event, the two top middle school boys and girls from each city and town will compete in 1,000 meter races around the block on Sunday after the 5K. The teenage competitors will get to cross the famous Marathon finish line in front of thousands of spectators.

Club 116 and the B.A.A. Relay Challenge

2012 marks the 16th year of the Boston Athletic Association and adidas’s youth running program, designed to introduce kids to the benefits of the sport of running. The name, “Club 116,” is derived from the current year’s Marathon and begins four weeks before the program’s culmination: the B.A.A. Relay Challenge. Coaches train participants each week in one-hour sessions, providing instruction that includes concepts such as teamwork, motivation, and goal-setting. Last year, more than 850 children from 20 Boston and neighboring-community youth clubs experienced the exhilaration and triumph of crossing the historic Boston Marathon finish line. The Relay Challenge consists of a series of age-group and team-oriented relay races. Club 116 and the B.A.A. Relay Challenge are part of the year-round Training Basics youth program, an initiative created from the partnership between the B.A.A. and adidas. Nearly 17,000 Boston-area youths have participated in the B.A.A. Relay Challenge since its inception in 1997.

More Age Group Awards:

Top athletes in age group divisions will receive awards, given in five-year increments. The age groups are: 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80 and older.

Most Boston Marathons

One of the most colorful characters in the history of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, John A. Kelley (no relation to John J. Kelley), was a fixture of the race for nearly seven decades. A starter on race day 61 times, Kelley completed 58 Boston Marathons. Kelley was not only a two-time winner of Boston (1935 and 1945), but he also finished second a record seven times and recorded 18 finishes in the top 10. Kelley first tried the race in 1928, but it was not until 1933, in his third attempt, that he completed the course, placing 37th in 3:03:56. He completed his last marathon at Boston in 1992 at the age of 84. In 1993, the statue “Young at Heart” was dedicated in honor of Kelley. Located at the base of Heartbreak Hill in Newton, a landmark named in reference to one of Kelley’s seven runner-up performances, the statue depicts a young Kelley winning in 1935 at age 27 and clasping hands with an older Kelley finishing in 1991 at age 83. The sculpture stands in tribute to his longevity and spirit. Kelley served as the Boston Marathon’s grand marshal from 1995-2004 (missing only 1999 due to illness), preceding the race in a pace car. On October 6, 2004, John A. Kelley passed away, leaving behind an endless trail of contributions to the sport of running that will continue to inspire generations of athletes for years to come.

Four Olympic Champions Have Won Boston

Three-time women’s champion Fatuma Roba (ETH) became the fourth person to win the Olympic Games Marathon and the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, when she posted a time of 2:26:23 to win the 1997 Boston Marathon. Roba, who won the 1996 Olympic Marathon, joined fellow women’s champions Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won Boston in 1979 and 1983, before adding the 1984 Olympic Games title; and Rosa Mota (POR), who won a trio of Boston crowns (1987, 1988, and 1990), while adding the 1988 Olympic title. Gelindo Bordin (ITA) is the only male to have won the Olympic (1988) and Boston (1990) titles.

Only B.A.A. Running Club Champion

2007 marked the 50th anniversary of John J. Kelley becoming the only B.A.A. Club member to win the Boston Marathon, as he established a then-course record of 2:20:05 to capture the 1957 race. Kelley finished second on five other occasions (1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1963). In total, a runner from the B.A.A. has finished in the runner-up spot 10 times; the others were Ted Vogel (1948), John Patrick Lafferty (1951), Pat McMahon (1971), and Patti Lyons [Dillon] in 1979 and 1980. Dillon represented Athletics West when she posted her third consecutive runner-up finish in 1981.

Past Champions

Three significant milestone anniversaries are being celebrated in 2012 – Nina Kuscsik (1972) and other runners from the first year of the official participation for women; Alison Roe (1981) who was unable to attend last year due to the earthquake in her homeland of New Zealand; and Michael Ryan (1912) who will have family members competing this year in honor of the 100th anniversary of his victory.


10-year Anniversary (2002)
Open: Rodgers Rop, Kenya; Margaret Okayo, Kenya
Push Rim Wheelchair Division: Ernst Van Dyk, South Africa; Edith Hunkeler, Switzerland

20-year Anniversary (1992)
Open: Ibraham Hussein, Kenya; Olga Markova, Russia
Push Rim Wheelchair Division: Jim Knaub, California; Jean Driscoll, Illinois

25-year Anniversary (1987)
Open: Toskihiko Seko, Japan; Rosa Mota, Portugal
Push Rim Wheelchair Division: Andre Viger, Canada; Candace Cable-Brookes, California

30-year Anniversary (1982)
Open: Alberto Salazar, Massachusetts; Charlotte Teske, Germany
Push Rim Wheelchair Division: Jim Knaub, California; Candace Cable-Brookes, Nevada

35-year Anniversary (1977)
Open: Jerome Drayton, Canada; Michiko Gorman, California
Push Rim Wheelchair Division: Robert Hall, Massachusetts; Sharon Rahn, Illinois

40-year Anniversary (1972)
Open: Olavi Suomalainen, Finland; Nina Kuscsik, New York

50-year Anniversary (1962)
Open: Eino Oksanen, Finland

75-year Anniversary (1937)
Open: Walter Young, Canada

100-year Anniversary (1912)
Open: Michael Ryan, New York

 

25+ Consecutive Boston Marathons Completed

Name Consecutive Bostons Net time in 2011 Age
(as of 2011 race)		 Home
Neil Weygandt45 5:52:14M64Upper Darby, PA
Bennett Beach44 4:33:35M61Bethesda, MD
Timothy Lepore43 6:41:18M66Nantucket, MA
Mark Bauman42 4:36:10M61Flushing, MI
Dave McGillivray39 4:28:00M56North Andover, MA
Russell Gill38 3:53:58M59Hilliard, OH
Ronald Kmiec38 4:18:22M68Carlisle, MA
Doug White38 4:27:49M68Hockessin, DE
Thomas Homeyer37 3:55:01M62Tully, NY
Kevin Petrovek37 4:56:06M60Hyannis, MA
Ludovit S. Cap36 4:51:04M65Hilton Head Island, SC
Daniel Larson36 3:32:56M59Queensbury, NY
Tom Licciardello35 5:12:34M61North Andover, MA
Stanley Vancelette35 6:31:29M74Amherst, NH
Michael Beeman34 4:04:12M54Tifton, GA
Steve Coffman34 5:11:22M63Alexandria, VA
Hal W. Goforth, Jr.34 3:38:22M66El Cajon, CA
Andrea Hatch34 5:44:48F67Colorado Springs, CO
James A. Baker33 3:34:49M60Oklahoma City, OK
Michael P. Barr33 3:16:38M60Bexley, OH
Richard J. Carling33 5:10:35M73Salt Lake City, UT
Mark J. Buciak32 3:58:24M50Chicago, IL
S. Mark Courtney32 3:13:12M55Grove City, PA
Ed M. Donoghue32 4:42:31M71Point Beach, NJ
James E. Musante31 3:21:30M53New Smyrna Beach, FL
Fred D. Bostrom29 4:41:27M73Brackney, PA
John Ratier29 3:44:18M53Bristol, RI
Scott Strider29 3:55:04 M51Hollywood, FL
William J. Coulter28 5:06:39M59Stoughton, MA
Harry Lepp28 3:59:49M54Danielson, CT
Gerard J. Ottaviano28 3:33:43M53Westford, MA
James Flanigan27 4:38:59M61Davis, CA
Roger Goulet27 4:20:00M69St. John Chrysostome, CAN
Richard Murphy27 5:04:46M76Bay Shore, NY
Nona Cerveny26 5:09:51 F62Scottsdale, AZ
Gregory Elliott26 4:09:17M62Chicago, IL
John Frederick26 3:42:19 M58Toronto, CAN
Timothy Gilday26 3:56:18M56Salem, NH
Todd White26 2:52:36M46Huntsville, AL
Scott Graham25 3:00:50M52Westford, MA
John Houston25 4:39:09M68Oshawa, CAN
Patricia Hung25 4:38:48 F65Orinda, CA
William Kauffman25 3:21:55M53Wilmington, DE
William Langevin25 3:52:51M62St. Paul, MN
William Romito25 3:37:11M57Leeds, MA
Mark Sullivan25 3:11:29 M48Freeburg, PA

Copyright 2012 by the Boston Athletic Association and John Hancock Financial Services