Massachusetts > Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon
Boston,
MA
Date
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Event
Details
Run by the same athletic organization that stages the fabled Boston
Marathon each April, the B.A.A. Half Marathon is a much younger sibling
of the full 26.2-mile marathon (7 years vs. 112 years, respectively)
and takes runners on a tour of different parts of the city, starting at
Roberto Clemente Field in the Back Bay Fens neighborhood (near Fenway
Park) along the Arborway to the Riverway to Franklin Park, where the
turnaround point back to the finish line lies.
With numerous rolling hills along a combination out-and-back and loop
course made up entirely of Boston's paved city streets, the B.A.A. Half
shows off the city's parkland areas, taking runners past Olmstead Park,
Jamaica Plain (and the Jamaica Pond) and the Arnold Arboretum on the
way to Franklin Park. The loop portion of the course occurs around
Olmstead Park, as runners run along either side of the park in the
first and second halves of the race.
In just its seventh year (the 2008 running will be its 8th), the race
is already one of the nation's most popular half-marathon events, with
more than 4,900 entrants and 3,591 finishers in 2007. Part of that is
due, no doubt, to the course's route along Boston's "Emerald Necklace,"
the system of linear parks designed by legendary urban architect
Frederick Law Olmstead (for whom the first park along the Necklace is
named).
Part of the mission of the event is to raise both funds and awareness
for the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, which aims to re-establish the
parks according to Olmstead's vision with new landscaping and
distinctive waterways and trails for everyone, from walkers and runners
to bicyclists.
Race
Weather & Climate
Though the 2007 running of the event saw unseasonably warm, sunny
weather, the Boston metro area tends to experience cool to mild weather
conditions in the early fall, as October temperatures average between
46°F and 62°F. Be prepared for wet weather, as rainfall
averages about 3.79 inches for the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
Registration for the 2008 running of the Boston Athletic Association
Half Marathon is not yet open. Check this space later for updates.
Website
www.baa.org
Course
Map
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Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in the B.A.A. Half Marathon? Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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