Ever since the first running of the Baystate Marathon & Half Marathon back in 1990, these two races have become known as one of the fastest and flattest events of their kind anywhere in the Northeast, and have also become one of the region’s most popular events used by competitive runners to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
The Baystate Half Marathon shares the same starting line and time as the full, 26.2-mile marathon, near the city’s Paul Tsongas Arena, named for the former senator who ran for president in the early 1990s.