For
Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

 Boston
Marathon Champions Returning to Boston

Boston, MA. ‰ÛÒ
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that eight
former
champions of the Boston Marathon will be returning to Boston and
participating
in the events surrounding the 114^th Boston Marathon on April
19,
2010.

Jacqueline Gareau (1980), Lisa Rainsberger
[Larsen-Weidenbach] (1985), and Gelindo Bordin (1990) will celebrate the
anniversaries of their legendary Boston Marathon victories by running
the
historic 26.2 mile course again on Marathon
Monday. Four-time Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers, 1968 winner
Amby
Burfoot, 1970 victor Ron Hill, and 1983 champion Greg Meyer will take
part in
the B.A.A. 5K on Sunday, April 18. The anniversaries of Geoff Smith
(1984, 1985)
as well as Hill, Gareau, Rainsberger, and Bordin will be recognized at
Saturday
morning‰Ûªs Champions‰Ûª Breakfast at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston.

‰ÛÏBoston Marathon champions are held in high
regard
throughout the running world, and in especially high regard in Boston.
To have five of
them at the Champions‰Ûª Breakfast will be a true delight,‰Û said Guy
Morse,
executive director of the B.A.A. ‰ÛÏIt‰Ûªs a bonus that Jacqueline, Lisa,
and
Gelindo will celebrate by returning to the site of their victories, and
that
Amby, Ron, Bill, and Greg will be taking part in the 5K.‰Û

Gareau, Rainsberger, and Bordin will be
recognized on
Marathon Monday by wearing bib numbers with
their names on them. In the sea of more than 25,000 runners, this will
make them
more recognizable to spectators. On Sunday of Marathon weekend, the
5,000 participants of the B.A.A. 5K
will have the chance to run alongside Amby Burfoot, Ron Hill, Greg
Meyer, (the
last American man to win the Boston Marathon) and Bill Rodgers – some of
the
most famous names in distance running history.

For more information on the 114^th
Boston
Marathon and the 2010 B.A.A. 5K, please visit www.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.

For
Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

 Boston
Athletic Association Closes Registration
for B.A.A. 5K

Boston, MA. ‰ÛÒ
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today registration
for the
second annual B.A.A. 5K has closed. Registration opened on Wednesday,
March 3
and reached the 5,000 participant maximum 20 days later on Tuesday,
March
23.

The 3.1 mile race will take
place
Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 8:00 a.m., starting at Copley Place Square,
and
finishing at the Boston Marathon finish line.  Among
some of the 5,000 participants will
be four-time Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers, 1968 champion Amby
Burfoot,
1970 victor Ron Hill, 1983 winner Greg Meyer, and women‰Ûªs running
pioneer and
author, Kathrine Switzer. Maria Varela, winner of the inaugural B.A.A.
5K in
2009 returns to defend her title, while Ryan Hardiman, winner of the
B.A.A.
Invitational Scholastic mile in 2009, will also take part. The event
helps
expand the excitement of the Marathon to
Sunday, and gives runners of shorter distances the chance to compete
during race
weekend.

Race participants from 30
different
countries will run past Boston‰Ûªs historic landmarks and cross the same
finish line marathoners will the following day. The B.A.A. organizes
both the
Boston Marathon and the B.A.A. 5K.  ‰ÛÏWe are
pleased to be able to offer a
race for those interested in a shorter distance on Marathon weekend,‰Û
said Guy Morse, B.A.A. Executive
Director. ‰ÛÏThe speed with which the race filled is testament to the
spirit of
race weekend and the enthusiasm of last year‰Ûªs participants to return
again.‰Û

Immediately following the 5K,
and
beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m., the B.A.A. will host Invitational
races: a
1,000 meter race for Middle School participants, Scholastic Mile for
high-school-aged athletes, and a Professional Mile for elite athletes.
Runners
and spectators of the 5K, as well as the general public are invited to
the
Copley
Square area to watch the short events. Collectively,
these six races comprise the B.A.A. Invitational Mile.

For more information on the
2010 B.A.A.
5K, please visit www.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.