ABOUT B.A.A. EVENTS

As the Boston Marathon has grown over the years, so has the breadth of the Boston Athletic Association’s events

In 1997, with help from adidas and the City of Boston, the B.A.A. began the B.A.A. Relay Challenge, a thorough youth running program each spring which culminates with middle school students participating in a relay race near the Boston Marathon finish line on race weekend. Each autumn, middle school runners from Boston-based schools compete in the Middle School Cross Country Championships.

Since 2001, the B.A.A. has expanded its calendar of races beyond the Boston Marathon to include B.A.A. 5K, B.A.A. 10K, and B.A.A. Half Marathon events. In 2001, the inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, brought thousands of runners through Boston’s scenic Emerald Necklace Park System. Since 2001, the event has become one of New England’s most popular fall road races. In 2008, the B.A.A. hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon leading to the Beijing Games one day before the 112th Boston Marathon.

One year later, the organization established the B.A.A. 5K, presented by Point32Health, which is held on Boston Marathon weekend each April. The race has quickly grown into a Boston Marathon weekend tradition among runners, spectators, and fans. Immediately following the B.A.A. 5K is the B.A.A. Invitational Mile, a series of races for middle school, high school, and professional runners which start and finish at the Boston Marathon finish line and bring the energy of a track meet to Boylston Street. In 2011, the B.A.A. established the B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women's Hospital, which is a scenic tour of Boston’s Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods.

The B.A.A. Distance Medley, a three-race series which combines the B.A.A. 5K in April, the B.A.A. 10K in June, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon in October, had its inaugural running in 2012. Each of the three races has its own champions and prize purse.