Nearly 300 students took part in individual and relay races at Franklin Park on Thursday
Franklin Park, Boston, Mass. (17-Oct) – Today the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) hosted the 2024 Boston Middle School Cross Country Championships at Franklin Park, where nearly 300 student-athletes from 12 City of Boston schools competed to determine the fastest runners in Boston. Over a 1.1-mile route, boys and girls ran, walked, and celebrated upon receiving a unicorn finisher’s medal.
Since 1997, the B.A.A. has hosted the Boston Middle School Cross Country Championships in an effort to celebrate healthy lifestyles and promote physical fitness among Boston youths. Approximately 13,500 student-athletes have participated in the Boston Middle School Cross Country Championships since its inception.
Complete Boston Middle School Cross Country Championships results are available here, along with video of athletes crossing the finish line. Event photos are available here with credit to the Boston Athletic Association.
Event coverage from media partner WCVB can be found here.
In the Girl’s race, Eliot K-8 Innovation School students Mairin Goff and Caleigh Moore swapped finish placings from a year ago, with Goff finishing first in 6:36.1 and Moore second in 6:41.5. The seventh graders, along with teammate and third place finisher Alexis Uber (6:43.5), helped Eliot School take home top team honors, scoring 24 points ahead of Boston Latin School (43 points) and O’Bryant School (64 points). A total of 133 girls completed the course.
Boston Latin School’s Nathan Bisio ran away with the Boy’s race, finishing in 5:56.5 as the only athlete to dip under the six-minute mark. Next across the line were Eliot K-8’s Charlie Nothnagle (6:23.0) and McKay K-8’s Francisco Amaya (6:32.3), as 129 boys participated. The O’Bryant School tallied 36 points to earn the team victory, with seven athletes finishing in the top 20. Eliot K-8 (47 points) and McKay K-8 (95 points) rounded out the top three boys teams.
An exciting Co-Ed Relay closed the day’s action, with two heats racing against the clock. In a close battle, O’Bryant earned the crown as fastest school, timing 51.6 seconds to McKay’s 53.4 seconds. Two girls and two boys from each school took turns running and passing the baton before sprinting towards the finish line.
All finishers were presented B.A.A. unicorn medals by two-time Olympian and B.A.A. High Performance Team Coach Mark Carroll, who was joined by professional runners from the B.A.A. High Performance Team.
Thursday’s races not only served as the City’s cross country championship meet, but also as a qualifier event for April’s B.A.A. Middle School 1K. The B.A.A. Middle School 1K is held as part of the B.A.A. Invitational Mile, where athletes from each of the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route compete on Boylston Street.
The Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. is committed to a world where all people can access and benefit from running and an active lifestyle.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The 129th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 21, 2025. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.