There
will be an additional fee of $25.00 USD for all entrants which will support
efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 including additional precautions
focused on the health and safety of participants, volunteers, vendors, staff,
community members, and the general public. For
the first time, participants will also have the opportunity to purchase registration insurance at the point of registration, which is explained in further detail
later in this news release.
Participants
in the in-person race may be expected to produce up to two negative COVID-19
tests prior to Monday, October 11, regardless of vaccination status, in order
to mitigate spread to participants and community members. The B.A.A. will
continue to follow the data and science and will share more information in the
coming months on testing timelines and requirements.
On
March 15
the B.A.A. announced the field size was established as 20,000 entrants to allow
for social distancing throughout the course. To further enhance participant
safety, the B.A.A. will eliminate the staging area in Hopkinton (Athletes’
Village) where athletes traditionally mingle, stretch, hydrate, and fuel prior
to the race. Athletes will instead be assigned specific start times and
participate in a rolling start in Hopkinton. The rolling start procedure will
be directly aligned with the bus loading times in Boston and transportation to
the start.
“The
B.A.A. is committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure the health and
safety of participants, volunteers, and the public,” said Tom Grilk, President
and C.E.O. of the B.A.A. “We will continue to follow the science and adapt the
event plan to reflect guidance from our local, city, and state partners.”
Since
September 2020, the B.A.A. has been regularly convening a COVID-19
Medical & Event Operations Advisory Group to
establish a framework to advise the B.A.A.’s leadership, board of directors,
and staff how to safely resume the Boston Marathon and other large, in-person
B.A.A. road races.
“Working
closely with the B.A.A., a group of experts in public health and endurance race
medicine has developed and continued to refine strategies to ensure a safe and
enjoyable Boston Marathon,” said Dr. Aaron Baggish, Co-Medical Director for the
B.A.A. and Boston Marathon, Director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program
at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, and co-chair of the
advisory group. “This group recognizes the rapidly evolving nature of the
COVID-19 pandemic and will strive to ensure that an autumn 2021 race is safe
for both participants and the hosting communities.”
Participants
who elect to purchase registration insurance, offered by RegShield, will be
able to have entry fees and the COVID-19 health and safety fee refunded for
multiple reasons including loss of job, pregnancy, illness, and injury. Terms
of the policy will be available on baa.org and at the point of registration.
Refunds may only be eligible for those who purchase the insurance policy at the
point of registration. Entries in the Boston Marathon cannot be transferred,
deferred to a future year, and only those who elect to purchase registration
insurance may be eligible for refunds.
Registration for the 125th Boston Marathon will be held through
the B.A.A.’s online platform, Athlete’s
Village, Tuesday, April 20 at 10:00AM ET–Friday, April 23 at 5:00PM ET. The
selection process will remain consistent with prior years: applications and
qualifying times submitted between April 20 and April 23 will be verified and
ranked by the B.A.A. based on the amount of time an athlete has run under their
respective qualifying
standard. Applicants will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance once
the B.A.A. has verified all qualifying times and applications.
In
addition to the in-person road race, the B.A.A. is also holding a historic
virtual Boston Marathon in celebration of the 125th running of the
Boston Marathon. Registration for the virtual race opened on March 30 and has
already seen athletes from 84 countries and all 50 states register. The virtual
marathon will take place over race weekend October 8–10.