B.A.A. Announces Participant Health & Safety Policies for 125th Boston Marathon
BOSTON—The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has
announced that entrants in the 125th Boston Marathon, scheduled for
Monday, October 11, will need to either provide proof of vaccination or produce
a negative COVID-19 test in order to participate in the fall race. It is
strongly recommended that all entrants, staff, and volunteers are vaccinated.
Masks will not be required while running the 26.2-mile course, but will be
enforced on participant transportation and in other areas in accordance with
local guidelines.
Prior to bib number pick-up, Boston Marathon participants
will be required to either produce proof of a complete vaccination series of a World
Health Organization-certified vaccine or produce a negative COVID-19 test, which will be
administered on site in a Boston Marathon medical tent. Vaccine verification will occur Friday, October 8 through
Sunday, October 10 in coordination with the Boston Marathon Expo hours. Participants may bring an original paper copy,
digital copy, photocopy, or photo of their vaccination proof.
The
B.A.A. will work with a third-party testing provider for test administration
and results tracking. Testing will begin no earlier than 72 hours prior to
participant start times on Monday, October 11. Exact hours, locations, and
additional details will be communicated directly to all participants. Tested
participants will not receive immediate access to enter the Boston Marathon
Expo for bib number pick-up and will be required to wait for confirmation of
test results. The fastest path to pick up numbers for the 125th
Boston Marathon is being fully vaccinated.
Upon successful vaccination verification or negative
COVID-19 test, participants will receive a bracelet which must be worn at all
times in order to access bib number pick-up areas and participant
transportation areas on race day. The bracelet must also be displayed to receive
a unicorn finisher’s medal on Boylston Street. Boston Marathon volunteers and
officials will follow a similar process, and will receive additional
information in the coming weeks. All Boston Marathon medical volunteers will be
fully vaccinated. Athletes in the John Hancock Professional Athlete Field will
follow enhanced health and safety procedures, including regular testing over
race weekend.
What if a participant tests positive for COVID-19?
Any participant who tests positive for COVID-19 prior to
starting the race will not be allowed to participate in the event and will be
refunded their entry fee. Participants will not be refunded the one-time $25.00 USD fee charged at the point of registration to
support COVID-19 mitigation efforts, including testing. Participants will not
be able to defer their entry to a future year, but will not have the missed
race count against any active consecutive finish streaks.
All
test results will be reported by the third-party provider to the public health
authority of the jurisdiction where the person resides. The B.A.A. will
work to ensure that all cases are traced and tracked to prevent any additional
spread due to exposure at Marathon related events or programs. Additionally, all participants will receive an email after race
day asking to self-report if exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19. Any participant who tests positive for COVID-19 must be
prepared to isolate in accordance with the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts’ guidance and assume all
associated fees, including medical expenses and fees associated with isolating
and travel. All participants and spectators are strongly encouraged to get
tested in advance of traveling to Boston and must have a plan for isolation in
the event of a positive COVID-19 test. Unvaccinated people must also have a
plan to self-quarantine following an exposure to a COVID-19 positive person.
Any
participant, volunteer, or spectator exhibiting
symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home.
What
is the mask policy leading up to and on Boston Marathon race day?
Participants
must wear masks
on race-day buses, including those transporting
athletes from Boston to Hopkinton pre-race and from Boston to Hopkinton
post-race. In accordance with the Boston Public Health Commission’s August
20, 2021 indoor mask mandate for the City of
Boston, masks must be worn in indoor public settings including within the
Boston Marathon Expo.
Athletes
will not be required to wear masks while participating in the Boston Marathon,
but masks will be made available at the finish for any athlete who elects to
wear one upon finishing the race. Masks will be required, and provided, in all
medical tents along the route. Volunteers assigned to roles with direct
interaction or in close proximity with athletes will be required to wear masks,
including all medical volunteers. Additional personal protective equipment
(PPE) will be provided to volunteers based upon assignment.
Mask
policies will be reviewed on a regular basis and updated in accordance with
local guidance leading up to the October 11th race. On July 30, 2021, the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued an
advisory stating masks should be worn indoors by
unvaccinated adults, fully vaccinated individuals with a weakened immune
system, individuals with an increased risk for severe disease, and by fully
vaccinated individuals whose households include members with a weakened immune
system.
What
else should participants, spectators, and volunteers expect?
The
B.A.A. strongly encourages everyone to “Earn A PR” by practicing personal
responsibility for the 125th Boston Marathon. From guests traveling
with athletes to spectators cheering on participants, everyone is encouraged to
take efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These efforts may include
being fully vaccinated, getting tested for COVID-19 prior to any travel,
wearing a mask when you cannot socially distance over race week, refraining
from kissing a stranger around the halfway mark of the Boston Marathon, and
only using B.A.A. provided course nutrition in lieu of accepting hydration or
food from spectators. Additionally, anyone who develops any symptoms must avoid
public activity except for going to get a COVID-19 test.
In
the coming weeks, athletes will receive more information on the rolling start
procedure, bib number assignments, bus loading times in Boston, and
transportation to the start. The 125th Boston Marathon mobile
app—designed for athletes participating in the in-person and virtual races, as
well as spectators—will launch in early September.
Earlier
this year the B.A.A. announced additional mitigation efforts including a
reduced field size, elimination of the pre-race Athletes’ Village staging area,
and a virtual race option. 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. The B.A.A. will continue to review and revise as necessary
health and safety procedures leading up to and on race day.