Oldest annual marathon injects more than $200 million into Greater Boston economy
BOSTON – The Boston Marathon returns to Patriots’ Day this year, marking the 126th running of the world’s oldest annual marathon. For the first time in three years, the 26.2-mile race will be held in April, bringing 30,000 athletes back to the Commonwealth in the pursuit of athletic excellence.
An annual rite of spring, Marathon Monday and associated events surrounding the Boston Marathon present an opportunity to showcase Boston’s array of cultural, historical and sports-related assets. From Patriots’ Day reenactments to morning baseball, the Boston Marathon is run against a distinctively Boston backdrop. Taken together, the magic of the Hopkinton-to-Boston event marks the onset of Boston’s peak visitor season.
Boston Marathon-related events, including the Boston Marathon Expo, Boston Marathon Fan Fest, and the B.A.A. 5K, inject tremendous visitor spending to the Greater Boston economy and annually bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Greater Boston. In recent years, before the pandemic interrupted the April running of the Marathon, the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) estimated that the event injected approximately $200 million into the metropolitan economy.
Now the race is back in April and there will be 30,000 official participants, including runners from 122 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Global, national, and local media will cover the 126th Boston Marathon, providing supporters near and far with content celebrating this year’s event.
“The Boston Marathon truly represents the onset of our visitor season, which runs from April through October,” said Bureau President and CEO Martha J. Sheridan. “Having the Marathon back on Patriots’ Day is a boon to our city and our region. It is an iconic, international event that puts Boston on a global stage, serving as a spectacular springboard for our visitor economy as we enter our busiest months.”
“After a three-year stretch that saw the Boston Marathon move to a virtual format in 2020, then shift to a fall edition in October 2021, we are delighted to return to our traditional date of Patriots’ Day for the 126th running of the Boston Marathon,” said Tom Grilk, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. “The B.A.A. looks forward to restoring back to a traditional Boston Marathon weekend, welcoming 30,000 participants, nearly 10,000 volunteers, and countless more supporters to what surely will be an exciting and memorable race day.”
This year, more than 9,800 volunteers will assist athletes on their journey from Hopkinton to Boston. Participants competing and raising funds for various charities and non-profit programs are anticipated to raise in excess of $30 million. For the 37th consecutive year, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon is John Hancock.
The Boston Marathon Expo will be located at the Hynes Convention Center from Friday, April 15, through Sunday, April 17. The Expo is widely regarded as the running industry’s premier expo for new products and features the city’s largest adidas Boston Marathon store. All Boston Marathon participants must claim their bib numbers for this year’s race at the Boston Marathon Expo.
Boston Marathon Fan Fest presented by Amazon also will be held from April 15 through April 17. Boston Marathon Fan Fest is a three-day festival on Copley Square Park featuring live music, activities, Boston Marathon champions panels, photo-ops, and more. Free and open to the public, Boston Marathon Fan Fest is the place to relax and soak in the spirit of Boston Marathon weekend.
The 2022 B.A.A. 5K will be run on Saturday, April 16, two days prior to the Boston Marathon. The B.A.A. 5K will feature 10,000 entrants racing a 3.1-mile course through Back Bay, starting and finishing at Boston Common. Following the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. Invitational Mile will showcase mile and 1K races for middle school, high school, and professional athletes on Boylston Street. Saturday’s events conclude with the B.A.A. Relay Challenge, a student-athlete focused event featuring more than 20 middle school teams from the Greater Boston community.
The Boston Athletic Association is committed to a world where all people can access and benefit from running and an active lifestyle.
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