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INDUSTRY NEWS - BOSTON MARATHON ENTRIES ON RECORD PACE
By David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
The Boston Athletic Association reported last week that entries for the 113th Boston Marathon, to be held on Monday, April 20, 2009, are pacing 20% ahead of the same time last year. As of last Friday, 17,772 runners had registered for the 2009 race, up from 14,333 who had registered for the 2008 race by the same date. The field is limited to 25,000 entries.
"It's an exciting time for the B.A.A. and the sport of running, even in this challenging economic climate," said B.A.A. executive director Guy Morse in a prepared statement. "To qualify for the Boston Marathon takes a commitment to one's training and dedication to a fitness regimen. We anticipate reaching our maximum field size again well in advance of the 2009 race."
Over the weekend, the Disney World Marathon & Half-Marathon recorded a record 27,367 finishers (14,940 in the marathon), further evidence that big "destination" races like Boston may be able to show growth even in the face of America's pronounced economic slowdown.
The Boston Marathon, part of the five-race World Marathon Majors, recorded 21,948 official finishers in 2008, up from 20,338 in 2007, and 19,688 in 2006.