Boston Marathon Champions Joan Benoit Samuelson and Bill Rodgers Running in the B.A.A. 10K
Inaugural Event to be held on June 26 at Boston Common; Registration Remains Open
Posted Tuesday, 7 June, 2011
BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time Boston Marathon Champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, and four-time Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers will compete in the inaugural B.A.A. 10K on June 26.
Samuelson recently ran the 2011 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:51:29, winning the 50-54 age group division. Rodgers served as the grand marshal of the Patriots’ Day race, and ran the race in 2009.
“Joan and Bill are fixtures of running in New England, and especially within the history of the B.A.A. and our events,” said B.A.A. Executive Director, Tom Grilk. “It’s only fitting that we have these legends help us commence our newest race in Boston, the B.A.A. 10K. They are giants in our sport and it’s a great pleasure to have them in our event.”
Runner registration for the B.A.A. 10K remains open at www.baa.org.
With her 1983 Boston Marathon performance, the 25-year-old Samuelson established a world record with a time of 2:22:43. In the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won Olympic Gold with a time of 2:24:52. She remains one of just four Boston Marathon champions to have also won gold in the Olympic Marathon.
Bill Rodgers’ success in Boston began in 1975 when he won his first Boston Marathon with a then-American record of 2:09:55. He won again in 1978 with a time of 2:10:13, and in the 1979 Boston Marathon improved his previous American record with a time of 2:09:27. It was the fastest of his four Boston victories, and the fourth-fastest marathon time ever recorded at the time. He won his fourth Boston in 1980 with a time of 2:12:11.
Samuelson’s American best in Boston stood until this past April when Desiree Davila finished second with a time of 2:22:38 to Caroline Kilel of Kenya with a time of 2:22:36. Kilel is also entered into the inaugural event on June 26. A full list of elite athletes will be released later this month.
The B.A.A. 10K includes a prize purse of $30,000 with $5,000 awarded to the winners and equally distributed among the top male and female finishers.
About the B.A.A.:
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. Each year the Association manages a comprehensive schedule of youth-running events, distance running training programs, and large-scale races in the city of Boston. Most noteworthy is the Boston Marathon, the world's most prestigious and oldest continually run marathon. Since the inaugural race in 1897, the Boston Marathon has been the pinnacle for distance running worldwide, a position which was reinforced in 1986 with the help of principal sponsor John Hancock Financial Services. In 2006, the Boston Marathon joined the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the BMW Berlin Marathon, the Virgin London Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon to form the World Marathon Majors.
