Top Scholastic Invitational Milers Announced by BAA
Boston, Mass. –
Almost three dozen top scholastic milers will compete in the new B.A.A.
Invitational Mile on April 19, the Boston Athletic Association
announced today. The young athletes represent Hopkinton, Ashland,
Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and Boston – the eight
cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course.
“We’re proud
to give these talented athletes from our host communities the
opportunity to compete in a race that concludes at the Boston Marathon
finish line,” said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic
Association. “We won’t call it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for
them, however, because perhaps they will return one day as Boston
Marathon champions.”
The Invitational Mile, to be held in
conjunction with the debut of the B.A.A. 5K the day before the 113th
Boston Marathon, will also feature separate mile races for professional
men and women. Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, who starred at
Marblehead (MA) High School, will headline those fields.
Scholastic athletes set to compete include:
Hopkinton: Molly Kessler, Kelly Lodge, Dan Carrai and Stephen Lynch
Ashland: Hannah Daly, Sarah Poulin, Justin Davis, Brian Donoghue
Framingham: Sarah Bowhill, Maria Grandoni, Ben Groleau, Phineas McGovern
Natick: Caitlyn MacLellan, Rebecca White, Christopher Jamieson, Nick Zanchi
Wellesley: Alison Griswold, Sarah O’Brien, Billy Littlefield, Jeff Pini
Newton: Carolyn Ranti, Margo Gillis, Michael Goldenberg, Daniel Hamilton
Brookline: Suzy Wang, Dan Bohling, Ryan Hardiman
Boston: Elza Lambergs, Kathleen Mello, Omar Abdi, Ahmed Ali
The
series of races in the B.A.A. Invitational Mile will begin with the
girls’ scholastic race at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 19, immediately after
the B.A.A. 5K, a new road race that will begin at 8 a.m. The boys’
scholastic race will begin at 9:45 a.m., followed by the professional
miles.
Awards will be given to the top three boys and top three
girls in the scholastic races, as well as to the top overall town. The
races revive a long tradition for the Boston Athletic Association,
which has offered scholastic races as far back as 1890, including the
B.A.A. Schoolboy Games that began in the mid-1900s and ran through the
early 1970s.
The mile will follow a three-loop course, beginning
on Boylston Street, left on Dartmouth Street, left on Newbury Street,
left on Exeter Street then left onto Boylston. Both the 5K and Mile
will begin on Boylston Street near Copley Square Park, and end at the
Boston Marathon finish line.
Additional information about the
B.A.A. Invitational Mile, the B.A.A. 5K, the Boston Marathon and the
Boston Athletic Association can be found online at www.baa.org.
About Boston Athletic Association
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. The B.A.A.’s Boston
Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, and the organization
manages other local events, including the B.A.A. Half Marathon
presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs.
Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John
Hancock Financial.