Partners and the Community

B.A.A. Running Club
The B.A.A. Running Club continues the organisation’s presence on a consistent basis nearly every weekend throughout the year. As a team, the B.A.A. is a perennial contender at major New England road races, indoor and outdoor track meets, and cross country events. In 2005, the club’s open men’s and women’s teams both won the team competition at the B.A.A. Half Marathon, while the men’s open team won the Mayor’s Cup Cross Country title by a single point and the women placed second—just one point behind first. In addition, the men’s open team was third at the Boston Marathon, and the women placed second while the men placed fifth at the USATF Club Cross Country Nationals.

Club 112 and the B.A.A. Relay Challenge
2008 marked the 12th consecutive year the Boston Athletic
Association and adidas are sponsoring a youth running program, designed to introduce kids to the benefits of the sport of running. “Club 112,” a name derived from the current year’s Marathon, begins four weeks prior to the program’s culmination: the B.A.A. Relay Challenge. Coaches train participating youths each week in one-hour sessions, providing instruction that includes concepts such as teamwork, motivation, and goal-setting. Last year, more than 800 youths from 21 Boston and neighboring youth clubs experienced the exhilaration and triumph of crossing the legendary Boston Marathon finish line. The Relay Challenge annually consists of a series of age-group and team-oriented relay races. The highlight of the day is the adidas All-Star Relay, in which two members from each youth club raced with elite adidas athletes. Last year, adidas athletes Tim Broe, Carrie Tollefson, Jen Rhines, Grete Waitz, David Krummenacker, Amy Rudolph, and Todd Williams participated.

Club 112 and the B.A.A. Relay Challenge are part of the year-round Training Basics youth program initiative created from the partnership that exists between the B.A.A. and adidas. More than 14,500 Boston-area youths have participated in the B.A.A. Relay Challenge since its inception in 1997.

Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk
The Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk® in the fall has emerged as one of Boston's most successful fundraising ventures. Since 1989, the B.A.A. has helped to host the Walk on its legendary Marathon course. The 2005 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk raised more than $4 million, with approximately 6,000 walkers taking the challenge from one of three starting locations: full marathon from Hopkinton; half marathon from Wellesley; and three miles from Harvard Medical School in the Longwood medical area. Participants in the walk have raised more than $35 million for the Jimmy Fund over the 16-year history of the event.