New 10:00 a.m. Start Will Benefit Runners and Communities

Boston, Mass. – As was announced in August 2006, the Boston Athletic Association, in cooperation with the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course, will begin the 111th Boston Marathon, Monday, April 16, 2007, at 10:00 a.m.

The B.A.A. has been discussing this concept with officials of each of the cities and towns since 2005 and has received support from representatives of each, as well as those from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Mobility Impaired Program, Wheelchair and Elite Women's divisions will continue to start earlier. The race will also continue to utilize a two-wave start, with the first wave beginning at 10 a.m.

The legendary Boston Marathon course follows a point-to-point route from rural Hopkinton into Ashland, then Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and, finally, Boston. The inaugural Boston Marathon, held in 1897, began at 12:19 p.m., and the race traditionally began at noon in the 109 races that followed.

In an effort to inform residents of the communities along the course as well as commuters who may be affected by the new start time, several measures are being taken:

* The towns and cities along the course will post information on the early start to their websites.

* Public service announcements will broadcast important details about the earlier start.

* The B.A.A. will place public service advertisements in newspapers that serve the communities along the course.

Schedule for the start of the 2007 Boston Marathon:

Division Start Time

Mobility Impaired Division (approximately 10 athletes) 9:00 a.m.

Wheelchair Division (approximately 50 athletes): 9:25 a.m.

Elite Women (approximately 80 athletes): 9:35 a.m.

Wave One (approximately 10,000 athletes): 10:00 a.m.

Wave Two (approximately 13,500 athletes): 10:30 a.m.

Below is a road closure and re-opening schedule for the towns along the Boston Marathon course (all times are approximate):

LOCATION/TOWN CLOSE – OPEN

Hopkinton 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Ashland 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Framingham 8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Natick 8:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Wellesley 8:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Newton 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Brookline 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Boston Variable – 6:00 p.m.

In addition to runners enjoying cooler temperatures and an earlier re-opening of roads to vehicular traffic, several other reasons factored into the B.A.A.'s decision to break from its traditional noon starting time:

· The overwhelming majority of runners prefer to start earlier than noon. Recreational and elite runners alike are accustomed and tuned to racing marathons in the morning.

· The event's medical constituency unanimously concurs with an earlier start time.

· Police, fire and medical representatives of all eight cities and towns along the route have responded positively to the concept of the earlier start.

Registration for the 2007 Boston Marathon has officially closed. The field size of 23,500 official runners is the second largest in Boston history, behind only the 1996 100th running.

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 and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial Services. In 2006, the Boston Marathon launched – along with the Flora London Marathon also in April – the World Marathon Majors Series. Other events in the series are the real,-Berlin-Marathon, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon.