FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jack Fleming
617-236-1652, x2627

Or
Marc Chalufour
617-236-1652, x2632

2008 Boston Marathon Registration to Open on Wednesday, September 5
Six organizations added to B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program

Boston, Mass. – Online registration for the 112th Boston Marathon,
scheduled for April 21, 2008, will begin at 9:00 a.m. eastern time on
Wednesday, September 5. Held on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts holiday,
Boston is the world's oldest annual marathon. Since 1986, the principal
sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial Services.

In coordination with the launch of registration for next year's race, the
B.A.A. has announced that the maximum field size for 2008 has been set at
25,000 entrants. 23,869 runners entered the 2007 Boston Marathon.

To qualify for the 112th Boston Marathon, runners must meet the designated
time standard for their age group. Qualifying times must be run on or after
September 23, 2006 at a certified marathon. Qualifying standards may be
viewed at www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp.
Seeding of the race is based on qualifying times, which are subject to
review and verification.

In addition to online registration, runners may download a PDF application
at www.baa.org, or request a hard-copy application by emailing
. Entries will be accepted until the maximum field
size of 25,000 athletes has been reached.

The 2008 Boston Marathon will once again feature a two-wave start, with
Wave One beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by Wave Two at 10:30 a.m.

Adding to the festivities during Boston Marathon weekend this year will be
the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon, which will take place in
downtown Boston and Cambridge on Sunday, April 20 at 8:00 a.m. The top
three finishers in that event will represent the United States in the 2008
Olympic Games in Beijing.

B.A.A.'s Charity Program Expands

The official Charity Program for the B.A.A. recognizes a select group of
charities each year, providing each with entries to be used for fundraising
purposes. In 2007, the more than 1,200 runners who took part in the
B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program raised more than $10 million, while John
Hancock's Boston Marathon Fundraising Program raised an additional $3.3
million.

The Boston Marathon Charity Program began in 1989 and has raised more than
$70 million in 19 years. The B.A.A. recently selected six new charities to
participate in the 2008 Boston Marathon, bringing the total in the program
to 24.

New members of the Boston Marathon Charity Program:

Boston Living Center

Boston Partners in Education

Bottom Line

The Esplanade Association

Home for Our Troops

The New England Center for Children, Inc.

Returning organizations:

Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter

American Liver Foundation, New England Chapter

American Stroke Association-Tedy's Team

Casa Myrna Vazquez

Children's Hospital Boston

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Good Sports

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc.

Lazarus House Ministries

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Melanoma Foundation New England

MetroLacrosse

Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center

Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Central New England Chapter

National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Inc., Massachusetts Division

Read Boston

Contact information and descriptions of each charity can be found on the
B.A.A.'s Charity Program webpage at www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Charity.asp.
Applications will become available tomorrow, and runners of all ability
levels are encouraged to apply early.

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