The Boston Athletic Association, best known as organizer of
the Boston Marathon®, today announced that a special commemorative book to
celebrate its 125th anniversary will be published in 2012.
Titled ÛÏB.A.A: 125,Û
this illustrated history will be published by Skyhorse Publishing and will
feature a preface by Boston
native and sports enthusiast Matt Damon. The book will be written by John Hanc,
a long-time writer for Newsday, a
contributing editor to RunnerÛªs World
magazine and author of ten books, including his award-winning memoir on running
the 2005 Antarctica Marathon, The Coolest
Race on Earth. (Chicago
Review Press). Also, the new book will feature 100 rare and historic photos,
most of them from the B.A.A.Ûªs archives.
According to B.A.A. Executive Director Tom Grilk, ÛÏIn
this book, we will show that the story and significance of the Boston Athletic
Association is broader than simply the Boston Marathon.Û
ÛÏThe B.A.A. has a fascinating history that goes way
beyond the Boston Marathon,Û Hanc agrees. ÛÏIÛªm amazed at some
of the stories weÛªve uncovered about the clubÛªs founders and the
scope of its activities, particularly in its early years.Û
Founded in 1887, and best known for its signature event, the
115-year-old Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. fielded teams in many sports in its
early years, including football, baseball, hockey and water polo, as well as
track and field, where athletes wearing the clubÛªs distinctive unicorn
logo made history: eight of the 14 athletes on the U.S. Olympic team that
participated in Athens in 1896 were B.A.A. members.
ÛÏWe are especially proud to be publishing this
landmark book,Û said Jay Cassell, Editorial Director of Skyhorse Publishing.
ÛÏYou donÛªt have to be a runner, or a Bostonian, to appreciate the
many fine things the B.A.A. has done for sports, health, and fitness in this
country. This is truly a book for everyone.Û
The B.A.A. also announced that it will distribute a limited
number of copies of the book to libraries in Massachusetts, particularly those in
communities along the Boston Marathon course. B.A.A.
125 will be sold at the April 2013 John
Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo during Boston Marathon weekend.
B.A.A 125, published by Skyhorse
Publishing (www.skyhorsepublishing.com) will be
available in December 2012. For more information on the B.A.A., please go
to www.baa.org
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