Boston Marathon Age-Groupers Get First-Ever Awards

Boston, MA, April 16, 2018 — While elite runners fought it out for more than $800,000 in prize purses at the 2018 Boston Marathon, age groupers to date have only collected a trophy for first place. This year, for the first time, over 200 age group finishers got rewarded via a collaboration between the BAA, adidas and The Woolmark Company.

The custom-designed collaboration rewarded the top-20 age-groupers in thirteen divisions with fine Merino blend tee-shirts that, as appropriate for Boston, had to be earned.

Men’s champion Yuki Kawauchi, who stunned the field by passing defending champion Geoffrey Kurui and steaming to a victory in the lashing rain, also was rewarded a shirt, since he is an unsponsored athlete and holds down a full-time job.
As evidenced this year, weather conditions in running are determinative and highly variable. Adidas, in conjunction with Sydney-based The Woolmark Company, is increasingly using merino wool in its running apparel.
The age-group winners this year included Nancy Rollins of Illinois, who won the Women’s 70-74 AG with a time of 4:17:01, and Gene Dykes of Pennsylvania, who not only won his age group in a scorching time of 3:16:20, but set a new single-age marathon best time in doing so.

Stuart McCullough, the managing director of The Woolmark Company was on hand to personally present the prizes a the awards ceremony at the Fairmont Copley Plaza.