Half-Marathon Coming Through Brookline This Weekend

The Boston Athletics Association is bringing runners back through Brookline, although only half as long as in April--distance-wise, anyway.

This race is the third leg of what the BAA calls the "Distance Medley," which is made up of the BAA 5k, the BAA 10k and this weekend's Half-Marathon. 

The program is more or less the same as last year's 13.1-mile race. The course starts and ends in Franklin Park, and travels along the Emerald necklace past Jamaica Pond and along Olmsted Park in Brookline. The first runners are expected to hit Brookline at around 9:30 a.m.

Roads near the Emerald Necklace--along the Muddy river, including Olmsted Park and the Riverway--will begin to close early on Sunday morning, and are expected to re-open throughout the morning.

Some information on road closings is posted on the BAA's website:

• Roads along the Emerald Necklace Park System will begin to close as early as 7:30 - 8:00 a.m.
• Roads will re-opened through the course of the morning by the Massachusetts State Police.
• If you live north of Jamaica Pond on the Jamicaway or the Riverway, or the segments of Pond Avenue, Perkins Street, and Francis Parkman Drive that overlook the Emerald Necklace Park System, or if you plan on using these roads, there will be closures in place until 11:00 a.m. on October 7.
• If you live SOUTH of Jamaica Pond on the Jamicaway or the Arborway, or if you're planning to use these roads, and the Monsignor William Casey Overpass to navigate on Sunday, October 7, there will be closures in place until 11:30 a.m.

according to a press release issued on the BAA website, there are a number of fairly big-name runners competing in the weekend run. 

Among the B.A.A. Distance Medley entrants to compete at the B.A.A. Half-Marathon are 2011 B.A.A. Half-Marathon champion Ali Abdosh, of Ethiopia; 14-time NCAA All-American Sam Chelanga, of Kenya; 2012 Bolder Boulder 10K and Bellin Run (Green Bay, WI) champion Allan Kiprono, of Kenya; and 2012 B.A.A. 5K third place finisher Lani Rutto, of Kenya.

...

On the women’s side, B.A.A. Distance Medley leaders include 2012 Olympian Kim Smith, of New Zealand and B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. 10K runner-up Aheza Kiros, of Ethiopia.

Runners getting ready for the 2013 Boston Marathon can apply for a position on Team Brookline--the town-wide team which the Brookline Community Mental Health Center intends to set up.

Are you, or someone you know, running in the Half-Marathon this weekend? Email Patch Editor Grahame Turner, and make sure you take some photos to upload next week.