Russian And Belarusian Runners Banned From 2022 Boston Marathon

BOSTON — Any Russians or Belarusians who were accepted into the 2022 Boston Marathon who currently reside in either country will no longer be allowed to compete in either event, the Boston Athletic Association said Wednesday.

The BAA also said its races and events will not recognize any affiliation or flag from Russia or Belarus until further notice.

Runners from both Russia and Belarus who no longer reside in either country will still be able to compete, but will not be able to run under either country's flag, the BAA added.

A total of 63 athletes, collectively, will be removed from the Boston Marathon and the BAA 5K, a spokesperson from the BAA said. The organization said they will make reasonable attempts to refund the athletes from Russia or Belarus who will no longer be able to participate, within the constraints as imposed by federal sanctions.

"Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine," said President & CEO of the BAA, Tom Grilk. "We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine.

The BAA said it would provide all Ukrainians who are registered in the 126th Boston Marathon or the 2022 BAA 5K and are unable to compete with a refund or option to defer to a future year, adding that the organization will be reaching out to those athletes later this year.