The inaugural Fenway Park marathon takes place Friday evening, and participants will run 116 laps "around Fenway’s cinder warning track," according to Rachel Bowers of the BOSTON GLOBE. Boston Marathon Race Dir Dave McGillivray, who organized Friday's event, "decided to limit the size of the field to the first 50 entrants to register, calling it an 'educated guess,' factoring how a crowded field competing on a loop in a confined space would not be optimal." In fact, he "bypassed more formal processes or a lottery to fill the field, opting for a simple Facebook post." There is "one hydration station," an "aid station in center field and the visitor’s dugout will serve as a staging area for competitors to store any extra gear they may need during the race." Spectators are "welcome, free of charge, and will sit on the first-base line." However, there is an "absence of mile-markers" in the ballpark (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/14). The AP's William Kole notes each participant had to "commit to raising $5,000" for the Red Sox Foundation, which focuses mainly on "improving health and promoting recreation for New England children." If the Fenway race is a "success," McGillivray envisions "sequels in other big ballparks -- maybe even a World Series of stadium marathoners" (AP, 9/15).
