BAA To Exclude Boston Marathon Runners Coming From Russia, Belarus
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Athletic Association on Wednesday announced restrictions against athletes coming from Russia and ally Belarus for the 2022 Boston Marathon and BAA 5K.
Those who have already registered for the races and are currently living in Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete this year. Russian and Belarusian citizens who have been accepted to race but are not residents of either country can compete on April 18, but not under the flags of those two nations.
"Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine," BAA President & CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. "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."
Maksim Sigal will be running his second Boston Marathon, but his heart will be with his native country of Ukraine. "We're trying to show support for Ukraine," Sigal said. "This is not supposed to be seen as a punishment for Russians and Belarusians."
Sigal has been calling for this ban. His Change.org petition garnered more than 1,400 signatures in two days. "All the efforts we are trying to do to defend Ukrainians who can't compete this year, because they are left behind and are forced to stay and fight for their country are worth it," Sigal said.
According to the BAA, there are 63 athletes from Russia and Belarus registered for this year's marathon or 5K. There are 44 marathoners from Ukraine running Boston this month.
Sigal says the BAA's decision sends one message: support for the Ukraine. "This is all to support Ukraine as much as possible and to not normalize what is happening," Sigal said.
The BAA said it will make "reasonable attempts" to refund excluded athletes, within federal and international sanction constraints.
The United States announced new sanctions on Russia Wednesday in the wake of reported atrocities around Ukraine's capital of Kyiv.
