The Country of Armenia will be officially represented at Boston Marathon for the First Time

The 2018 Boston Marathon is slated for April 16. In 2017, runners from every U.S. state were represented, along with 99 countries—Armenia was not one of them. But this year, for the first time in the its history, Armenia will be officially represented. For runners across the globe, securing a spot in the Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon, is a prestigious distinction. Just 30,000 participants make the cut, 80 % of whom must beat an age-based qualifying time in another marathon to even have a chance. Each year, the event attracts 500,000 spectators. “Each Boston Marathon participant has to specify the country they are running for,” explains Sara Fountain, the 23 year-old Armenian-American who will be carrying the Armenian flag in the race this year, “I registered under Armenia as I am living here, so the demographic info for the race records will reflect that. I’m in the process of getting Armenian citizenship, but it’s not done yet. I’ll have to be a citizen if/when I qualify for the Olympics, though.” Fountain is originally from the New York City area and moved to Yerevan in the summer of 2017 shortly after completing a volunteer internship with the Birthright Armenia program.

posted Tuesday April 3rd