Welcome PUMA!

The Boston 10k for Women Presented by REI is proud to announce PUMA as our official footwear and apparel partner!

PUMA’s support of the event for its 45th running this October will put their logo on the race bib number, PUMA footwear on race officials, and the “Elite Field, Powered by PUMA” will help support visibility for our elite field. In further demonstrating their commitment to women’s running, the footwear and apparel company will provide pre-event activations and on-site engagements at Boston Common. Our new partnership is the latest illustration of PUMA’s deep commitment to Boston, to running, and to women, and allows the company to align itself with the largest all-women’s race in New England for multiple years.

“When we recognized the opportunity to partner with such a historic and important race that supports female runners, we could not have been more excited to get involved,” said Erin Login, Global Director of Running & Training at PUMA. “With PUMA Running we are looking to spark change in the running industry and champion female runners. The event brings out the best in women of all abilities, and it is a shining example of the sisterhood, compassion, and energy that unites us all. It’s a great day, and we can’t wait to be out there.”

“It’s a bounce back year for women’s running, and as runners reunite around the country, the sport needs companies like PUMA to lead, which is exactly what they’re doing,” said Dusty Rhodes, who founded the race in 1977. “A road race is where everyone can line up as equals, compete, have fun, and support each other. It’s a unifying phenomenon, and PUMA recognizes the power of race day.”

Typically held every year on the second Monday in October, we have yielded our traditional race date to accommodate the 125th Boston Marathon, scheduled for Monday, October 11, 2021. The race date for the 2021 Boston 10K for Women will be announced shortly, and we will accommodate as much of an in-person component as we prudently and safely can.

Welcome PUMA!

Welcome REI!

Two women smiling while running

Boston 10K for Women Welcomes REI Co-op as Presenting Sponsor

We are thrilled to announce a new presenting sponsorship of the Boston 10K for Women with Recreational Equipment, Inc., the nation’s leading outdoor retailer and largest consumer co-op, known globally as REI.

As the presenting sponsor of the longest-running all-women’s sporting event in New England, the race will now be named the Boston 10K for Women, presented by REI. Supported by more than four decades of the event’s tradition, the new race partnership is fueled by equity, inclusion, and a commitment to women’s health. Both REI and the event organizers believe that the act of running together can make our planet a more healthy and equitable place.

“We could not be more excited to deepen our commitment to runners and to the women of Boston and throughout New England, said Monika Bach, Regional Manager for Local Brand Engagement and Impact. “We believe in the transformative power of shared experiences and supporting opportunities that foster a more inclusive outdoors. Few events are more empowering and memorable than road races. We can’t wait to get started.”

A resource for running gear and expertise, REI will feature activations before and during the race. The co-op will also provide all 2021 participants with a limited-edition long sleeve tee shirt.

“We are overjoyed to welcome REI to our event, and love that their values as a company so closely overlap with ours,’ said Dusty Rhodes, founder of the race. “Since 1977, the Boston 10K for Women has brought out the best in women of all athletic abilities every October. From Olympians taking the tangents to the first-timers hitting new distance milestones, our runners have been inclusive, supportive, and inspiring at every step, and we’re excited for REI’s contributions.”

Held every year on the second Monday in October, race organizers yielded their traditional race date to accommodate the 125th Boston Marathon, scheduled for Monday, October 11, 2021. The race date for 2021 Boston 10K for Women will be announced in the near future, and the event will accommodate as much of an in-person component as it prudently and safely can.

New date coming for 2021!

We applaud the Boston Athletic Association for its commitment to safely host the 2021 Boston Marathon on October 11, 2021. The announcement of the 125th Boston Marathon date is a hopeful first step to the return of in-person events. As a longtime partner of the B.A.A., we are pleased to yield our traditional race date of the second Monday in October for the Marathon.

This will allow the Marathon to occur and deliver the economic impact that our region’s businesses, large and small, desperately need. It’s in the spirit of this partnership that we welcome back in-person races—including the 45th running of the Boston 10K for Women on a new date. We will provide additional information about the Boston 10K for Women and its new date soon.

The Boston 10K for Women, anywhere

A new approach for an upside-down year.

In what is the unfortunate reality of road racing in 2020, we’ve had to officially move the 2020 Boston 10K for Women to a virtual format this October.  We thought of many different scenarios in which we could organize a smaller, safer, in-person event, but decided not gather groups of any size while the threat of the pandemic continues.

We’re excited to introduce our virtual race for this October, in which runners can tackle the 6.2-mile distance at a time and location that is convenient for them. Beginning on Wednesday, October 7 and continuing through Monday, October 12, runners can tackle the distance, upload their results to our virtual leaderboard, and share the experience of Starting Strong, and Finishing Stronger with women from around the country. 

Registration for the 44th edition of the Boston 10K for Women opens on Monday, August 24 at 10:00 AM (ET), and registrants will receive our commemorative race shirt (must register by 11:00 PM (ET) on Monday, September 14), as well as other pre-race goodies. To learn more about the event, check out our virtual race details page here.

We’ve lowered the registration fee from $50 to $25, and encourage race participants to consider making a contribution to one of our four official charities at registration. As a part of runner’s registration, all runners will receive a pre-race participant package, and several perks sent via e-mail. Although there will be no programming at Boston Common on Monday, October 12, we’re excited to gather virtually this October and celebrate the speed, strength, and solidarity that continues to drive us all. 

A new look for Boston 10K for Women

With the beginning of a new decade comes the chance for many brands, events, and companies to switch up their look, logo, and colors. At the Boston 10K for Women, we did all three. We sat down with runner, mother, and graphic designer Mariya Michniewicz of Conventures to learn about the new race brand and the inspiration behind it.

How would you describe the new colors?

I would describe them as a bright shade of Royal Blue paired with a powerful, feminine and vibrant coral, which we call Bold Coral. The colors were inspired by the race history and energy.

How about the new logo?

We wanted to keep the logo simple, but also highlighting the distance and the word Women. We think it’s pretty incredible that the race remains the second longest-running all-women’s sporting event in the world.

What are some of the new design elements? We see a lot of miniature arrows and plus signs throughout.

The new identity we created mixes blocks of colors with patterns made of circles, plus signs and arrows. The circle represents the individual runner and brings a sense of completeness. The plus sign represents inclusion and togetherness. The up and forward pointing arrow represents the aspiration to uplift and empower women through running. Yes, we obsess over small details.

You are a runner yourself. Have you done this race before?

I have not, but I’ve been at the Start and Finish lines for the past 12 years. Watching the sea of strong women taking on the streets of Boston is so inspiring. I hope I get to experience this day as a runner too. Running it with my daughter, when she is old enough, will be the cherry on top.

Bobbi Gibb to be Official Starter

Women’s running pioneer and legend to start October’s race

In the 1960s, there was a belief—by some—that women where not physiologically able to run long distances. Roberta Gibb disagreed. She could regularly run for hours near her home in Southern California.

In 1966, Bobbi rode a bus for several days to Boston, allured by a new challenge—the Boston Marathon. She convinced her mother to drive her to Hopkinton, she hid in the bushes, and after the gun fired, she hopped into the race. She became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, and she changed history.

Five decades on she continues to inspire, and she’ll serve as our Official Starter on Columbus Day. We are thrilled, honored, and so proud to have one of the greatest athletic pioneers of our time with us.

To commemorate the pioneering era of women’s running, Bobbi has championed a project to install a statue of a woman runner near the Start Line in Hopkinton.

Currently there is no statue of a woman along the Boston Marathon course.

The project has recently been approved by the town of Hopkinton, and it is now in its final phase of fundraising.

You can help push this project over the finish line, and learn more about the endeavor here.

The Girl Who Ran

A burst of speed – 2018 race highlights

It’s nearly impossible to put all that electric race day energy into words, but we thought it was time we captured at least a bit of that magic in a video.

To the women running and the women we run for – this one’s for YOU!