The B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, highlights the beauty of Boston and Brookline's Emerald Necklace park system while furthering the Boston Athletic Association's mission of promoting health and fitness. The 13.1-mile, out and back, rolling course, begins and ends at White Stadium in Boston's Franklin Park. The park, one of the oldest in America, is located in Boston's Jamaica Plain and Dorchester neighborhoods.

The half marathon is organized by the B.A.A., which is best known for its Boston Marathon, and the race is the final event during the calendar year for the B.A.A. Distance Medley: a three-race series which combines the B.A.A. 5K in April, the B.A.A. 10K in June, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend in October. The inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon was in 2001, and the field size is limited. Since the race's inception, the B.A.A. Half Marathon has grown in popularity and now reaches its maximum field size as soon as registration opens.