CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard Athletics is pleased to announce that Ed Baker '01 has endowed the Harvard-Yale/Oxford-Cambridge (HYOC) Track Meet, a longstanding tradition between these four storied universities that recently celebrated its 126th anniversary earlier this spring.

The HYOC meet traditionally rotates in location between the four schools, sending participants across the Atlantic to compete every two years while providing a special opportunity for the student-athletes to test their athletic prowess and develop meaningful friendships through this cultural exchange. The HYOC endowment will ensure that Crimson student-athlete participation is funded in perpetuity and establishes a legacy that will shape the Harvard Track experience for generations to come. In recognition of Baker's generosity, the Ed Baker HYOC Distance Award will be presented at every HYOC meet, both foreign and domestic, to the best distance runner. 

"I'm looking forward to presenting the inaugural Ed Baker HYOC Distance Award on Wednesday night and remain grateful to Ed and his family for their incredible generosity," shared Jason Saretsky, The William W. "Bill" McCurdy Director of Track and Field/Cross Country. "This gift and the opportunity to travel and compete with our British counterparts will have a lasting impact on generations of Harvard Track and Field student-athletes. What better way to further the Department's mission of enriching education through athletics and building community and pride."

As a Crimson athlete, Baker was a four-time letterwinner in cross-country, earning Academic All-Ivy nods twice, All-New England Team honors in 1999 and All-Ivy First-Team honors in 2000, and serving as captain both his junior and senior years. In Indoor Track, Baker earned three varsity letters and secured All-Ivy Second Team honors in the 5,000m in 2001. Baker was a two-time varsity letterwinner in Outdoor Track and received Harvard's Helmus Improvement Award at the 1999 Track team banquet. After running a 1:05:17 half marathon and 2:21 marathon post-college, Baker is a now a competitive triathlete with first place overall wins at both Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz.

"Participating in the HYOC track meet was one of the most memorable experiences of my time at Harvard," said Baker. "Not only was it an enlightening cultural exchange, but teaming up with our Ivy League archival against the Brits created many new, long-lasting friendships. I'll never forget it, and I'm thrilled to know that Harvard student-athletes will continue to benefit from this trip in perpetuity."

An investor, entrepreneur, and growth specialist, Baker is currently the founder and CEO of AnyQuestion and serves on the Friends of Harvard Track Board as their major gifts chair. He and his wife Sarah have four children and live in Cambridge, MA.