REGISTRATION
The Boston Athletic Association will celebrate the 130th running of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on Monday, April 20, 2026.
GENERAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Qualifier registration will be held within the B.A.A.’s online platform Athletes' Village between September 8-12, 2025. Registration is not on a first-come, first-served basis, and applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on September 12.
The 2026 Boston Marathon qualifying window began on September 1, 2024, and will close at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 12. The 2027 Boston Marathon qualifying window will begin on Saturday, September 13.
Athletes who have currently active finisher streaks of 10 or more Boston Marathons will have an opportunity to register early.
Click here to view qualifying standards and qualifying information.
Athletes are asked not to contact the B.A.A. to check on the status of their entry unless requested to do so by a member of our Athlete Services team.
Please note: if you had pre-verified your time within Athletes' Village, you still needed to submit a registration application during registration week. Pre-verification does not guarantee, or substitute, open registration.
- All applications and qualifying times submitted during registration week will be verified and ranked by the B.A.A. based on the amount of time an athlete has run under their respective qualifying standard.
- Registration is not first-come, first-served.
- Applicants will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance once the B.A.A. has verified all qualifying times and applications. This will likely be in early October.
- If your application is accepted, only then will your credit card be charged the non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-deferrable entry fee. You may notice a preauthorization draft on your credit card statement. This authorization will be removed within seven to 10 business days. The actual charge will not appear on your credit card until your entry has been verified and accepted, and you've received a confirmation of acceptance email. The preauthorization does not constitute acceptance into the race. Only athletes who are accepted into the Boston Marathon will be charged the entry fee.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Please do not email the B.A.A. asking for a status update regarding your qualifying time verification or registration application. A member of our Athlete Services team will email you if we have any questions regarding your time.
- Due to field size limitations, achieving one's qualifying standard does not guarantee entry into the event, but simply the opportunity to submit a registration application.
- Click here to view Boston Marathon qualifying standards.
- Participants will have the opportunity to purchase registration protection at the point of registration. Participants who elected to purchase registration insurance, offered by RegShield, will be able to have entry fees refunded for multiple reasons including loss of job, pregnancy, illness, and injury. Refunds may only be eligible for those who purchase the insurance policy at the point of registration.
- Entries in the Boston Marathon are non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-deferable except for deferral requests made through the B.A.A.'s pregnancy and postpartum deferment policy. Only those who elect to purchase registration insurance may be eligible for refunds.
New Net-Downhill Course Procedures for Boston Marathon Qualifying Races
The B.A.A. annually reviews Boston Marathon qualifying rules and procedures to ensure that athletes are competing and applying for Boston Marathon entry without substantial advantages over fellow athletes.
Starting with registration for the 2027 Boston Marathon, qualifying results from any course with a net-downhill of 1,500-feet (457.2 meters) or more will incur a time adjustment to results, (known as an ‘index’) upon being submitted for Boston Marathon registration.
The below adjustment in rules will go into effect starting with the 2027 Boston Marathon qualifying window, which will open September 13, 2025.
“As the sport of marathoning has increased in popularity and the demand for a place in the Boston Marathon has reached record levels, the B.A.A. has continued to analyze race results from events across the world,” said Jack Fleming, B.A.A. President and Chief Executive Officer. “The new downhill course adjustments are the next step in our evolving Boston Marathon registration process. We wanted to give athletes and events ample time to prepare in advance of the 2027 Boston Marathon registration period. We know athletes plan their qualifying marathons well in advance.”
Net-Downhill Definition: The B.A.A. defines net-downhill as the difference in elevation between the start and finish points of an event. 1,500 feet is equal to 457.2 meters.
Downhill Results Indexing:
Starting with registration for the 2027 Boston Marathon, verified qualifying times from any course with a net-downhill of 1,500 or more feet will incur a time adjustment to results (known as an ‘index’) after being submitted for Boston Marathon registration. The below time indexes will be added after an official qualifying time is submitted for review to the B.A.A.
- Verified qualifying times from any course with a net-downhill of between 1,500 and 2,999 feet (457.2 meters and 914.1 meters) will incur a five-minute (+5:00 minutes) time adjustment to results once submitted to the B.A.A. for review.
- Verified qualifying times from any course with a net-downhill of between 3,000 and 5,999 feet (914.2 meters and 1,828.5 meters) will incur a ten-minute (+10:00 minutes) time adjustment to results once submitted to the B.A.A. for review.
- Any course with a net-downhill of 6,000 feet (1,828.6 meters) or greater will not be allowed for Boston Marathon qualifying purposes.
The above time indexes will be in place for at least the next two years, and the B.A.A. reserves the right to make additional adjustments in the future if deemed necessary.
Athletes are encouraged to visit World Athletics and USATF or their respective qualifying event’s website for information on course elevation and current certification to ensure events meet the above Boston Marathon qualifying criteria.
Examples of Downhill Time Indexes
Runner A is an 18-years-old man (qualifying standard of 2:55:00). Runner A times 2:45:30 at a marathon which features a net-downhill of 2,000 feet (609.6 meters) from start to finish. When applying to participate in the 2027 Boston Marathon, their result will incur a five-minute index and will be considered as 2:50:30 during the registration review process. Therefore, their result will be considered 4 minutes, 30 seconds under their 2:55:00 qualifying standard.
Runner B is a 40-year-old woman (qualifying standard of 3:35:00). Runner B times 3:20:30 at a marathon which features a net-downhill of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) from start to finish. When applying to participate in the 2027 Boston Marathon, their result will incur a ten-minute index and will be considered as 3:30:30 during the registration review process. Therefore, their result will be considered 4 minutes, 30 seconds under their 3:35:00 qualifying standard.
Runner C is a 35-year-old man (qualifying standard of 3:00:00). Runner C times 2:58:00 at a marathon which features a net-downhill of 2,500 feet (762 meters) from start to finish. Their result will incur a five-minute index and will be considered as 3:03:00. Therefore, their result will be considered 3 minutes over their 3:00:00 qualifying standard and Runner C will not be allowed to submit a qualifier application for entry.
PRE-VERIFICATION WILL OCCUR OVER SUMMER
In an effort to enhance the Boston Marathon registration experience, the B.A.A. will offer a special pre-verification period beginning in July for Boston Marathon qualifying times. Athletes who planned to register for the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America are able to take part in this pre-verification, helping to expedite your registration application in September.
For those who anticipate finishing near or after 5:30, please review our Finish Line protocol.
THE 129TH BOSTON MARATHON CLIMATE CREW
The deadline to apply for the 2025 B.A.A. Climate Crew has passed.
Team Benefits include:
- A pre-race virtual meet & greet and race day overview with a Boston Marathon icon
- Dedicated bib number pick-up opportunity at the Bank of America Boston Marathon Expo
- Boston Climate Crew themed race-day item and Climate Crew emblem on bib number
- Opportunity to participate in a shakeout run led by a Boston Marathon icon on race weekend
- Special Boston Climate Crew transportation to Athletes’ Village
- Special Boston Climate Crew indoor space in Athletes’ Village
- Sustainability-focused commemorative gift
Fundraising to Make a Difference
Athletes who are part of the Climate Crew pledge to fundraise a minimum of $1,500 which will go towards supporting the Boston Marathon’s ongoing sustainability initiatives. This includes reducing the carbon footprint of the event by way of R.E.C. purchases or carbon offsetting (under guidance of Schneider Electric and Blue Strike Environmental), and/or purchases of reusable or sustainability focused products or services.
The safety of our participants, volunteers and all others connected to the Boston Marathon is our priority.
Changes to the race route or a pause/cancelation of the race can occur prior to or during the race due to a wide range of public safety situations.
We ask all participants to STAY ALERT, BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS and FOLLOW DIRECTIONS given to you at any point in time from public safety officials and volunteers. Information can be shared in a variety of ways, depending on the situation.
This includes through our volunteers and public announcement systems along the course; direct communication from public safety officials along the route, updates through the B.A.A. Racing App, emergency text alerts (for those within the targeted location). Your cooperation and support, should an incident occur, will help everyone have the best day possible.