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
Registration will be held within the B.A.A.’s online platform Athletes' Village, with dates to be announced soon. Registration is not on a first-come, first-served basis, and applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday of registration week.
The 2026 Boston Marathon qualifying window began on September 1, 2024, and closed at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, 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.
Non-Binary Athletes
The Boston Athletic Association is actively working on expanding opportunities for non-binary athletes at our events, including the Boston Marathon.
The times listed here will serve as non-binary qualifying times, as they are inclusive of the qualifying times for the two existing men's and women's divisions. As we prepare for future races, participants can expect non-binary times to be updated accordingly.
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.