QUALIFY FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON
Athletes must meet time standards which correspond to age and gender
- For the 2023 Boston Marathon, the qualifying window began on September 1, 2021.
- Registration for the 2023 Boston Marathon took place over five days, September 12-September 16, 2022.
- The qualifying times below are based upon each athlete's age on the date of the 2023 Boston Marathon (April 17, 2023).
- Qualifying times are based on official submitted net time (also known as chip 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.
- In recent years, not all qualifiers who submit an entry have been accepted due to field size restrictions.
- If the total amount of submissions surpasses the allotted field size for qualified athletes, then those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender group will be accepted.
- See the current qualifying standards below.
- The qualifying window for the 2023 Boston Marathon is open from September 1, 2021 through the conclusion of the registration period, 5:00PM ET on September 16, 2022.
- Qualifying times may be used for multiple race registrations so long as the achieved qualifying time was run within the race's specified qualifying window. The qualifying window for the 2023 Boston Marathon is September 1, 2021 through the conclusion of the registration period, September 16, 2022. The qualifying window for the 2022 Boston Marathon was September 1, 2019 through November 12, 2021. As such, any time run between September 1, 2021 and the November 12, 2021 qualifying window that was used for 2022 registration may still be used for 2023 registration. Please note that achieving and submitting a qualifying time for multiple races does not guarantee acceptance.
- Entry fees and information on health and safety guidelines, including any COVID-19 policies, will be announced in the coming weeks. For the third straight year, participants will have the opportunity to purchase registration insurance at the point of registration.
- The qualifying window for the 128th Boston Marathon, scheduled to take place on April 15, 2024, will begin on September 1, 2022. Registration details for that race will be announced following the 2023 Boston Marathon.
| Age Group | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 3hrs 00min 00sec | 3hrs 30min 00sec |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 05min 00sec | 3hrs 35min 00sec |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 10min 00sec | 3hrs 40min 00sec |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 20min 00sec | 3hrs 50min 00sec |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 25min 00sec | 3hrs 55min 00sec |
| 55-59 | 3hrs 35min 00sec | 4hrs 05min 00sec |
| 60-64 | 3hrs 50min 00sec | 4hrs 20min 00sec |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 05min 00sec | 4hrs 35min 00sec |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 20min 00sec | 4hrs 50min 00sec |
| 75-79 | 4hrs 35min 00sec | 5hrs 05min 00sec |
| 80 and over | 4hrs 50min 00sec | 5hrs 20min 00sec |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- The qualifying window will remain open until the conclusion of registration for the Boston Marathon (once the maximum field size has been reached). Registration dates will be announced in the coming months.
- Only a certified full marathon distance will be accepted for qualifying.
- Distances shorter than a full marathon will not be accepted.
- Times from indoor marathons or virtual marathons are not accepted for qualifying purposes.
- We accept qualifying times from USATF, AIMS, or foreign equivalent certified courses.
- The Boston Marathon does not designate which races meet qualifying standards.
- You must directly contact the race you wish to qualify at to see if they have a current certification.
- Extensive calendars of upcoming marathons in your area can be found at:
- All qualifying times are subject to review and verification.
- Minimum age requirement for the Boston Marathon is 18 years of age on race day.
- Though the B.A.A. will email registrants upon the completion of their form, runners are not officially entered into the race until their qualifying time is verified. The amount of time it takes to verify qualifying times may vary and can be as long as several days, depending on the qualifying marathon.
Qualifying History
Historically, runners who beat their qualifying standard by a larger amount of time are more likely to be accepted into the Boston Marathon. Due to field size limitations, as well as a heightened interest in participation, a varying "cut-off" time (a time below the minimum qualifying standard for age and gender) has been established. Below is a list of when entrants needed to obtain a faster time than their minimum standard in order to be accepted into the race:
| YEAR | FIELD SIZE | "CUT-OFF TIME"* | QUALIFIERS NOT ACCEPTED |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 27,000 | 1:14 | 3,228 |
| 2014 | 36,000 | 1:38 | 2,976 |
| 2015 | 30,000 | 1:02 | 1,947 |
| 2016 | 30,000 | 2:28 | 4,562 |
| 2017 | 30,000 | 2:09 | 2,957 |
| 2018 | 30,000 | 3:23 | 5,062 |
| 2019 | 30,000 | 4:52 | 7,248 |
| 2020 | 31,500 | 1:39 | 3,161 |
| 2021 | 20,000 | 7:47 | 9,215 |
| 2022 | 30,000 | 0:00 | 0* |
*Any athlete who submitted an invalid time, a finish result for a distance other than a qualifying marathon, or a time not within the designated qualifying window will not be accepted.
To see more history about Boston Marathon qualifying standards, click below:
Non-Binary Athletes
The Boston Athletic Association is currently working on expanding opportunities for non-binary athletes at our events, including the upcoming 2023 Boston Marathon. While we do not currently have qualifying standards for non-binary athletes, we are working on ways non-binary participants are accepted into the event.
Non-binary athletes who have completed a marathon as a non-binary participant during the current qualifying window (September 1, 2021 through September 16, 2022) may submit an entry application into the 2023 Boston Marathon between September 12-16, 2022. Entry into the event will be determined by an athlete’s submitted time and based on the Boston Marathon’s overall field size limit. The Boston Marathon registration application will feature the option to select non-binary in regards to gender.
Discussions are ongoing with non-binary athletes in an effort to further promote inclusion at all B.A.A. events.
With this being our first year, we do not yet have enough data to establish non-binary qualifying times. Therefore, we will use the times listed below, as they are inclusive of the qualifying times for the two existing divisions. As we prepare for future races, participants can expect non-binary times to be updated accordingly. We view this first year as an opportunity to learn and grow together.
| Age Group | Non-Binary Time |
|---|---|
| 18-34 | 3hrs 30min 00sec |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 35min 00sec |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 40min 00sec |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 50min 00sec |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 55min 00sec |
| 55-59 | 4hrs 05min 00sec |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 20min 00sec |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 35min 00sec |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 50min 00sec |
| 75-79 | 5hrs 05min 00sec |
| 80 and over | 5hrs 20min 00sec |