Qualify for the Boston Marathon

Qualifying times must be run at a certified event.

• 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.
• All qualifying times are subject to review and verification.
• Races courses must be certified by USA Track and Field, Association for International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), or a national governing body for distance running for the country in which the race is held.

• To check if a race is certified, please contact the event you are intending to compete in directly.
• If the race you intend to run is not yet certified by USATF, AIMS, or foreign equivalent, please have the directors of the race secure such a designation before you attempt to qualify within the race.
• Qualifying times attained on non-certified courses will not be recognized by the Boston Athletic Association.
• Qualifying marathons for Boston must meet the following criteria:
  • USA Track and Field (or foreign equivalent) certified to attest to the exact 26.2 mile distance
  • Three or more officially entered competitors
  • Event must be advertised and promoted prior the race day
  • Transponder timing system is used as the official timing device
  • Run outdoors
  • If a course is NOT timed utilizing a transponder system, written, recorded check-sheets at each 5k checkpoint are acceptable and to supplement the recording with video images of runners running along the race course and across the finish line
  • The B.A.A. does not accept time-trials, handicapped marathons, treadmill marathons or marathons conducted indoors as qualifying events
  • The B.A.A. will only honor a qualifying performance achieved at an Ironman if the marathon portion of the event is officially timed and certified to attest to the exact 26.2 mile distance
  • If a race course is altered from its most previous certification and measurement, a new measurement and certification must be made before the next occurrence of the marathon is held. All of these changes must be submitted by the race director and approved by USATF, AIMS, or foreign equivalent.
• 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.

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.

1970 QUALIFYING TIME – 4:00

“A runner must submit the certification of either the Long Distance Running chairman of the Amateur Athletics Union of his district or his college coach that he has trained sufficiently to finish the course in less than four hours. This is not a jogging race” – 1970 race application

Rationale: The 1960s witnessed the start of this country’s first significant running boom. As a result, the Boston Marathon starting field size grew at a steady rate from 197 in 1960 to 447 in 1965, and 1,342 by 1969. At the time, B.A.A. officials thought that a field size of more than 1,000 athletes may create a congested course that could compromise the overall quality of the Boston Marathon race experience.

1971 QUALIFYING TIME – 3:30

“An athlete has to have run a marathon in under three hours, thirty minutes; or, in the last year to have run ten miles in 65 minutes or under; 15 miles in 1:45, or 20 miles in 2:30.” – 1971 race application

Rationale: The 1970 standards reduced the field size for that year to 1,174, but the number of entrants still exceeded the ideal field size of 1,000 runners. The qualifying time became 30 minutes faster a year later, resulting in a field size of 1,067 in 1971.

1972 TO 1976 QUALIFYING TIME – 3:30

“A runner must have completed any previous B.A.A. or other sanctioned marathon within 3 hours, 30 minutes, or in the past year have completed an A.A.U. sanctioned long distance race of at 20 kilometers with the following time limits: 1:25 for 20 kilometers, 1:45 for 15 miles, and 2:30 for 20 miles.” 1972 race application

Rationale: Women were allowed to officially run the Boston Marathon beginning with the 1972 race, and were held to the same qualifying standards as the men. Races shorter than the marathon distance were considered qualifying races due to the limited number of marathons at the time.

1977 TO 1979 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: The running boom continued through the 1970s, and the number of women participants nearly doubled from 1976 to 1977 (78 to 141). It was at this time the B.A.A. and public safety officials from the eight cities and towns determined that the Boston Marathon race course could accommodate several thousand entrants. Controlled growth soon became the objective. For the first time, age division was taken into account for men’s entrants.

1980 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: With 7,927 entrants in the 1979 race (an increase of 3,163 from 1978) the standards were tightened for all potential competitors to curb the dramatic growth that occurred during the preceding year.

1981 – 1983 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: An increase in the number of female competitors resulted in the creation of a women’s masters division. Between 1978 and 1980, the number of female participants doubled (227 to 456). In 1978, there were 12 female masters runners, and in 1980 there were 23. The growing number of 50+ year-old male competitors also resulted in the creation of two more age divisions in the men’s race.

1984 – 1986 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: The early 1980s witnessed a growing number of female participants over the age of 40 years old, resulting in the creation of additional age divisions in the women’s race, beginning in 1984.

*The minimum age for entry was set at 18 years old beginning with the 1986 race. Previously, athletes had to be at least 19 years of age to compete in the Boston Marathon.

1987 – 1989 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: The sponsorship of the race by John Hancock Financial in 1986 resulted in greater volunteer support, and an increasingly sophisticated race organization. This led the B.A.A. to the conclusion that it could accommodate fields approaching 10,000 participants. Additionally, the finish line was relocated that same year to Copley Square Park, which created additional space in the finish area. The B.A.A. relaxed the qualifying times for the open races and developed age divisions for older runners who could qualify with a slower time.

1990 – 2002 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: “The decision to adjust the standards was made after careful review of recent marathon performances in all age categories, and in response to discussions with many athletes who have competed at the marathon distance. The new standards represent more equitable requirements for all athletes. The new qualifying scheme has been refined to better accommodate the differences which naturally occur with the various age groups. First-class course security, unparalleled community and volunteer support, and state-of-the-art finish line systems enable us to allow many more athletes the opportunity to compete at Boston.” – Guy Morse, Race Director

2003 – 2012 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: The new qualifying times for runners 45-years and older reflected the B.A.A.’s ability and desire to accommodate more participants. For the 2003 race, the field size limit was set at 20,000 participants, an increase of 5,000 from the 2002 Boston Marathon. The adjustment in the qualifying times followed a review and analysis of performances across the sport. In addition, three new age groups were created.

2012 – NEW REGISTRATION PROCESS

In 2012, a “rolling admission” registration process began, allowing the fastest qualifiers to register first. On the first day of registration, those who were eligible for entry by having met the qualifying standards for their age and gender group by 20 minutes or more were able to enter. On the third day, registration opened for those who met their qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more. On the fifth day, registration opened for those who met their qualifying standards by five minutes or more. Having not met the field size limit, registration opened to all qualifiers at the beginning of Week Two, and those who had met the qualifying standards by any amount of time were able to apply for entry.

“As the number of qualified runners has increased, combined with greater demand to run the Boston Marathon, our new registration process enables those who qualify by the greatest amount of time to have the longest period to enter.” – Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Chief Operating Officer.

This was the first year since qualifying standards were introduced that qualified entrants were not accepted. 3,228 applicants were unable to be accepted due to the large number of eligible qualifiers who submitted an application for entry combined with field size limitations.

2013 – 2019 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: In February of 2011, the B.A.A. announced that the qualifying standards for the 2013 Boston Marathon would increase by 5 minutes for each age division. Additionally, to recognize and to encourage longtime Boston Marathon entrants, the B.A.A. began to allow those who have met the qualifying times and who have finished the last ten consecutive Boston Marathons to enter during an early registration period. Before this, the last time Boston Marathon qualifying times were made more stringent was for the 1980 Boston Marathon.

2020 – 2025 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: “We have adjusted the qualifying standards for the 2020 Boston Marathon as the number of marathoners who have submitted applications to run the Boston Marathon has increased significantly during the most recent two registration years. We forecast the interest in running Boston as continuing. We know that the running community pays close attention to our qualifying times for their age group because they are important factors in their training, racing and race selection. As such, for the 2020 Boston Marathon, adjustments to all age group qualifying standards will be five minutes (5:00) faster than previous standards.” – Tom Grilk, CEO, Boston Athletic Association

2026 QUALIFYING TIMES

Rationale: After a thorough analysis of Boston Marathon entry data spanning many years, qualifying results, and marathon race participation globally, the B.A.A. announced adjustments to qualifying standards for the 2026 Boston Marathon for athletes ages 18-59 on September 16, 2024.

“As we have witnessed in recent years, the sport of marathoning is growing and athletes continue to get faster,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO. “At the same time, demand to participate in the Boston Marathon has steadily grown as well, and unfortunately in recent years we’ve had to turn away thousands of runners who’ve achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times. After a careful analysis of results data, we have adjusted the qualifying standards by five minutes for the 2026 Boston Marathon for athletes under the age of 60.

JUNE 16, 2025 Announcement: 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.

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.

*”Cut-Off Time” refers to the amount of time one needed to be below their respective qualifying standard in order to be accepted. This becomes apparent when we receive more registration submissions that the allowable field size limit.

*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.