DAVID BOY, IT’S A GOOD THING THAT THESE RUNNERS HAVE STRONG HEARTS BECAUSE THE RACE TO QUALIFY FOR THIS YEAR’S MARATHON HAS TURNED OUT TO BE EXTRA STRESSFUL, AND TODAY, PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE WORLD ARE GETTING THOSE FAMOUS EMAILS FROM THE B.A.A. TELLING THEM WHETHER OR NOT THEY MADE THE CUT. NOW, JUST TO APPLY, JUST TO EVEN APPLY FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON RUNNER RUNNERS HAVE TO RUN OTHER MARATHONS AND THEY HAVE TO RUN THEM FAST ENOUGH TO QUALIFY FOR THEIR AGE AND GENDER GROUP. BUT SO MANY PEOPLE MET THE BAR THIS YEAR THAT THE ORGANIZERS, THEY RAISED IT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. THEY SHAVED OFF SIX MINUTES AND 51 SECONDS FROM THOSE QUALIFYING TIMES FOR EACH GROUP, AND ONLY PEOPLE WHO RAN AT LEAST THAT FAST WILL GET THE OFFICIAL ACCEPTANCE LETTER. WE’VE SEEN THEM EVEN MORE EXCITED WHEN THEY DON’T QUITE MAKE IT ACHIEVE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND THEN COME BACK TO BOSTON. THAT THRILL FOR THEM AND FOR US IS EVEN MORE HEIGHTENED. BOSTON IS THE ONLY AT LEAST THE WORLD MAJORS AND OUT OF ALL THE MARATHONS THAT HAVE THESE REALLY STRICT QUALIFYING STANDARDS, THERE’S NO LOTTERY SYSTEM. SO YOU’RE EITHER FUNDRAISING OR YOU’RE QUALIFYING. NOW, PEOPLE WHO SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION BUT DIDN’T RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO THE MARATHON, THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY THAT $250 ENTRANCE FEE. SMALL CONSOLATION AND THE MARATHON RECENTLY PUT OUT UPDATED TIMES THAT RUNNERS SHOULD SHOOT FOR TO QUALIFY FOR THE 2026 RACE, ORGANIZERS SAY PART OF THE REASON FOR THE SURGE IN APPLICATION IS BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE STARTED RUNNI
More than 12,000 Boston Marathon applicants won’t get into race after record set
More than 24,000 qualified athletes have been accepted into April’s race
More than 12,000 applicants who hoped to compete in the 129th running of the Boston Marathon are being denied entry after a record number of applications were received.The Boston Athletic Association said Tuesday that 24,069 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending final verification of their qualifying performance, to participate in the April 21, 2025 race. Qualifiers who were 6 minutes, 51 seconds or faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender have been accepted. Email notices to athletes accepted and not accepted have begun being issued by the B.A.A. and will continue through the coming days.The B.A.A. said 36,393 qualifier applications were received during registration week, a race record and significant increase from the previous record of 33,058 qualifier applications for the 2024 race. The Boston Marathon field size is set at 30,000 official entrants.“Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day, ready to race towards the finish in Boston,” said Jack Fleming, the president and CEO of the B.A.A. “The sport of marathoning is reaching record levels from both a participation and speed standpoint. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognize, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event.” The remainder of the Boston Marathon field will consist of invitational entrants, including runners participating as part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, as well as invited professional athletes and Para athletes.A history of qualifying times and past registration acceptance information can be found here. 129th BOSTON MARATHON QUALIFIER REGISTRATION BY THE NUMBERS: 36,393 applications were received during the registration period for qualifiers, a race record (note that this total has been updated from the 36,409 total announced on Sept. 16, as duplicate registration applications have been removed) 24,069 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of their qualifying performance. 12,324 qualifier applicants were unable to be accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon. This year’s ‘Cut-Off’ time needed to gain acceptance into the Boston Marathon was six minutes, 51 seconds or faster (6:51) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender. This year’s qualified field includes 13,740 men, 10,260 women, and 69 non-binary athletes to date. 709 qualifiers were accepted based on finishing 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons. Citizens of 118 countries were accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon. Residents of all 50 U.S. states (plus Washington, DC and additional U.S. territories) were accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon. The top five most popular qualifying races were the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2,584 entrants), 2024 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America (1,822 entrants), 2024 TCS London Marathon (1,101 entrants), 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon (809 entrants), and 2023 California International Marathon (749 entrants). Approximately 11,326 athletes will be racing their first Boston Marathon. The youngest and oldest accepted athletes are 18 and 83 years old, respectively. 1,286 Massachusetts residents are entered in the Boston Marathon. The next B.A.A. event will be the 2024 Boston Half presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, Sunday, Nov. 10.
More than 12,000 applicants who hoped to compete in the 129th running of the Boston Marathon are being denied entry after a record number of applications were received.
The Boston Athletic Association said Tuesday that 24,069 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending final verification of their qualifying performance, to participate in the April 21, 2025 race.
Qualifiers who were 6 minutes, 51 seconds or faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender have been accepted.
Email notices to athletes accepted and not accepted have begun being issued by the B.A.A. and will continue through the coming days.
The B.A.A. said 36,393 qualifier applications were received during registration week, a race record and significant increase from the previous record of 33,058 qualifier applications for the 2024 race.
The Boston Marathon field size is set at 30,000 official entrants.
“Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day, ready to race towards the finish in Boston,” said Jack Fleming, the president and CEO of the B.A.A. “The sport of marathoning is reaching record levels from both a participation and speed standpoint. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognize, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event.”
The remainder of the Boston Marathon field will consist of invitational entrants, including runners participating as part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, as well as invited professional athletes and Para athletes.
A history of qualifying times and past registration acceptance information can be found here.
129th BOSTON MARATHON QUALIFIER REGISTRATION BY THE NUMBERS:
- 36,393 applications were received during the registration period for qualifiers, a race record (note that this total has been updated from the 36,409 total announced on Sept. 16, as duplicate registration applications have been removed)
- 24,069 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of their qualifying performance.
- 12,324 qualifier applicants were unable to be accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon.
- This year’s ‘Cut-Off’ time needed to gain acceptance into the Boston Marathon was six minutes, 51 seconds or faster (6:51) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender.
- This year’s qualified field includes 13,740 men, 10,260 women, and 69 non-binary athletes to date.
- 709 qualifiers were accepted based on finishing 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons.
- Citizens of 118 countries were accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon.
- Residents of all 50 U.S. states (plus Washington, DC and additional U.S. territories) were accepted into the 129th Boston Marathon.
- The top five most popular qualifying races were the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2,584 entrants), 2024 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America (1,822 entrants), 2024 TCS London Marathon (1,101 entrants), 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon (809 entrants), and 2023 California International Marathon (749 entrants).
- Approximately 11,326 athletes will be racing their first Boston Marathon.
- The youngest and oldest accepted athletes are 18 and 83 years old, respectively.
- 1,286 Massachusetts residents are entered in the Boston Marathon.
The next B.A.A. event will be the 2024 Boston Half presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, Sunday, Nov. 10.
