On Monday, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced that they will not raise the entry standards for the 2025 and 2026 Boston Marathons. This news will be a sigh of relief for many runners who have already achieved a Boston qualifying time for 2025.
According to the B.A.A., the qualifying standards across all age brackets will remain the same as they were for the 2024 Boston Marathon. However, achieving a qualifying standard does not guarantee entry into the marathon. Those who are fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender group will be accepted if applications exceed capacity.
At the 2024 Boston Marathon, there was a cut-off time of five minutes and 29 seconds per age group, one of the largest since they were introduced at the race in 2012. There were over 33,000 applicants last year, with over 11,000 athletes turned down despite hitting qualifying times.
Due to the large number of athletes being turned down in 2024, there was much speculation about whether the B.A.A. would raise the entry standards for 2025. The field size for the 129th Boston Marathon will remain at 30,000 participants and run on Monday, April 21, 2025.
For those who have hit a qualifying time for 2025, mark your calendars and set a reminder. Registration will open on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET and will close on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The 2025 Boston Marathon qualifying window opened on Sept. 1, 2023, and will close at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Any athlete who has achieved a qualifying time in this window may submit a registration application.
The qualifying window for the 130th Boston Marathon, scheduled for April 20, 2026, will open on Sept. 1, 2024. Registration details for the 2026 race will be announced following the 2025 Boston Marathon.
