The countdown is on as registration for the 129th Boston Marathon opens next Monday, Sept. 9, and runs through to Friday, Sept. 13. Runners from around the world who have met their Boston qualifying time can submit their applications for the 2025 race, but qualifying is just the start. The real question is: will your time be fast enough to beat the 2025 cut-off?
Last year, 33,058 hopefuls submitted their times for the 2024 Boston Marathon, but a staggering 11,000 were rejected, as the cut-off time jumped to five minutes and 29 seconds. Simply hitting the qualifying standard wasn’t enough—you had to crush it. Only 66 per cent of applicants toed the start line, the second-lowest acceptance rate in the event’s history.
This year, with even more runners aiming to qualify, the competition to get into the world’s most prestigious race will be tougher. With the B.A.A. announcing they are maintaining their field size of 30,000 runners for 2025, many who hit the official BQ (Boston Qualifier) time for their age group will find themselves in the same position—wondering if their time is good enough to beat the dreaded cut-off time.
Previous Boston Marathon cut-off times and applicants (2018-2024)
| YEAR | FIELD SIZE | QUALIFIER APPLICATIONS RECEIVED | QUALIFIER ATHLETES ACCEPTED | QUALIFIER ATHLETES REJECTED | CUT-OFF TIME |
| 2024 | 30,000 | 33,058 | 22,019 | 11,039 | 5:29 |
| 2023 | 30,000 | 23,267 | all | 0 | 0:00 |
| 2022 | 30,000 | 22,936 | all | 0 | 0:00 |
| 2021 | 20,000 | 23,824 | 14,609 | 9,215 | 7:47 |
| 2020 | 31,500 | 27,288 | 24,127 | 3,161 | 1:39 |
| 2019 | 30,000 | 30,458 | 23,074 | 7,384 | 4:52 |
| 2018 | 30,000 | 28,260 | 23,198 | 5,062 | 3:23 |
How does Boston Marathon qualifying work?
Registration for the Boston Marathon isn’t first-come, first-served. The B.A.A. uses a rolling system that favours the fastest runners. So, while achieving a qualifying time is required, only the speediest in each age and gender group will be granted entry. And that’s just the start. The 30,000 spots aren’t all up for grabs—many are reserved for elite and invited athletes, charity runners and sponsors, leaving about 23,000 spots for qualifiers. This means thousands of hopefuls, who rightfully achieved the standards, could be on the sidelines.
The qualifying window for the 2025 Boston Marathon opened in September 2023, and will officially close on Sept. 13, 2024. The application process is hosted via the B.A.A.’s online platform, Athletes’ Village, and registration will prioritize the fastest qualifiers among each age and gender group for acceptance.
What can applicants expect?
If last year’s record-breaking numbers are any indication, the cut-off time for the 2025 Boston Marathon could fall between six and eight minutes. With marathon running booming worldwide, the race expects around 35,000 applications, meaning runners will need to go well beyond the minimum qualifying times to secure a spot. The exact cut-off time will not come out until all the applications are processed after the registration deadline. For those who qualify, the entry cost is USD 250 (CAD 335), and fees will only be processed once athletes are officially accepted.
Applications will be processed over two to three weeks following the Sept. 13 deadline, with runners likely finding out whether they got in by the end of the month. The 2025 Boston Marathon is scheduled for Monday, April 21, Patriots Day in Massachusetts.
