The Boston Marathon is nothing short of legendary.
First run in 1897, it’s the oldest continuously run marathon in the world. Held annually on Patriots’ Day—the third Monday in April—it’s more than just a race; it’s a cherished tradition woven into the fabric of New England culture.
Widely considered the centerpiece of the now seven Abbott Marathon Majors, Boston remains one of the most prestigious and sought-after marathons in the world.
Each year, approximately 30,000 athletes take on the historic 26.2-mile course, starting in Hopkinton, MA, and winding through eight towns before finishing on the iconic Boylston Street in downtown Boston.
With an average finish rate of over 98%, the event attracts some of the most dedicated and resilient runners globally. From the infamous Heartbreak Hill to the electric crowd support, the Boston Marathon continues to set the gold standard for road racing.
One of the reasons the Boston Marathon is so coveted is that you can’t simply sign up—you have to earn your spot. There’s no lottery, no waitlist. Entry is reserved for runners who meet strict qualifying standards, and for many, achieving a Boston Qualifier takes years of dedication, discipline, and training.
Think you’ve got what it takes to toe the line in Hopkinton? Keep reading to check out the latest Boston Marathon qualifying times and see where you stand. Just don’t be surprised if chasing that finish line on Boylston Street becomes your next big goal.
How To Qualify For The Boston Marathon
#1: Know Your Qualifying Standard
Check the official Boston Marathon qualifying times based on your age and gender. These standards change periodically, so be sure you’re looking at the correct year—2026 standards were recently lowered by 5 minutes for most age groups.
The official website for the Boston Marathon1 Qualify | Boston Athletic Association. (n.d.). Www.baa.org. https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/qualify is the best place to check any changes to qualifying times.
2026 Boston Marathon Qualifying Times for Men
| Age Group | Qualifying Time | Pace (min/mile) | Pace (min/km) |
| 18-34 | 2hrs 55min 00sec | 6:41 | 4:09 |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 00min 00sec | 6:52 | 4:16 |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 05min 00sec | 7:04 | 4:23 |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 15min 00sec | 7:26 | 4:37 |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 20min 00sec | 7:38 | 4:44 |
| 55-59 | 3hrs 30min 00sec | 8:01 | 4:59 |
| 60-64 | 3hrs 50min 00sec | 8:46 | 5:27 |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 05min 00sec | 9:21 | 5:48 |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 20min 00sec | 9:55 | 6:09 |
| 75-79 | 4hrs 35min 00sec | 10:29 | 6:31 |
| 80 and over | 4hrs 50min 00sec | 11:02 | 6:52 |
2026 Boston Marathon Qualifying Times for Women
| Age Group | Qualifying Time | Pace (min/mile) | Pace (min/km) |
| 18-34 | 3hrs 25min 00sec | 7:49 | 4:52 |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 30min 00sec | 8:01 | 4:59 |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 35min 00sec | 8:12 | 5:06 |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 45min 00sec | 8:35 | 5:20 |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 50min 00sec | 8:47 | 5:27 |
| 55-59 | 4hrs 00min 00sec | 9:09 | 5:41 |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 20min 00sec | 9:55 | 6:09 |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 35min 00sec | 10:29 | 6:31 |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 50min 00sec | 11:02 | 6:52 |
| 75-79 | 5hrs 05min 00sec | 11:36 | 7:12 |
| 80 and over | 5hrs 20min 00sec | 12:09 | 7:33 |
2026 Boston Marathon Qualifying Times for For Non-Binary Athletes
| Age Group | Qualifying Time | Pace (min/mile) | Pace (min/km) |
| 18-34 | 3hrs 25min 00sec | 7:49 | 4:52 |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 30min 00sec | 8:01 | 4:59 |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 35min 00sec | 8:12 | 5:06 |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 45min 00sec | 8:35 | 5:20 |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 50min 00sec | 8:47 | 5:27 |
| 55-59 | 4hrs 00min 00sec | 9:09 | 5:41 |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 20min 00sec | 9:55 | 6:09 |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 35min 00sec | 10:29 | 6:31 |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 50min 00sec | 11:02 | 6:52 |
| 75-79 | 5hrs 05min 00sec | 11:36 | 7:12 |
| 80 and over | 5hrs 20min 00sec | 12:09 | 7:33 |
#2: Run a Boston Qualifier-Eligible Race
Runners will need to choose and run BQ-eligible race during the official qualifying window. For the 2026 Boston Marathon, the window opened on September 1, 2024 and will run through the end of registration in the fall (dates to be announced).
Although the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) doesn’t have an official list of certified courses, their website does have a list of some of the top qualifying races every year.
This isn’t a complete list of races you must run to qualify for Boston, nor is it a ranking of races with the highest BQ rates. Instead, it highlights some of the most popular marathons where runners commonly earn their Boston Qualifiers.
- Chicago Marathon
- New York City Marathon
- California International Marathon
- Philadelphia Marathon
- Erie Marathon
- Mountains 2 Beach Marathon
- REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon
- Berlin Marathon
- Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
- Twin Cities Marathon
- London Marathon
- St George Marathon
- Richmond Marathon
- Grandma’s Marathon
- Ottawa Marathon
- Phoenix Marathon
- Baystate Marathon
- REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon
- Lehigh Valley Via Marathon
- Steamtown Marathon
- Marine Corps Marathon
- Mohawk Hudson River Marathon
- Jack and Jill’s Downhill Marathon
- Bayshore Marathon
While this list includes popular choices, the best races for earning a Boston Qualifier are typically fast and flat courses.
Look for a race known for favorable running weather based on its location and time of year. It also helps to choose one with a large enough field so you’ll have other runners around your goal pace to help keep you motivated and on track.
#3: Meet (And Beat) Your Boston Qualifying Time
In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon, runners have to post a race time at an official marathon that is faster than the qualifying times based on age and gender.
Qualifying times are based on official finish times, also known as net time or chip time.
In order for race day times to be a valid, they must be from a certified full marathon. Races shorter than a full marathon are not accepted, nor are times from indoor marathons or virtual marathons.
#4: Apply During Registration Week
Registration typically opens in September the year before the race. The B.A.A. uses a rolling registration system based on how far under the qualifying time you are—so the faster you are, the earlier you can apply.
During the registration window, athletes who have qualified will be permitted to submit an application on the BAA website. Not everyone who qualifies for Boston is guaranteed entry—it depends on how many runners apply in your age group.
The fastest runners are accepted first, so the more you beat your qualifying time by, the better your chances of getting in.
For example, the Boston Marathon qualifying standard for men aged 40-44 is 3:05:00. A runner who has run 2:55:00 at his qualifying race has a much better chance of being accepted than a runner who has run 3:04:59.
#5: Wait for the Cutoffs to Be Announced
After registration closes, the B.A.A. announces the “cutoff”—the time by which you needed to beat your qualifying standard to get accepted. Not all qualifiers make the cut if the field size is exceeded.
The cutoff time is the margin by which you need to beat your qualifying standard to actually secure a spot. For example, if your BQ is 3:30:00 and the cutoff is 3 minutes, you’d need to have run 3:27:00 or faster to be accepted.
Here’s the tricky part: cutoff times aren’t announced until after registration closes and all applications are reviewed. That means you’re essentially running your qualifier without knowing the exact time you’ll need to hit—making it a bit of a gamble.
Historically, cutoff times have varied from year to year, but before the B.A.A. tightened qualifying standards in 2020 and now 2026, the cutoffs were steadily rising. That’s why they lowered the qualifying standards by 5 minutes across all age and gender divisions.
To improve your chances of getting into the race, it’s a smart strategy to aim for at least 5 minutes under your official qualifying time. While that doesn’t guarantee entry, it’s generally been a safe buffer based on recent trends.
The following table shows the field size, cut-off times in minutes and seconds and the number of qualified applicants who were not accepted based on the qualifying time for the past years:
| Year | Field Size | Cut-Off Time | Number of Qualifiers Not Accepted |
| 2012 | 27,000 | 1:14 | 3,228 |
| 2013 | 36,000 | 0:00 | 0 |
| 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 |
| 2023 | 30,000 | 0:00 | 0 |
| 2024 | 30,000 | 5:29 | 11,039 |
| 2025 | 30,000 | 6:51 | 12,324 |
The 2021 Boston Marathon had a particularly severe cut off time simply because they had to reduce the field size to 20,000 in response to COVID-19 and so it was particularly competitive to qualify for the race.
Interestingly, for the 126th Boston Marathon in 2022, every runner who ran a Boston Marathon qualifying time was accepted into the race, making it one of the two years that were an exception to the usual trend.
This is possibly due to the fact that the field size was increased to 30,000 runners from 20,000 in 2021, wherein it had been reduced by 10,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, perhaps fewer runners were able to find and train for a qualifying race amidst the relative shutdown of many road races during the qualifying window due to the global pandemic.
Nonetheless, nearly every year in recent years, there are far more applicants for the race than allowable entrants due to the limitations of the field size.
As a result, after sorting through all of the Boston Marathon applications based on age and gender, the BAA comes out with Boston Marathon cut-off times for that year‘s race.
#6: If Accepted, Celebrate and Prepare
If you’re in—congrats! You’ll receive confirmation from the B.A.A. with next steps. Then it’s time to start planning and training for race day in April.
Why Are the Boston Marathon Qualifying Times Faster Than They Used to Be?
If you’ve been eyeing a Boston Qualifier, you may have noticed a big change for 2026: qualifying times for runners ages 18–59 have been cut by 5 minutes.
Why the shift?
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) reviewed years of race data and trends across the marathon world, and, discovered, more people are running marathons—and running them faster.
At the same time, demand for a bib at Boston has continued to rise, making it harder for even qualified runners to get in.
B.A.A. President and CEO Jack Fleming stated that they have had to turn away thousands of runners who have hit the standard in recent years. After carefully analyzing the numbers, they made the decision to tighten the standards for 2026.
For athletes under 60, this means your qualifying time just got five minutes tougher—but with Boston as the prize, the challenge is part of the journey.
If you are looking to get started on your journey to a Boston BQ, check out our training plan database:
