The Boston Marathon, held annually on the third Monday of April—Patriots’ Day—is one of the most famous and iconic marathons in the world.
First run in 1897, the Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon and is recognized for its challenging course along the historic streets of Boston.
Over the years, the race has grown in popularity and reputation, leading to the development of a qualification system designed to ensure that only top-tier runners compete.
But it wasn’t always like that. Initially, there was no qualifying time…and almost no runners. So, how have the Boston Marathon qualification times evolved over time?
The Early Boston Marathon
The inaugural Boston Marathon in 1897 only featured 15 participants, and anyone willing to run was welcome to join. For decades, the race operated on an open entry system where runners could simply register and compete. As the event gained popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly during the post-World War II running boom, the number of participants gradually increased.
The Post-WW2 Running Boom
The post-WW2 running boom refers to the surge in popularity of recreational running that began in the 1960s and continued through the 1980s. Fueled by increasing awareness of fitness, the success of runners like Frank Shorter, and advancements in running technology, the boom saw millions of people taking up running as a hobby. Major marathons and running events grew in prominence, making running accessible to a broad audience and establishing it as a key component of modern fitness culture.
By the late 1960s, the running community was growing rapidly, and marathons were becoming more mainstream and more competitive. However, the Boston Marathon remained relatively small compared to today’s standards. Without qualification times, it was still open to amateur and elite runners alike.
Introduction Of The Qualification Standards
In 1970, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), the event’s organizing body, introduced the first set of qualification standards. The intent was to manage the growing number of participants and preserve the competitive nature of the race.
To qualify, male runners needed to finish a marathon in under 4 hours. No separate standard was set for women since women were not officially allowed to enter the race until 1972.
First Official Female Qualification
The year 1972 was a landmark moment for women in the sport, as the Boston Marathon officially allowed female runners to compete. The BAA established a qualifying time of 3 hours and 30 minutes for women, faster than many expected, reflecting the belief that only the top female runners should compete.
The Kathrine Switzer Story
Kathrine Switzer is a trailblazing figure in sports history, best known for being the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967. At a time when women were not allowed to compete in the race, Switzer registered using her initials, “K.V. Switzer.”
During the race, officials attempted to physically remove her from the course, but she persisted and finished, sparking a global conversation about gender equality in sports. Switzer’s courageous act helped pave the way for women to be officially allowed to compete in marathons, and she remains a strong advocate for women in athletics.
Adjusting Through The Running Boom
The 1970s and 1980s saw a major running boom in the U.S., with recreational marathoning becoming increasingly popular. As a result, the BAA adjusted its qualification standards several times to reflect the growing field. The 1980s marked the introduction of age-group-based qualifying times, with separate standards for younger and older runners, acknowledging that age impacts running performance.
By 1986, the Boston Marathon had grown significantly, and the BAA continued tightening the standards to manage the surge in interest. For example, men aged 18-39 had to run a marathon in under 3 hours, while women in the same age group had to finish in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
The Surge in Popularity and Stricter Standards
As the Boston Marathon continued to attract more participants, particularly after the turn of the millennium, qualifying became increasingly competitive. The rise of charity running programs, which allowed runners to enter without qualifying, also boosted the number of applicants. By the early 2000s, securing a spot at Boston had become a highly coveted achievement among amateur marathoners.
In response, the BAA adjusted the qualifying times again in 2011 to make them more stringent. The age-group times were lowered by 5 minutes across the board, making it harder to qualify. Additionally, the BAA introduced a rolling admission process, giving faster runners priority in registering for the race.
Recent Adjustments and the “Cutoff”
As demand to run Boston soared, simply hitting the qualification time no longer guaranteed entry.
The term “Boston Marathon cutoff” was born in the 2010s, referring to the extra time cushion runners needed to qualify beyond the official standards. For example, a runner in the 18-34 age group might need to run several minutes faster than the official 3-hour qualification time to actually gain entry. The BAA applied this cutoff system to manage the ever-increasing demand.
In 2018, a record 7 minutes and 47 seconds was required to be faster than the qualifying time in certain age groups, sparking significant discussion in the running community. In response, the BAA lowered the official qualifying times by another 5 minutes for the 2020 race.
For the 2025 race, which is set for April 21, a total of 36,406 qualifier applications were received, with athletes from all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries achieving the qualifying time standards. This marks the highest number of qualifying entries in the race’s history, far surpassing the 33,058 applications for the 2024 marathon. The cutoff time for the 2025 is not yet known.
Following the record registration week for the 2025 Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced some serious adjustments to qualifying standards for the 2026 event.
2026 Boston Marathon Qualifying Times
| Age Group | Men’s Standard | Women’s Standard | Non-Binary Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 35-39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65-69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 | 4:35:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 75-79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 | 5:05:00 |
| 80+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 | 5:20:00 |
While Boston is part of Majors, it would make more sense to improve qualifications for majority of us.
If someone already completed this Iconic Marathon, would require to be in one faster age group to qualify.
This would keep room for others a bit slower and maybe even cancel cut-off times
Of note though there was a “lull” in the qualifying times in the 90’s from those 70s/80s times. For example up to 3:10 for men 18-34 before it came back down to 3:05, 3:00, and now 2:55 going forward. Curious if that was waning interest for a while in that period or an expanding field.
Having run the Boston Marathon 5 times (2005-2009) I know how much I enjoyed running the marathon with the challenging course, cheering crowds and its history. Although I ran the marathon 5 times I know how magical the running of my first Boston was. If I had qualified and applied 5 times and had not been selected to run, I would have been devastated. I could easily live with having run Boston’s historic and magical marathon at least once in my lifetime. For this reason I feel it would be a truly fair and tremendous gesture to provide a slight advantage to first time qualifiers over return runners. Other than elite runners, all Boston Marathon qualifiers should have the opportunity to run the historic course and live the truly magical experience of turning on to Boylston St for the final leg of the marathon. The magic of the cheering crowd yelling out congratulations, the adrenaline rush as you see the finish line, the marathon announcer calling out your name and # as you approach the finish and the final proud moment as you are presented with your finishers medal by a cheerful volunteer. It was an experience of a lifetime for me and it would be amazing if all 1st time qualifiers were provided a slight advantage to allow them to have the experience of a lifetime I had. I don’t know if this or some other methodology is possible but, it would definitely make a lot of good marathoners extremely happy. Thank you for listening!
I think one of the reasons the BQ time gets more and more stringent is due to the downhill marathons, which could be 10-15 mins faster than the regular course. Due to the cut off time, more and more people are forced to run the downhill courses in order to have more buffer time. I don’t think this is fair for those athletes who trained hard and running on a regular/hilly course. Downhill course definitely provide an advantage and faster. In order to keep it fair, these downhill courses shouldn’t be counted as the BQ course, to be fair.