Every third Monday in April, thousands of runners stand on the start line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, ready to run the Boston Marathon route. For many, it’s a special moment because it signifies that they’ve reached one of the greatest goals an amateur runner can achieve—a Boston Marathon qualifying time.
Nearly 75% of the field is made up of people who have achieved a qualifying time on another certified marathon course. This sets the race apart from the other Abbott World Marathon Majors, which allocate most of their places by randomized ballot.
The age-graded Boston Marathon qualifying times are below and the qualification period for the 2025 race began on September 1, 2023. If you’re a regular runner, a year to make a qualifying time is achievable. Look at our sub-3hr marathon training plan and sub-4hr marathon training plan to see the degree of commitment required.
What are the qualifying times for the Boston Marathon 2024?
Qualifying times for the Boston Marathon are determined by age and gender, and all entrants must be 18 or over on the day of the race. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) has also established qualifying times for non-binary applications. Currently, these match the women’s qualifying standards, but the BAA says this is a process they’re still working on.
You have to run below the relevant qualifying standard to be in with a chance of getting a place.
Does a Boston qualifying time guarantee entry?
No. A qualifying time simply means you can submit an application for the race during the short registration period.
So how can you improve your odds of getting accepted? The honest answer (and one that’s easier said than done): improve your qualifying time. Thanks to field size limitations and increasing interest in the event, the Boston Marathon has established cut-off times for each qualifying standard when the number of applicants has exceeded the field size, as with the 2024 race. This is a time frame below the standard that entrants need to run in order to be accepted into the race.
Again, there’s no hard and fast rule here—the cut-off times vary. In 2019, for example, the cut-off time was 4min 52sec, meaning an 18- to 35-year-old woman would need to run a 3hr 25min 8sec marathon in order to get accepted. In 2022 and 2023, however, there was no cut-off time, so all entrants who ran their exact qualifying standard or faster were accepted into the race.
The 2024 race dashed the optimism this brought for many runners, however, with one of the highest cut-off times ever seen for the race, at 5min 29sec, which made for 11,039 runners who were not accepted. The 2019 cut-off resulted in the qualifying standards being tightened and made faster, so don’t be suprised if this happens again in the coming years, especially if the 2025 registration period plays out similarly.
Look out for announcements, or the resulting fall-out on social media, in the fall, after the application period closes.
When does the qualifying window open?
The qualifying window for the 129th Boston Marathon taking place on April 21, 2025 began on September 1, 2023.
Are there other ways to run the Boston Marathon?
Boston is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors alongside London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago and New York City, which means many runners dream of crossing the finish line in Boylston Street (especially if they’ve completed the other five). But if you’re not a “fast” marathon runner, or the idea of trying to qualify for a race fills you with dread, it may seem like an impossible feat.
Luckily, there are alternative ways to get a place in the Boston Marathon. One option is via a charity. The BAA provides numerous nonprofit organizations with entries into the race. However, NPOs usually stipulate a minimum fundraising amount (around $5,000) and with charity entries making up only 10% of the field, you will need to convince the organization to choose you.
Tour operators are another option for people who live outside the USA. The BAA partners with various travel companies to provide marathon packages, which generally take care of your race registration and logistics such as accommodation and local travel. However, this is an expensive option.
If this has left you disheartened, play the long game and remember qualifying times get more generous with age. It can take years to get into the race, but if you’re determined enough it will be worth it when you finally cross that start line.
