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Boston Marathon qualifying times 2027

A qualifying time lets you apply. Runners are accepted fastest-first against their standard until the field is full, so in most years you've needed to be several minutes under.

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    Boston 2027

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Qualifying times only count from certified courses in each race's qualifying window. See the races where most runners qualify.

Boston 2027 qualifying times by age
AgeMenWomen & non-binary
18–342:55:003:25:00
35–393:00:003:30:00
40–443:05:003:35:00
45–493:15:003:45:00
50–543:20:003:50:00
55–593:30:004:00:00
60–643:50:004:20:00
65–694:05:004:35:00
70–744:20:004:50:00
75–794:35:005:05:00
80+4:50:005:20:00
Qualifying window
For 2027: races run from September 13, 2025 to qualifier registration week, September 14–18, 2026. The window for 2028 opened on September 19, 2026.
Courses that count
A course certified by USATF, AIMS or the host country's governing body, with at least three entrants. No virtual, indoor or treadmill marathons.
Timing
Official net (chip) time.
  • From 2027, courses with a big net drop count with time added: 5 minutes for a 1,500–2,999 ft drop, 10 minutes for 3,000–5,999 ft. A drop of 6,000 ft or more doesn't count.
  • About 1,000 extra places are drawn at random from qualifiers who missed the cutoff.
  • Standards were 5 minutes tighter from 2026 for every age group under 60, and are the same for 2027.
Official Boston qualifying page
Boston cutoffs by year
YearNeeded under standardQualifiers turned away
20275:178,019
20264:348,887
20256:5112,324
20245:2911,039
2023None0
2022None0
20217:479,215
20201:393,161
20194:527,248

The marathons where the most runners qualify for Boston →

Common questions

What is the Boston Marathon qualifying time?

For 2027, 2:55:00 for men and 3:25:00 for women aged 18–34, easing with age to 4:50:00 and 5:20:00 at 80+.

Does a qualifying time guarantee entry to the Boston Marathon?

A qualifying time lets you apply. Runners are accepted fastest-first against their standard until the field is full, so in most years you've needed to be several minutes under.

What was the Boston Marathon cutoff for 2027?

5:17: accepted runners were at least that far under their standard, and 8,019 qualifiers were turned away. Recent cutoffs were 5:29 (2024), 6:51 (2025), 4:34 (2026).

When do I have to run my Boston qualifying time?

For 2027: races run from September 13, 2025 to qualifier registration week, September 14–18, 2026. The window for 2028 opened on September 19, 2026.

Which races count for Boston qualifying?

A course certified by USATF, AIMS or the host country's governing body, with at least three entrants. No virtual, indoor or treadmill marathons. Timing: Official net (chip) time.

From the official Boston site, checked October 2026. Confirm with the race before you enter.

Know your pace? See where it would place you. raceIQ ranks upcoming races by where you'd finish in your age group, using each race's past results.

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