raceIQ

Do you qualify for a marathon major?

Check your marathon time against the 2027 qualifying standards of all seven World Marathon Majors, worked out by age the way each race counts it.

Check your time

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

2027 qualifying times by age
AgeBostonChicagoNew YorkLondonBerlinSydney
18–342:55:002:50:002:53:002:52:002:45:002:45:00
35–393:00:002:55:002:55:002:52:002:45:002:47:00
40–443:05:003:00:002:58:002:57:002:45:002:51:00
45–493:15:003:10:003:05:003:02:002:55:002:55:00
50–543:20:003:15:003:14:003:07:002:55:003:00:00
55–593:30:003:25:003:23:003:12:002:55:003:06:00
60–643:50:003:40:003:34:003:34:003:25:003:17:00
65–694:05:003:55:003:45:003:52:003:25:003:41:00
70–744:20:004:15:004:10:004:52:003:25:004:07:00
75–794:35:004:30:004:30:005:07:003:25:004:43:00
80+4:50:004:50:004:55:005:27:003:25:005:46:00

Each race's own age bands differ slightly: London's youngest band is 18–39, Chicago's starts at 16, and Berlin has three bands by birth year. London, Berlin and Sydney need a time under the standard. Tokyo's overseas semi-elite standard is under 2:22 for men and 2:50 for women, at any age.

How entry works at each major

Boston Marathon

Apply

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.

London Marathon

Apply

Good For Age is for UK residents only. Its 6,000 places (3,000 men, 3,000 women) go fastest-first within each age group, and London doesn't publish how far under you needed to be.

Berlin Marathon

Apply

A qualifying time lets you register as a fast runner, which Berlin says doesn't guarantee a place. Invalid proof moves you into the lottery.

Chicago Marathon

Guaranteed

Chicago lists time qualifiers under guaranteed entry: meet your standard and apply in time, and you're in.

New York City Marathon

Apply

Entry is guaranteed only for times run at NYRR races (the 2026 NYC Marathon and NYRR half marathons, which have their own half standards). A time from any other marathon competes for a limited number of places, fastest first.

Sydney Marathon

Apply

The High Performance Program has 1,200 places: 600 for the fastest overall and 600 for the fastest in each age group. Everyone else goes into the ballot.

Tokyo Marathon

Apply

Tokyo has no age-group qualifying times. Its overseas semi-elite program (RUN as ONE) takes 25 men and 25 women, fastest first; everyone else enters the lottery.

Boston cutoffs

How far under their standard accepted runners had to be.

2019
4:52
2020
1:39
2021
7:47
2022
None
2023
None
2024
5:29
2025
6:51
2026
4:34
2027
5:17

Common questions

Which marathon majors have qualifying times?

Boston, Chicago, New York, London, Berlin and Sydney have age-group qualifying standards. Tokyo has none for amateurs: its overseas semi-elite program needs under 2:22 for men and 2:50 for women.

Which major is easiest to qualify for?

Chicago, in practice: its standards are about 5 minutes faster than Boston's, but meeting them guarantees entry from any certified race. Boston's standards are easier on paper, but they only let you apply, and recent years have needed about 5 minutes under. London's Good For Age standards are the most generous for women under 55, but are for UK residents only.

What is the Boston Marathon qualifying time?

For 2027, 2:55 for men and 3:25 for women aged 18–34, easing with age to 4:50 and 5:20 at 80 and over. Accepted runners had to be 5:17 under their standard for 2027.

Does meeting a qualifying time guarantee entry?

Only at Chicago, and at New York for times run at NYRR races. Boston, London, Berlin, Sydney and New York for other races accept qualifiers fastest-first until their places are filled.

Standards from each race's official site, checked October 2026. Races change their rules; confirm with the race before you enter.

Chasing a qualifier? raceIQ shows how fast each marathon's field runs and its race-morning weather, so you can pick a fast one.

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