Boston Marathon
Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is more competitive than ever, with the BAA making qualifying times faster than before.
Participants compete in the 129th Boston Marathon. Brett Phelps/The Boston Globe
April 16, 2026 | 5:00 AM
1 minute to read
The Boston Athletic Association said it received 33,267 qualifying applications for the 130th Boston Marathon.
The number is a dip from last year’s more than 36,000 applicants to the competitive race.
That decline could be due to the faster qualifying times that were implemented for potential 2026 Boston Marathon runners.
For the 130th Boston Marathon, the BAA shaved five minutes off qualifying times for those younger than 60. On top of that, competitors had to run a marathon 4 minutes and 34 seconds faster than the set time in order to be accepted into the Boston Marathon.
The race will only become more competitive in 2027, with the BAA implementing a net-downhill course procedure.
Depending on the elevation change from the start and finish line of a racer’s qualifying marathon, competitors will either have five to ten minutes tacked on their finishing time, said the BAA.
If the difference is 6,000 feet or greater, runners will not qualify for the Boston Marathon, according to the BAA website.
It sometimes can be easy to judge race times, but one thing is for certain: you have to be fast and dedicated to be a Boston Marathon qualifyer.
See the 2026 Boston Marathon qualifying times:
18-34
Men: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 3 hours, 25 minutes
35-39
Men: 3 hours
Women/Non-Binary: 3 hours, 30 minutes
40-44
Men: 3 hours, 5 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 3 hours, 35 minutes
45-49
Men: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 3 hours, 45 minutes
50-54
Men: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 3 hours, 50 minutes
55-59
Men: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 4 hours
60-64
Men: 3 hours, 50 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 4 hours, 20 minutes
65-69
Men: 4 hours, 5 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 4 hours, 35 minutes
70-74
Men: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 4 hours, 50 minutes
75-79
Men: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 5 hours, 5 minutes
80 and over
Men: 4 hours, 50 minutes
Women/Non-Binary: 5 hours, 20 minutes
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