Organizers announced on Tuesday that approximately 12,000 runners who met the qualifying standards for the 2025 Boston Marathon will not secure a spot at the starting line due to an overwhelming number of applications. Boston is one of the few marathons that requires amateur runners to achieve a qualifying time based on their age and gender, making the chance to “Boston qualify” a coveted goal among marathon enthusiasts.
This year, the volume of applicants necessitated that entrants exceed their qualifying times by six minutes and 51 seconds—marking the largest cut-off in the race’s history, aside from the COVID-reduced 2021 event.
Boston Athletic Association President and CEO Jack Fleming commented on the situation, stating, “Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognize, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event.”
Earlier this month, marathon organizers also updated the qualifying standards for the 2026 race, requiring runners aged under 60 to run five minutes faster to gain entry. The 2025 Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 21.
