When Boston Marathon acceptance notices went out Tuesday, thousands of runners learned they won’t be toeing that line.
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For the 2026 race, applicants had to be 4 minutes, 34 seconds faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender, the Boston Athletic Association said.
Of 33,249 applicants, 24,362 made the cut.
The BAA is upfront about the sometimes heartbreaking hurdle for marathoners seeking Boston entrance: A “BQ” — a qualifying time from a sanctioned race — does not guarantee entry, only the opportunity to submit a registration application.
This year’s qualifying times (before the 4:34 deduction) ranged from 2 hours, 55 minutes for men ages 18-34 to 5 hours, 20 minutes for women 80 and older.
The 130th Boston Marathon will be run on April 20, 2026. The field size is limited to 30,000; in addition to those who qualified by time, it will include invited entrants, those getting in through charity pledges, and those who have finished at least 10 consecutive Boston Marathons.