How to get into the Boston Marathon
- 2027 qualifier entrySep 14 to Sep 18, 2026
- ResultsSep 29, 2026
- Race dayApr 19, 2027
- 2028 qualifier entrySep 2027, expected
Every way into the Boston Marathon
| Route | Who it's for | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying time | Runners under their age-group standard, net time, run from Sep 13, 2025 for 2027 | Sep 14 to 18, 2026, notices from Sep 29. Next: September 2027 | $270 for 2027, charged only if accepted |
| Boston Qualifier Selection | Qualifiers who beat their standard but missed the cutoff | Same registration week; about 1,000 drawn at random for 2027 | $270 if drawn |
| Charity | Anyone accepted by one of the 215 charities in the 2027 program | Charities recruit from September; each sets its own deadline | $10,000 to $12,000 at large teams for 2027, plus a $390 entry fee and team fees |
| B.A.A. Gives Back team | Runners picked by the B.A.A.'s own fundraising team | Applications from Sep 14, 2026; decisions by Oct 31, 2026 | 2027 minimum not published; it was $8,500 for 2024 |
| Tour operator | People living outside the US, through an operator on the B.A.A. list | Each operator sells its own allocation, often by lottery, from late summer | From £3,499 (UK, with flights) or A$5,454 (Australia) per runner sharing for 2027 |
Boston Marathon cutoff times
A qualifying time only lets you apply. Boston accepts the fastest qualifiers relative to their standard until the field fills, and the gap needed is the cutoff. For 2027 it was 5:17, from 33,656 applications from 129 countries.
New for 2027, about 1,000 qualifiers who beat their standard but missed the cutoff got in through the random Boston Qualifier Selection. 8,019 qualifiers were not accepted. Registration does not reopen once it closes.
The 2028 race is on April 17, 2028. Its qualifying window opened September 19, 2026 and runs to the end of registration week in September 2027. The B.A.A. sets the dates after the April 2027 race.
Boston Marathon qualifying times
The standards are the same for 2027 and 2028. Times are net times on a certified course, and age is your age on race day. Non-binary athletes use the women's standards.
From 2027, times from courses with a large net downhill are adjusted: 5:00 is added for a drop of 1,500 to 2,999 feet, 10:00 for 3,000 to 5,999 feet, and a drop of 6,000 feet or more does not count. The B.A.A. may change these indexes before 2028 registration.
| Age | Men | Women and non-binary |
|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 2:55 | 3:25 |
| 35–39 | 3:00 | 3:30 |
| 40–44 | 3:05 | 3:35 |
| 45–49 | 3:15 | 3:45 |
| 50–54 | 3:20 | 3:50 |
| 55–59 | 3:30 | 4:00 |
| 60–64 | 3:50 | 4:20 |
| 65–69 | 4:05 | 4:35 |
| 70–74 | 4:20 | 4:50 |
| 75–79 | 4:35 | 5:05 |
| 80+ | 4:50 | 5:20 |
Boston Marathon charity entry
A record 215 nonprofits hold places for 2027, 22 of them new, almost 10% of the field. You apply to a charity, not to the B.A.A., and each one sets its own fundraising minimum and deadline. Charity runners raised a record $57.3 million in 2026.
Big teams ask $10,000 to $12,000 for 2027. Boston Children's Hospital asks $10,000 with its entry, or $3,000 if you already have one, plus a $200 non-refundable team fee and the B.A.A.'s $390 charity entry fee. Most teams charge your card for any shortfall after their deadline. Charities applied for places in June 2026 and recruit from September.
The B.A.A.'s own Gives Back team took 2027 applications from September 14, 2026 and answered by October 31. It does not publish its 2027 minimum; for 2024 it was $8,500. Its 2028 interest form is open. Qualifiers can also raise any amount for a charity with no minimum.
| Charity | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Children's Hospital | $10,000 | $3,000 with your own entry |
| Tedy's Team | $10,000 | As reported |
| Trinity Boston Connects | $12,000 | As reported |
| TargetCancer Foundation | $12,000 | As reported |
| B.A.A. Gives Back | Not published | $8,500 for 2024 |
Boston Marathon tour operators
The B.A.A.'s International Tour Program gives a small number of invitational entries to approved operators, who must sell them to people living outside the US, at least 80% to residents of their own country. Runners still register and sign the waiver themselves, and need no qualifying time. Approved operators include 2:09 Events and Sports Tours International (UK), Sports Tours International (Ireland, France), Travelling Fit, Marathon Tours & Travel and Marathon Tours New Zealand (Australia), and Lifestyle and Fitness Travel and Operadora Deportiva German Silva (Mexico). No operator on the list covers Canada. No US operator sells entries: Marathon Tours & Travel is the race's US travel agency, and its packages are hotel only.
A package is the only way to buy one of these entries, and a minimum stay applies. 2:09 Events sells five nights at the Langham Boston, room only, with British Airways flights from Heathrow and airport transfers, and says the $775 entry is included; there is no entry-only option. Travelling Fit sells four nights at the Westin with a group run, a pre-race dinner, a bus to the start and a post-race party. Non-qualifiers start behind the qualifiers and need to finish within 6 hours of the gun for an official time.
Operator places are few and go fast. 2:09 Events draws lots from its interest list and sells only to UK residents and within Europe: £1,250 deposit when offered, £1,000 in the first week of January, the balance about 10 weeks before travel; deposits are non-refundable once the entry is confirmed and the package is 100% non-refundable after the balance. Travelling Fit asks A$1,950, then A$1,200 by October 16, 2026, then the balance by January 15, 2027. Both were sold out or on request for 2027 by November 2026.
| Operator | Country | Package from |
|---|---|---|
| 2:09 Events | UK | £3,499, 5 nights with flights (2027) |
| Travelling Fit | Australia | A$5,454, 4 nights (2027) |
| Marathon Tours & Travel | USA | Hotel only, no entry sold |
Boston entry at a glance
Boston Marathon entry questions
What was the Boston Marathon cutoff for 2027?
5:17 under standard. 8,019 qualifiers were not accepted, and about 1,000 of those who missed got in through the random Boston Qualifier Selection.
What are the Boston Marathon qualifying times?
For 2027 and 2028, men 18 to 34 need 2:55 and women and non-binary athletes 3:25, easing with age to 4:50 and 5:20 at 80+. Net time, age on race day.
What is the Boston Qualifier Selection?
A random draw of about 1,000 places for qualifiers who beat their standard but missed the cutoff. It started with the 2027 race.
Can I run Boston without qualifying?
Yes, through one of 215 official charities, or with an approved tour operator if you live outside the US.
How much does a Boston Marathon charity entry cost?
Each charity sets its minimum. Large teams ask $10,000 to $12,000 for 2027, plus a $390 entry fee and team fees.
When is registration for the 2028 Boston Marathon?
The B.A.A. announces it after the April 2027 race. The 2027 registration ran September 14 to 18, 2026.
Do downhill marathons count for Boston?
Yes, with a time penalty from 2027: 5:00 for a 1,500 to 2,999 foot drop, 10:00 for 3,000 to 5,999 feet. A drop of 6,000 feet or more does not count.
Can I defer my Boston Marathon entry?
No, except under the pregnancy and postpartum policy. The fee is non-refundable unless you bought registration protection.
More bucket list races
Dates come from the race's official site. An expected date follows last year's timing until the race announces it.