BQ Calculator
Find your Boston qualifying time, understand the cutoff buffer system, and calculate your realistic target time for 2026-2027.
Starting with 2027, downhill courses receive time penalties.
Official BQ Standard
3:00:00
35-39 Male • 2026-2027
Recommended Target
2:53:00
7 min buffer
Safe Target
2:50:00
10 min buffer
Meeting the BQ standard doesn't guarantee entry. The BAA accepts runners in order of how far under the standard they finished. Here's how cutoffs have trended:
Race canceled due to COVID
Reduced field, October race
Limited qualifying opportunities
Post-pandemic recovery
Standard qualifying year
Record rejections (12,324)
Standards tightened by 5 min
Key insight: In 2025, the cutoff was 6:51—meaning you needed to run nearly 7 minutes faster than your BQ standard to secure a spot. Over 12,000 qualified runners were rejected.
Standards were tightened by 5 minutes for ages 18-59 starting with the 2026 race.
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 35-39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65-69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 75-79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 |
| 80+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 |
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Tips for BQ success
- Target 7-10 minutes under your BQ standard for realistic acceptance odds based on recent trends.
- Choose a fast course—Berlin, Chicago, and Valencia are popular BQ-hunting races.
- Avoid excessive downhill courses—starting with 2027, times from courses with significant elevation drop receive penalties.
- Age up strategically—if you're turning 35, 40, etc. before race day, you'll qualify under the easier standard.
How to Use This Calculator
Select your age group and gender to see your Boston Marathon qualifying standard. Then enter your marathon finish time to find out if you qualify. The calculator also shows how much faster than the standard you need to run based on recent cutoff trends — simply meeting the BQ standard has not been enough to secure entry since 2020. It also flags potential downhill course penalties: the BAA applies additional time adjustments for courses with excessive net elevation drop.
Understanding the BQ Cutoff Buffer
The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) accepts qualifiers in order of how far under the standard they ran. In recent years, the cutoff has ranged from 5 to 7+ minutes under the qualifying time. This means a male runner aged 18-34 with a 3:00:00 standard should realistically target 2:53:00 or faster to feel confident about acceptance. The calculator estimates a safe buffer based on historical cutoff data. The 2026 qualifying standards remain the same as the 2025 cycle, with the cutoff buffer being the primary variable from year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Tools
- Race Time Predictor — Predict your marathon time from a shorter race result
- Pace Calculator — Build a mile-by-mile pacing plan for your BQ attempt
- Training Pace Zones — Get training zones calibrated to your BQ goal pace
- Difficulty Analyzer — Evaluate BQ-friendly courses by difficulty score