Boston Marathon Qualifying Times for 2026

Year: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023

With the exclusion of the Olympics and various Championship races, the Boston Marathon is the only marathon in the USA that maintains qualifying times and requirements. While the specific requirements change from year to year, the requirements generally state that a runner must have completed a qualifying marathon within the year and a half before the upcoming Boston Marathon.

All participants must adhere to the guidelines set forth by the B.A.A., USA Track and Field or foreign equivalent, International Paralympic Committee, Wheelchair Sports, USA, Disabled Sports, USA, and the United States Association for Blind Athletes. Qualifying times must be met in competitions observing these same rules. Proof of qualification must accompany the application.

Applicants for the 2026 Boston Marathon must meet the designated time standard that corresponds with their age group and gender in a certified marathon on or after September 1, 2024. Proof of qualification must accompany each athlete's application, and participants are required to be 18 years or older on race day (April 20, 2026). All standards below are based on official submitted net time, and age groups are determined based on a participant's age on Boston Marathon race day.

Age	Men	Women
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

ACHIEVING ONE'S QUALIFYING STANDARD DOES NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY, BUT SIMPLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT FOR REGISTRATION.

• If total amount of submissions surpass the allotted field size for qualified athletes, then those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender group will be accepted.
• For the 2026 Boston Marathon, qualifying times must be run on or after Sunday, September 1, 2024.
• The qualifying times below are based upon each athlete's age on the date of the 2026 Boston Marathon (April 20, 2026).
• The acceptance of official race entrants will be based on qualifying time, with the fastest qualifiers (in relation to their age and gender) being accepted first until the race is full.
• The qualifying window will remain open until the conclusion of registration for the 2026 Boston Marathon (once the maximum field size has been reached).
• Only a certified full marathon distance will be accepted for qualifying.
• Distances shorter than a full marathon will not be accepted.
• Indoor or virtual marathon times are not accepted.
• Only qualifying times from USATF or AIMS certified courses are accepted.
• All qualifying times are subject to review and verification.
• Minimum age requirement for the Boston Marathon is 18 years of age on race day.
• All standards below are based on official submitted net time (also known as chip time).
• The Boston Marathon does not designate which races meet qualifying standards. You must contact the race directly to see if they are certified.
• Though the B.A.A. will email registrants upon the completion of their form, runners are not officially entered into the race until their qualifying time is verified. This length of time may vary and can be as long as several days, depending on the qualifying marathon.

NON-BINARY ATHLETES

The Boston Athletic Association is actively working on expanding opportunities for non-binary athletes at our events, including the Boston Marathon.

Non-binary athletes who have completed a marathon as a non-binary participant during the current qualifying window (September 1, 2024 through the end of registration next fall - dates to be announced) may submit an entry application into the 2026 Boston Marathon . Entry into the event will be determined by an athlete's submitted time and based on the Boston Marathon' overall field size limit. The Boston Marathon registration application will feature the option to select non-binary in regards to gender.

With 2026 being the fourth year featuring non-binary entrants, there is not yet have enough data to establish non-binary qualifying times. Therefore, in the 2026 race the non-binary qualifying times will match the female qualifying times. Participants can expect non-binary times to be updated accordingly in the future races.

Trying to qualify for Boston? We have your back! We partnered with Runzy to help. Train 1:1 with an elite running coach for just $39/month. Mention "MarathonGuide" for a special discount. Learn more.

Back to MarathonGuide.com Home