BOSTON — Runners hoping to qualify for the 2026 Boston Marathon will need to pick up the pace.
The Boston Athletic Association has updated its qualifying times for the world’s oldest annual marathon, asking most potential competitors to run the 26.2-mile race five minutes faster than in recent years to earn a bib number.
“Each time the BAA has adjusted the qualifying standards — most recently in 2019 — we’ve seen athletes continue to raise the bar and rise to new levels,” Jack Fleming, president and CEO of the BAA, said in a statement released Monday. In recent years, we have rejected athletes in this age range (18-59) at the highest rate, and the adjustment reflects both the depth of participation and the speed at which athletes are running.”
The BAA introduced qualifying times in 1970 and has expanded and adjusted the requirements over the decades. Runners participating in the event to raise money for charity do not need to meet the eligibility requirements.
The latest change means men between the ages of 18 and 34 must run a marathon under the qualifying window of 2 hours, 55 minutes or faster to earn a place in the 2026 race – five minutes faster than this year’s edition.
Women and non-binary applicants must complete the distance in 3:25.
The slowest competitors to qualify are in the 80 and over age group. The men in that category must complete a marathon in 4:50, while women and non-binary competitors have 5:20 to finish. These figures were not changed in the latest adjustment.
The BAA said it had 36,406 applications to qualify for next year’s race, more than ever before.
“The record number of applicants indicates the growing trend for our sport and shows that athletes are constantly getting faster and faster,” said Fleming.
The qualifying period for the 2026 race began on September 1 and will run until the end of the registration period for that race next September.
Next year’s Boston Marathon will take place on April 21.
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