The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, first held in 1897. The point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Copley Square in downtown Boston features the famous Heartbreak Hill at mile 20. It's the only major that requires a qualifying time for general entry.
Boston is entered mainly by qualifying time. Applying with a qualifier doesn't guarantee a spot: when there are more qualifiers than places, the B.A.A. accepts the fastest relative to their standard (the "cut-off"). For 2027 the cut-off was 5:17 under standard (men 18–34 needed 2:49:43, women 18–34 3:19:43); for 2026 it was 4:34, for 2025 it was 6:51. 2028 Qualifying Window Open now: September 19, 2026 through 2028 registration week (September 2027, exact dates not yet announced). Any marathon finished on a certified course in this window counts. The 2028 standards are the same as 2027 (the B.A.A. may adjust downhill-course time indexes before 2028). Qualifying Standards (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 Qualifying races must be certified (USATF, AIMS, or equivalent); no time trials, treadmill, or indoor marathons. Details: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/qualify/ 2027 Registration (closed) Qualifier registration ran September 14–18, 2026 in Athletes' Village; 33,656 applications were submitted. The cut-off was announced September 29, 2026, and acceptance notices go out by early October 2026. Boston Qualifier Selection (new for 2027) About 1,000 qualifiers whose times missed the cut-off are picked at random for entry. Details: https://bstnmar.org/NewBQS Charity About 10% of the field runs for the Official Charity Program (215 organizations for 2027). Each charity sets its own fundraising minimum. Details: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/charity/
Point-to-point from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston, through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline. The course drops about 140 m (460 ft) overall, but the early downhill punishes quads, and the Newton hills between miles 16 and 21 end with Heartbreak Hill just past mile 20. Because it's point-to-point with a net drop, times here aren't eligible for world records. Start times (2026): Professional and wheelchair 9:06–9:50am | Wave 1 10:00am | Wave 2 10:15am | Wave 3 10:28am | Wave 4 10:41am | Wave 5 11:01am | Wave 6 11:21am Finish line closes: 5:30pm Runners take buses from Boston Common to Athletes' Village in Hopkinton. Course map (2026): https://www.baa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Course-Map.pdf Info for athletes: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/info-for-athletes/
2026 race (April 20, 2026) Weather: cool and dry, about 6–10°C (43–50°F) through the race, partly cloudy, with a steady westerly tailwind of about 15 km/h (9 mph). Winners: John Korir (KEN) 2:01:52, a course record (the previous best was 2:03:02 from 2011); Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2:18:51. Wheelchair: Marcel Hug 1:16:06, Eden Rainbow-Cooper 1:30:51. Jessica McClain ran 2:20:49, an American women's course record. Field: 24,362 runners. Qualifiers needed to be 4:34 under their standard to be accepted.
Expected Entry Window
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Notification Date
TBA
Race Date
Expected Weather
45–60°F · Typical range
~ Expected dates are projected from the last edition and haven't been announced yet.