NEW YORK – Organizers announced on Tuesday that approximately 12,000 runners who qualified for the 2025 Boston Marathon will not secure a place at the starting line due to a surge in applications.
The Boston Marathon is one of the few races that requires amateur participants to achieve a qualifying time based on their age and gender, an aspiration known as “Boston qualifying” among marathon enthusiasts.
This year, the volume of applicants necessitated that participants exceed their qualifying times by six minutes and 51 seconds to gain entry, marking the longest cut-off in the event’s history, aside from the COVID-affected 2021 race.
With a total of 36,393 applications received, the Boston Athletic Association President and CEO Jack Fleming noted the growing popularity of distance running. “Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day,” Fleming stated.
“Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognize, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event.”
Earlier this month, marathon organizers adjusted the qualifying standards for the 2026 race, requesting that runners under 60 improve their times by five minutes to enter.
The 2025 Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 21.