How many Boston finishers run qualifying times on the course itself? Here's the analysis of 2010 race results:
More than 9,400 runners (41% of total) in the 2010 Boston Marathon ran times that will qualify them for the 2011 race. Leading the way, nearly half the F40-44 age group ran qualifying times. Impressive numbers, to be sure. Certainly higher than any other large US race.
However, consider the fact that 100% of runners (except 2000+ running for charity) ran a qualifying time to get into the race. One might reasonably expect a much higher number of re-qualifying times. That less than half were able to run as fast as their original qualifying time speaks to the difficulty of the Boston course. We know from experience: Boston is tough. To learn more.
Many records were set in the 2010 Boston Marathon, including the most women runners, and the largest field overall (except for 1996, which eased entry rules). The complete list of finishers is presented in order of place: 1 to 5000, 5001 to 10000, 10001 to 15000, 15001 to 22800
