Boston Marathon 2014 Registration Analysis and Timeline

On 9/25/13, BAA set BQ - 1:38 official cutoff time to enter Boston Marathon 2014. For more, see our analysis: 

• Boston Marathon 2014 Qualifying Cutoff Time Prediction Methodology 
• Cutoff Impact on BQ - 5 Finishers at Chicago Marathon 2012
• Qualifying for Boston Marathon 2014: Interest at an all-time high 

On 9/24/13. we unofficially predicted the Boston Marathon Qualifying Time Cutoff would be: BAA Qualifying Time - 00:01:34. See our complete methodology, analysis and results.

As of 9/18/13, with interest in running Boston 2014 at an all-time high, the increase of accepted entrants raised to 36,000 vs recent years' norm of 27,000, the dynamics of qualification and the entry process have been dramatic. Following the qualification entry rules at baa.org (and listed below), the rolling entry process has been underway and steady reports and estimates from the BAA and RunnersWorld.com reveal an extraordinarily complex picture of how the 36,000 accepted entrants appear to be allocated.

A reported 7,900 qualifiers had submitted applications in hopes of securing one of 5,000 remaining qualifying entries; when registration ends on 9/20/13, BAA will determine a revised -- faster, in 2012 it was BQ time minus 1 minute 14 seconds -- qualifying time to confirm the final 5,000 qualifying entrants. Charity entries may still be available afterwards, however.

Late April, 2013: In the days after terrorists' bombs ended Boston Marathon 2013, a tremendous surge of interest in participating inBoston Marathon 2014.

Our analysis shows 'Qualify for Boston Marathon' is one of the hottest searches on google, and compared to search trends at the same time of year since 2008, the interest is nothing short of extraordinary.

Here's our hypothesis about why we're seeing this skyrocketing demand to know about how to qualify to race Boston in 2014. It doesn't appear to be the usual 'I hope I can qualify' interest, which is steady year to year. The exceptional volume of search and visitor traffic certainly prove more than ever, runners want to be in Boston

But more importantly, the leap in interest seems to suggest more of a fighting spirit. Runners are thinking: dammit, I'm going to run Boston to prove we aren't afraid of evil, we're going to face it head on, to show once and for all that no one's going to mess with us again. Runners see it as a sort of patriotic duty, to unite in a tribute to honor those who suffered in the tragedy and to take back the legendary event.