Qualify for Boston Marathon: Qualifying Times, Best Races to Qualify, Analysis and Advice

By Raymond Britt -- There is nothing like it in the world. Boston. The Boston Marathon. You'll know what I mean when you get there. But you have to qualify first. We've qualified for and have run Boston 13 consecutive times, and this article takes the best of what I learned, analyzed, and put into action to earn those repeat trips to Boston. It also contains excerpts from our book Boston Marathon: The Legendary Course Guide; proceeds go to charity.
Boston Marathon 2015 Qualifying Times

Here are the rules and regulations related to qualifying for Boston 2015, directly from the race's official site:
  • For the 2015 Boston Marathon, qualifying times must be run on or after September 14, 2013
  • The acceptance of official race entrants will be based on qualifying time, with the fastest qualifiers (in relation to their age and gender) being accepted first until the race is full
  • All qualifying times are subject to review and verification
  • Minimum age requirement for the Boston Marathon is 18 years of age on race day
  • All standards below are based on official submitted net time
  • The qualifying times below are based upon each athlete's age on the date of the Boston Marathon in which they are participating
  • For a list of the top feeder races for the Boston Marathon, click here
  • The Boston Marathon does not designate which races are official Boston Qualifying events. You must contact the race directly to see if they are certified
Unprecedented Interest in Qualifying for Boston 2014 

We've noticed this trend: an absolutely incredible volume of interest in qualifying for Boston 2014. It's on the order of 15 to 20 times greater than any point since 2008. Amazing.


We believe it's an extraordinary sign of the running community's desire to support Boston. They want to come to Boston in
Featured by Competitor Magazine
2014 to defend her honor, take our race back from evil, to prove the spirit of freedom wil prevail over all.

(Near-term implication for race directors: expect a huge surge in marathon entries from new runners wanting to qualify.)

For more, see Boston Marathon Trend: Skyrocketing Google Searches 'Qualify for Boston Marathon' and our analysis as featured by Competitor Magazine online.

Qualifying for Boston 2014 at Boston Marathon 2013


At the time Boston Marathon 2013 was suspended, 17,580 runners had finished, 4,496 runners had reached 24.8 miles and hundreds more may still have been on the course.
  • Of the 17,580 finishers, according to MarathonGuide.com, 10,391 runners, or 59.1%, qualified for Boston 2014
  • In 2010, the percent of Boston finishers that re-qualified for the 2011 race was 41%
  • But . . . qualifying times in 2013 are 5 minutes faster than they were in 2010, and yet percent re-qualifiers are almost identical
  • Further proof that the new 5-minutes-faster qualifying times translate into a field that also runs at least 5 minutes faster in Boston

Note: we do not have the breakout of qualifying results for age groups 0-34 and 35-39, which are combined above as 0-39

Impact of Change to New Boston Marathon Qualifying Times at Chicago Marathon

 For 2013, qualifying times for all age divisions were reduced by 5 minutes (see table above). Continuing the above example, the M40-44 qualifying time is reduced from 3:20:00 to 3:15:00. This change may result in many fewer than 20,081 qualified entrants for 2013. For example, only 6% of Chicago Marathon 2011 finishers beat the new qualifying standard, compared to 8% (Women) and 9.2% (Men) who would have qualified if times hadn't changed.


Qualifying for Boston 2013 at Boston 2012

In years past, around 40% of Boston finishers ran fast enough to qualify for the following years' Boston Marathon. In 2012, only 13% beat the new qualifying times. But the heat was the primary factor in limiting re-qualifiers. If qualifying times hadn't changed for 2013, only 16% would have qualified.
  • Total 2012 Entrants: 26,656 runners entered to run the 2012 Boston Marathon
    • Qualified Runners in Entered in 2012 Race: 20,081 
    • Non-Qualified Runners: 6,575 runners received entry via charity or other entities
  • Total Starters: 22,480 (16% of entrants did not start)
  • Finishers: 21,554 (95.9% of starters); 8,966 Women, 12,588 Men (see 2012 Results Analysis for more detail)
  • Average Finish Time: 4:18:27 (vs 3:51+ 12 Year Average; for more see Avg Finish Times by Age)
  • Boston Finishers Who Ran a 2013 Qualifying Time: 13% overall vs 41% in 2010


Charity Entry: No Qualifying Time Required, in Most Cases

 The Boston Marathon has a long history of relationships with many distinguished charities that serve communities in a variety of ways. Each year, many of these charities are allotted a certain number of entries, which are generally distributed to individuals who raise money or perform other services for their selected charities. In the past, individuals who receive entry to the Boston Marathon via these charities were not required to meet qualifying time standards. For 2012 charity entry, a fundraising minimum of $4,000 seems to be the norm. You can learn more about charities participating in the Boston Marathon here.

Top 50 Races to Qualify for Boston

Most runners who qualify for Boston do so at one of these 50 races. 


RunTri's 25 Toughest/Easiest Marathons

Some races are tougher than others, of course. See our Toughest/Easiest Marathon Analysis for more.


Average Finish Times by Age Group

Digging a little deeper into the overall average finish times above, we've defined average times by age group, for several races on the list. New York Marathon example. See our Stats and Analysis Page for more examples, including Chicago, Marine Corps, and PF Chang's Arizona marathons.



Qualifying for Boston: Chicago Marathon Race Pace Examples

Several of our qualifying runs took place on the Chicago Marathon course. Some races went according to plan, and others went bad, but survived the qualifying limit. Our actual mile-by-mile splits are below.


Predicting Your Full Marathon Time

Many who attempt to qualify will run a half marathon or two. The result from those races hold clues about whether your marathon time might meet qualifying standards. Planning your race strategy, you want to know what your marathon time might be based on your best half marathon. See our Marine Corps Marathon example.


Impact of Weather on Average Race Results

Yes, weather does impact race times, but Boston qualifying times make no exceptions. It's true, what they say -- faster marathons are run when conditions are under 55 degrees. See our Boston Marathon Example.


And more . . .

Ironman Kona Qualifying Times: Comparing 30 Ironman Races



By Raymond Britt -- What finish time do you need to qualify for Kona? It depends on the race you choose, your age group, the number of Kona slots allocated to your age group. Because Ironman races can vary significantly in terms of difficulty, Kona qualifying times can vary widely by race as well.

We've done the analysis to develop the most comprehensive Kona Qualifying Times and Slots analysis on the web, ranging from top-level summary tables to drill-down detail, by race and by age group. We've conducted this analysis annually, and will present stats for 2013, 2011 and 2010 here. If you want to qualify for Kona, these are the times you need to beat. [Also see Ironman Races, Locations, Dates, Kona Qualifying Slots by Event, for the 2013 Season]

Kona Qualifying Times, Slots, and Faster Times by Age Group

 More than 2000 athletes register for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. For most, it's an incredible feat to earn the right to race in Kona.

Of more than 75,000 competitors in 30 Ironman races and 6 Ironman 70.3 events, only about 1800, or 2.5%, will qualify to race with the best of the best, in Ironman's premier championship race.

We're not sure why the World Triathlon Corporation (an excellent and inspiring team that I'm privileged to consult for) has decided to keep many results private.

So we publish here Kona qualifying Times, Slots, and Change in Qualifying Times for the select races willing to share their results. Some terrific performances in these races, and congratulations to all qualifiers. For complete qualifying times for 2011 and 2010, they are further down this post.


The biggest challenge of all: qualifying times are getting faster, in most age groups and most events. On average, qualifying times dropped around 2%this year. That means for example, if it took 10 hours and 30 minutes to qualify in your age group, that 2% improvement means you'll need to finish 13 minutes faster to qualify next year.


In previous years, we presented complete Kona Qualifying Times and Slots comparisons for all Ironman Triathlons in 2011 with some updates for 2012. In preparing the analysis for those posts, we were able to access data for all events.

Unfortunately, this year Kona Qualifying results have not been released for most races on the calendar. Some European and Asia/Pac events proudly shared Kona results; all North American races did not.


Kona Qualifying Races and Times by Age Group: 2011

Kona Qualifying Races and Slots by Age Group: 2011




Kona Qualifying Times Results Analysis By Ironman Races and by Age Groups




Kona Qualifying Races, Slots and Times: 2010

This table outlines 2010 qualifying times for the last qualifier in each division across 25 of the best Ironman triathlons in the world.


If you want to have a chance to qualify for Kona in one of these races, expect that you'll need to be at least as fast as the time in your division on this table. Probably faster; qualifying times get faster every year. See the complete list of Qualifiers and Finish Times by Race and Age Group for complete details. Also see our Analysis of Kona Slots per Age Group and our Allocation of Kona Slots by Event and Age Group graphs.

How do Kona qualifying times compare with average times by age group across all 25 races?




Preparing to Qualify

For advice and guidance, see our complete Complete Kona Coverage, and our book  Qualifying for Kona.

Train for a Marathon: to Finish, to Qualify for Boston or set a PR

By Raymond Britt

Finishing a marathon can be an ultimate achievement, but it takes desire, dedication, enthusiasm, understanding and a positive attitude to complete those 26.2 miles on race day. But it's not easy, and it's why runners seek coaching and marathon advice. We're here to share advice, tips and experiences.
Beginnings: From non-runner to Boston Qualifier

I was not born a runner. I was not one of those athletes who ran cross country, or loved to run for fun. Frankly, I could not understand why people enjoyed running. I wore corrective shoes as a child. I had asthma. It seemed too late in life to start running.

Then I watched the Boston Marathon. The race and the runners captured my attention with their fitness, their attitude, their drive, their commitment, their emotions, their exhaustion and ultimately their pride at the finish line. Despite my prior lack of interest in running, I decided at that moment that someday I would run a marathon. And maybe someday after that, I would run Boston.

At age 34, that first someday arrived, as I lined up optimistically at the start of the 1994 Chicago Marathon. I had no idea what my experience over the next few hours would be like, but I knew I'd be a different person at the end.

Well it was everything I thought it would be, and more. And less. I struggled to the finish line in under five hours, somewhat proud to have finished, though feeling disappointed with my slow time. And physically, I was a wreck, hobbling to my car. But I was wearing a finisher's medal, which eased the muscle pain a bit.

The next day, I vowed to become a better marathoner. And I did, shaving 97 minutes off that debut finish time to qualify for the Boston Marathon one year later.

Since then, I've completed 48 marathons, 8 ultramarathons (ranging from 31 to 78 miles), and 29 Ironman Triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile marathon).

That's 85 official marathons (or longer), on courses like Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and others all over the world. The best news: I've been able to run all those races with average training of less than one hour per day. I've got the details to prove it in my training plans.

Because of that background, runners reach out to me for coaching and running advice. In my experience, on their journey to their first or best marathon, runners want specific insight about a variety of topics: annual training plans, what happens on race day, what it looks and feels like on the course, and even mile-by-mile splits from actual race performances to illustrate, in detail, the good, the bad, the ugly and the great of the race day experience.

I've found the best way to provide runners the insight about how to run a marathon, based on real-life racing experience, is through the links above: my articles, training plans and annual training and racing performance summaries that provide insight about how I prepare for Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Madison Marathons.

Good luck in your next marathon. Be Epic.
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