Here are the qualifying times for the 2018 Boston Marathon
Merely achieving a competitive qualifying time wasn't enough to land a bib number — for the fifth year straight.
More than 80 percent of the 30,000 runners in the 2018 Boston Marathon field will be made up of runners who met the qualifying times. But, for the fifth year in a row, merely achieving a qualifying time wasn’t enough to land a bib number.
Runners had to post times at least 3 minutes and 23 seconds faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender to earn a spot at the starting line in Hopkinton this year, according to the Boston Athletic Association.
Related Links
“Each year, thousands of marathoners across the globe aspire to qualify for, compete in, and ultimately finish the Boston Marathon,” said Tom Grilk, CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, in a press release. “For many runners, completing the Boston Marathon is viewed as the ultimate goal in athletics.”
Instead of a first-come, first-served registration process, the B.A.A. lets the fastest runners in each age group register first. The B.A.A. received 28,260 applications from runners who met the qualifying times. But because the organization and the towns along the route cap the field size at 30,000 — with roughly 20 percent reserved for invitational athletes, many of whom run for charities — 23,198 applicants were accepted, and 5,062 were denied.
“Informing those who have qualified that there is simply not enough space for everyone in the field is immensely difficult,” Grilk said.
Here are the qualifying times needed to earn a spot at the starting line in 2018:
Men’s Qualifying Times
18 to 34 —
3:01:37
35 to 39 — 3:06:37
40 to 44 — 3:11:37
45 to 49 — 3:21:37
50 to 54 — 3:26:37
55 to 59 — 3:36:37
60 to 64 — 3:51:37
65 to 69 — 4:06:37
70 to 74 — 4:21:37
75 to 79 — 4:36:37
80+ — 4:51:37
Women’s Qualifying Times
18 to 34 —
3:31:37
35 to 39 — 3:36:37
40 to 44 — 3:41:37
45 to 49 — 3:51:37
50 to 54 — 3:56:37
55 to 59 — 4:06:37
60 to 64 — 4:21:37
65 to 69 — 4:36:37
70 to 74 — 4:51:37
75 to 79 — 5:06:37
80+ — 5:21:37
Marcel E. Hug (left) and Ernst Van Dyk race down Boylston Street toward the finish line of the 121st Boston Marathon.
Men’s push rim wheelchair
T53 and T54:
Normal arm muscle power; partial to normal trunk control.
18 to 39 — 2:00:00
40 to 49 — 2:15:00
50+ — 2:30:00
T51 and T52: Partial arm muscle power; no to partial trunk control.
18 to 39 — 2:45:00
40 to 49 — 3:00:00
50+ — 3:15:00
Women’s push rim wheelchair
T53 and T54:
Normal arm muscle power; partial to normal trunk control.
18 to 39 — 2:25:00
40 to 49 — 2:40:00
50+ — 2:55:00
T51 and T52: Partial arm muscle power; no to partial trunk control.
18 to 39 — 3:10:00
40 to 49 — 3:25:00
50+ — 3:40:00
Visually impaired
All visually impared athletes:
5:00:00
Mobility impaired
Athletes with a permanent physical or intellectual/adaptive disability:
6:00:00
Athletes who run with lower leg prosthetics: Up to 8:00:00
Duo teams
“The Duo Team must have competed together and achieved the qualifying time for the able-bodied runner’s age and gender on a certified marathon course,” according to the B.A.A.
Shalane Flanagan came down the home stretch of Boylston Street to finish seventh overall and first for the USA in 2014.
Photos: The Boston Marathon through the years:
[bdc-gallery id=”138482″]
