The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that the 2027 Boston Marathon cut-off time is 5 minutes and 17 seconds (5:17) faster than the qualifying standard for each respective age group and gender.
Notifications began going out to qualified applicants on Tuesday morning, September 29, launching acceptance waves for what has shaped up to be another historic field. A record 25,630 qualified athletes have been accepted or are in the process of being accepted, pending final verification of their qualifying performances.
A Massive Volume of Applicants
During the application window from September 14 to 18, the B.A.A. received a staggering 33,649 qualifier applications for a field size capped at 30,000 official entrants. With the 5:17 cut-off applied, 24,630 applicants were accepted directly based on beating their age-group standards by at least that margin. Unfortunately, 8,019 qualified applicants ultimately missed the cut and could not be accommodated in the 2027 field.
New for 2027: The Boston Qualifier Selection
To offer additional pathways for runners on the bubble, the B.A.A. introduced the Boston Qualifier Selection for 2027. This new random selection component specifically targets applicants whose times fell just shy of the 5:17 threshold. Through this lottery mechanism, an additional 1,000 qualified runners are currently being selected for entry and notified over the coming days.
“The Boston Athletic Association looks forward to welcoming thousands of qualifiers who are officially now entrants into the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on Monday, April 19,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the B.A.A. “To earn a spot into this race takes dedication and resiliency, and the number of marathoners world-wide only continues to grow. Although we are unable to accept all applicants, we want to recognize each and every athlete who trains and aspires to participate in the Boston Marathon.”
By the Numbers: 131st Field Breakdown
While verification processes remain ongoing, preliminary statistics for those accepted under the time cut-off highlight the global reach and competitive depth of the field:
- Total Accepted Qualifiers: 25,630 (24,630 via time standard + 1,000 via Boston Qualifier Selection)
- Gender Breakdown (Time-Based Qualifiers): 13,898 men, 10,641 women, and 91 non-binary athletes.
- Geographic Reach: Citizens of 120 countries and residents of all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C. and U.S. territories, are represented.
- First-Timers: Approximately 10,745 athletes will be running their debut Boston Marathon.
- Local Representation: 1,498 Massachusetts residents secured entries.
- Age Range: The youngest accepted runner is 18, while the oldest is 84.
- Milestone & Special Entries: 849 athletes gained entry through 10+ consecutive years of finishing or via the B.A.A. Running Club; 215 athletes met Para Athletics Division standards; and 240 qualifying times came from net-downhill courses.
Top Qualifying Races
The events sending the highest numbers of runners to the starting line in Hopkinton include:
- 2026 Boston Marathon (4,448 entrants)
- 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2,043 entrants)
- 2025 TCS New York City Marathon (826 entrants)
- 2025 California International Marathon (812 entrants)
- 2026 TCS London Marathon (610 entrants)
Next Steps for Applicants and Hopefuls
- Credit Card Charges: Entry fees are non-refundable and will only be officially charged to applicants’ credit cards once their qualifying performances are fully verified.
- Charity Alternatives: For runners who missed out on the qualifier cutoff, the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program will begin accepting applications for charity slots later this fall.
The 131st Boston Marathon will take place on Monday, April 19, 2027.
