The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) released major registration updates today for the 2027 Boston Marathon Registration (scheduled for Monday, April 19, 2027).
The headline news is a brand-new Boston Qualifier Selection—a random drawing that will award roughly 1,000 race entries to runners who hit their age-and-gender qualifying time but miss the strict “cut-off time” threshold.
The update also serves as a reminder that when registration opens this September, the B.A.A. will enforce its downhill course time index penalties for the very first time.
1. The ~1,000-Spot Qualifier Lottery (What’s New)
In recent years, hitting an official Boston Qualifying (BQ) standard has been no guarantee of a starting bib. Because application numbers routinely exceed field limits, the B.A.A. accepts only the fastest qualifiers per age group. In 2025, runners had to beat their official standard by 6 minutes and 51 seconds just to make the cut, leaving more than 12,000 valid BQ holders shut out.
Starting with the 2027 race, those who fall into this “cut-off gap” get a second chance:
- The Mechanism: The B.A.A. will verify all submissions and rank applicants by speed to establish the primary cut-off time, accepting top performers up to the field limit.
- The Second Chance: Anyone whose verified time met their official age/gender standard—but was slower than the cut-off time—will automatically enter a random drawing.
- The Capacity: Approximately 1,000 field entries will be awarded via this secondary lottery.
“With the increasingly fast times in our sport, our random Boston Qualifier Selection gives all those who have met the standard for their age group a chance to run Boston,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the B.A.A.
2. Downhill Time Indexing Enforced (What Takes Effect)
While previewed to give runners advance warning, September 2026 registration marks the first time the B.A.A. online portal will calculate and apply time penalties to net-downhill course submissions.
Data scientists working with the B.A.A. determined that courses with steep net elevation drops afford athletes a significant time advantage. To level the playing field against flatter or rolling courses, the following penalties apply:
| Net Elevation Drop | B.A.A. Time Adjustment | Impact / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 ft (457.2 m) | No Penalty | Standard flat/rolling marathons (CIM, Chicago, NYC, Berlin, Houston) |
| 1,500 – 2,999 ft (457.2 – 914.1 m) | +5 Minutes added to net time | Point-to-point drop races (e.g., St. George, Tunnel Light) |
| 3,000 – 5,999 ft (914.2 – 1,828.5 m) | +10 Minutes added to net time | Ultra-downhill courses (e.g., REVEL Mt. Charleston, REVEL Big Bear) |
| 6,000+ ft (1,828.6+ m) | Disqualified | Extreme gravity-assisted marathons are no longer accepted |
Example in Action:
A 38-year-old male needing a 3:00:00 standard runs a 2:54:00 at a marathon with a 3,500-foot net drop. With the +10:00 penalty, his official submission time becomes 3:04:00. Because 3:04:00 is slower than his 3:00:00 standard, he is not eligible to apply.
Key Dates & Logistics
- 2027 Registration Window: Opens Monday, September 14, 2026 and closes Friday, September 18, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET via Athletes’ Village.
- Notifications: All applicants (accepted, sub-cutoff lottery winners, and unaccepted) will be notified by early October 2026.
- 2028 Window & Standards: The qualifying window for the 2028 Boston Marathon opens Saturday, September 19, 2026. Standards remain unchanged from 2027.
The Takeaway for Marathoners
The B.A.A. is attempting to address two persistent pain points in the marathon community: course fairness and the heartbreak of the cut-off line.
While 1,000 lottery spots won’t accommodate every runner left behind by the cut-off margin, it injects much-needed hope into the process. Squeezing under your BQ standard by a few seconds no longer means a guaranteed rejection email—it gives you a real shot at Hopkinton.
