Boston Qualifier Hub
Current B.A.A. standards, recent acceptance cutoffs, and a simple target pace helper.
Official source: Boston Athletic Association qualifying standards
Important course rule: starting with 2027 registration, B.A.A. applies time adjustments to qualifying results from courses with at least 1,500 feet / 457.2 m of net downhill. Courses with 6,000 feet / 1,828.6 m or more of net drop are not accepted for Boston qualifying. Official B.A.A. update
Target Pace
BQ standard: 2:55:00
Target time: 2:50:00
Pace per mile: 6:29/mi
Pace per km: 4:02/km
Targeting 5 minutes under the listed standard.
2027 Standards
| Age group | Men | Women | Non-binary | Men pace | Women pace | Non-binary pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 | 3:25:00 | 6:40/mi | 7:49/mi | 7:49/mi |
| 35-39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 | 3:30:00 | 6:52/mi | 8:01/mi | 8:01/mi |
| 40-44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 | 3:35:00 | 7:03/mi | 8:12/mi | 8:12/mi |
| 45-49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 | 3:45:00 | 7:26/mi | 8:35/mi | 8:35/mi |
| 50-54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 | 3:50:00 | 7:38/mi | 8:46/mi | 8:46/mi |
| 55-59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 | 4:00:00 | 8:01/mi | 9:09/mi | 9:09/mi |
| 60-64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 | 4:20:00 | 8:46/mi | 9:55/mi | 9:55/mi |
| 65-69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 | 4:35:00 | 9:21/mi | 10:29/mi | 10:29/mi |
| 70-74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 | 4:50:00 | 9:55/mi | 11:04/mi | 11:04/mi |
| 75-79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 | 5:05:00 | 10:29/mi | 11:38/mi | 11:38/mi |
| 80+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 | 5:20:00 | 11:04/mi | 12:12/mi | 12:12/mi |
The published standard is only the eligibility line. Acceptance can require a faster time when applications exceed the available field.
Recent Cutoffs
Latest official cutoff source: 2026 qualifier acceptance update
| Year | Cutoff | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4:34 | Accepted qualifiers were 4:34 or faster under standard |
| 2025 | 6:51 | Accepted qualifiers were 6:51 or faster under standard |
| 2024 | 5:29 | Accepted qualifiers were 5:29 or faster under standard |
| 2023 | No cutoff | All verified qualifiers were accepted |
| 2022 | No cutoff | All verified qualifiers were accepted |
| 2021 | 7:47 | Accepted qualifiers were 7:47 or faster under standard |
| 2020 | 1:39 | Accepted qualifiers were 1:39 or faster under standard |
BQ-Friendly Races
These races are marked as Boston qualifiers in our directory. Confirm certification, full-marathon distance, official results, and any net-downhill adjustment with the organizer before using a race as your qualifier.
- December 20, 2026 - Taipei Marathon - Taipei, Taiwan
- December 13, 2026 - Baylor Scott & White College Station Marathon - College Station, Texas, United States
- December 13, 2026 - BMW Dallas Marathon - Dallas, Texas, United States
- December 13, 2026 - Rocket City Marathon - Huntsville, Alabama, United States
- December 13, 2026 - Tucson Marathon - Tucson, Arizona, United States
- December 12, 2026 - ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- December 12, 2026 - Kiawah Island Golf Resort Marathon & Half Marathon - Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States
- December 12, 2026 - The Phoenix Marathon - Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- December 6, 2026 - California International Marathon (CIM) - Sacramento, California, United States
- December 6, 2026 - Maraton Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Zurich - Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain
- December 6, 2026 - Naha Marathon Okinawa - Naha, Okinawa, Japan
- December 6, 2026 - Run Barbados Marathon Weekend - Bridgetown, Barbados
- December 6, 2026 - Saguaro National Park Tucson Marathon - Tucson, Arizona, United States
- December 6, 2026 - San Antonio Marathon - San Antonio, Texas, United States
- December 6, 2026 - Shanghai Marathon - Shanghai, China
- December 5, 2026 - St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend - Memphis, Tennessee, United States
- December 5, 2026 - Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon - Singapore
- November 29, 2026 - Estra Firenze Marathon - Florence, Tuscany, Italy
- November 29, 2026 - Torino City Marathon - Turin, Piedmont, Italy
- November 29, 2026 - UW Medicine Seattle Marathon & Half Marathon - Seattle, Washington, United States
- November 26, 2026 - Atlanta Marathon (Thanksgiving) - Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- November 22, 2026 - Callaway Gardens Marathon - Pine Mountain, Georgia, United States
- November 22, 2026 - Philadelphia Marathon - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- November 22, 2026 - Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon - Cocoa, Florida, United States
- November 22, 2026 - Williams Route 66 Marathon - Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
- November 22, 2026 - Zurich Maraton San Sebastian - San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain
- November 21, 2026 - Annapolis Marathon Maryland - Annapolis, Maryland, United States
- November 15, 2026 - Kobe Marathon - Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- November 15, 2026 - Madison Marathon presented by SSM Health - Madison, Wisconsin, United States
- November 15, 2026 - Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon - Las Vegas, Nevada, United States