Organizers announced on Tuesday that around 12,000 runners who met the qualifying standard for the 2025 Boston Marathon will not secure a spot at the starting line due to an overwhelming number of applications.
Boston is one of the few marathons that requires amateur runners to achieve a qualifying time to compete, and each year, many aspire to “Boston qualify” based on their age and gender, which is seen as a significant milestone for marathon enthusiasts.
But a speedy pool of applicants meant entrants had to exceed their qualifying time by six minutes 51 seconds to get a spot, the largest cut-off in the race’s history with the exception of the COVID-reduced 2021 edition.
The 36,393 qualifier applications reflected the booming popularity of distance running, according to Boston Athletic Association President and CEO Jack Fleming.
“Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day,” Fleming said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognise, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event.”
Earlier this month, organisers of the marathon major adjusted the qualifying standard for the 2026 race, with runners aged under 60 asked to run five minutes faster to enter.
The 2025 Boston Marathon is set for April 21.
