Boston Marathon 2027 registration is open

Registration for the 131st Boston Marathon opened on Monday, September 14. Boston is a special race in the running world, one of the most exclusive marathons on the planet: only experienced runners with a qualifying time can hope to earn a place. This year, a major new rule adds another twist to the process: a lottery for 1,000 spots among time-qualified runners who miss the cut-off. One warning for hopeful entrants: registration is open only until September 18.

The registration window lasts just five days

Registration opened on Monday, September 14, and closes on Friday, September 18, at 5 p.m. Boston time (Eastern Time), or 11 p.m. in Paris. This is not the week to procrastinate: the days disappear quickly between family, work, training and friends. There is only one place to register: the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the event. The association processes all entrants' data, checking each participant's qualifying time before ranking them by age group and gender. Qualifying times must have been achieved at a certified race between September 13, 2025, and September 18, 2026. Entrants will then have to wait several weeks for confirmation, which will be emailed in early October.

Registration for the 2027 Boston Marathon is open from September 14 to 18. Find out how to enter.

A qualifying time does not guarantee a place

The Boston Qualifier, or BQ, is the holy grail for countless runners: the time that opens the door to the world's most prestigious marathon. But these days, it is no longer enough. In Boston terminology, you will often hear the word cut-off. It refers to the selection threshold beyond the basic qualifying standard. Running has become so popular that the number of fast runners keeps growing. There simply are not enough places for everyone. The Boston Marathon, meanwhile, has kept its field size unchanged at 30,000, preserving the event's prestige and the quality of the experience.

For the many runners who devote years of training to this marathon before finally earning their BQ, missing out is a bitter pill to swallow. Last year, entrants needed to beat their age-group qualifying time by 4:34. Of the 33,249 applicants, 24,362 were accepted, while 8,887 runners who had achieved the qualifying standard were not selected. This year, some specialists are predicting an even larger cut-off, somewhere between five and six minutes.

Boston Marathon 2027 qualifying times by age group

Age group	Men	Women	Non-binary
18-34	2:55:00	3:25:00	3:25:00
35-39	3:00:00	3:30:00	3:30:00
40-44	3:05:00	3:35:00	3:35:00
45-49	3:15:00	3:45:00	3:45:00
50-54	3:20:00	3:50:00	3:50:00
55-59	3:30:00	4:00:00	4:00:00
60-64	3:50:00	4:20:00	4:20:00
65-69	4:05:00	4:35:00	4:35:00
70-74	4:20:00	4:50:00	4:50:00
75-79	4:35:00	5:05:00	5:05:00
80 and over	4:50:00	5:20:00	5:20:00

A five-minute-plus penalty for downhill races

This mainly affects the United States, where several downhill marathons are held every year, including the Jack and Jill's Downhill Marathon and the REVEL series (Mt. Charleston, Big Bear, Big Cottonwood). To ensure fairness among participants, the BAA introduced a penalty scale in 2025 based on the elevation loss of the race used to record the qualifying time:

Between 457.2 m and 914.1 m: 5-minute penalty
Between 914.2 m and 1,828.5 m: 10-minute penalty
More than 1,828.6 m: race not accepted by the BAA

For the BAA, it is a fair and intelligent way to limit the field while applying the same rules to everyone. In Boston, every second can count, and although the effort remains demanding, a downhill marathon is naturally faster than a flat one.

A new lottery for 1,000 runners

The major change for the 2027 edition is a lottery that will give unsuccessful applicants another shot. A total of 1,000 lucky runners will be drawn from everyone who registered, had their qualifying time approved, but fell short of the famous cut-off. Frustration has been building in the running community in recent years. Hitting the standard is no longer enough, and runners are running out of options for getting into Boston. This new lottery offers a second chance that will be warmly welcomed by the 1,000 runners selected, all of whom have earned their place in Boston.

Boston Marathon key facts

Date : Monday, April 19, 2027 (Patriots' Day)
Edition : 131st Boston Marathon
Elevation gain : 248 m
Elevation loss : 388 m
Course : A long point-to-point route from Hopkinton to Boston, finishing on Boylston Street
Entry fee : US$270
Member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors
Field size : Approximately 30,000
Course records : 2:01:52 by John Korir (2026), 2:17:22 by Sharon Lokedi (2025)

Boston has never been more coveted, yet it has never been harder to get into. For many runners, the BQ is no longer enough. Last year, more than a quarter of the 33,249 applicants were left out despite posting an accepted qualifying time. Rather than expand the event, the BAA is adjusting its rules to meet the growing pressure. That choice preserves the race's exclusive character. The 1,000-place lottery is a first step, offering a second chance for the first time to runners who ran the standard but missed the cut-off. The verdict will arrive in early October, when the BAA reveals the entry list and the cut-off for the 131st edition. Until then, do not wait: registration closes on Friday, September 18.

Boston Marathon registration

✔ Find all the registration details at baa.org.