The highly revered Boston Marathon will be back on April 21, 2025. But before that, a meticulous process involving qualifiers is a must for applicants to clear. The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has made significant progress. They have accepted 24,069 applicants so far, with more pending final verification of their qualifying times. Yet many hopefuls face disappointment. The competition is fierce, and not everyone will make the cut. Excitement and anticipation fill the air as runners aim for a chance to be part of this iconic race.

More than 12k runners have missed the spot, and as the qualifiers this year had been one of the toughest rounds, the numbers aren’t surprising. To qualify, the applicants had to be at least 6 minutes and 51 seconds faster than their age group’s required time. And it looks like 12,324 weren’t ‘fast enough’. Meanwhile, the B.A.A. has acknowledged their efforts and dedication toward the Boston Marathon.

This year, the Boston Marathon received a record-breaking 36,393 qualifier applications. That’s a remarkable increase from the previous record of 33,058. The event will feature 30,000 runners, including charity participants and professional athletes. Among them, 13,740 men and 10,260 women will compete, along with 69 non-binary athletes. Notably, 709 dedicated athletes have earned spots for completing ten consecutive Boston Marathons. At the same time, there will be many first-timers who will brace the event’s setup.

The audience has welcomed the Boston Athletic Association’s decision to select fewer runners. They’ve called this a brave resolution as it might only enhance the Boston Marathon’s overall experience as the ‘most’ eligible ones will start the show and end the same.

Track and field fans applauded the strict qualifiers for the 2025 Boston Marathon

Over the last 12 years, the B.A.A. has taken great measures to make the Boston Marathon as better as possible. In 2024, officials set the qualifying time at 5:29, and they rejected 11,039 applicants. In 2021, the qualifying time was 7:47, and rejected 9,215 applicants. Well, with years, not just time but measures to scan through the runners have also changed. On seeing this, a fan said, “This is good news! Keep working it folks! It took me over 10 years to finally get my time down far enough👍” It looks like this fan had to wait a decade to get his spot in the Boston Marathon. Moreover, the congratulatory message highlights that the audience has welcomed the rigorous step.

“I wonder how many would have been rejected with next year’s standards.” An interesting thought indeed. With the way the Boston Marathon is sifting through the massive pool of runners, it will be interesting to see what the 130th edition of the event will look like. Meanwhile, it will be intriguing to see if the defending champion, Ethiopian Sisay Lemma, could continue his winning streak or not.

Another fan suggested: “So in theory, with time change, for 2026 one would need to be 2ish minutes faster than qual time to actually get in.” If a runner wants to qualify for the 130th Boston Marathon in 2026, they should plan for a time about 2 minutes faster than the official qualifying standard. This adjustment will help ensure they meet the qualifying time. It also accounts for any potential cut-off changes based on the number of applicants.

Meanwhile, “Now get rid of people paying their way into the race” was an important suggestion. If the B.A.A. succeeds in imposing this proposal, then the Boston Marathon would become an event solely dependent on performance and dedication, allowing for a more level playing field. By enforcing strict qualifying times, the race preserves its prestigious reputation and honors the hard work of marathon runners.

“It’s the shoes and the qualifying window moving past the pandemic years when people raced less.” This fan suggests that with the advancement in running shoes and the changing qualifying window, runners have been enabled to achieve faster times. Moreover, the popularity of the Boston Marathon has attracted thousands of applicants from across the globe. Besides the USA, participants enroll themselves from 118 countries, telling us how unique and prestigious the event is.

The B.A.A. is yet to finalize the remaining candidates for the 129th Boston Marathon in 2025. As the reports say, 30000 runners will brace the streets on April 21 next year. This means some 5K+ applicants are waiting in anticipation to see their names on the list. Meanwhile, the meticulous way of managing the integrity of the event has been a great initiative that has also impressed the fans. Well, not a bad way to make the marathon more interesting!