2026 and 2027 Registration Updates for the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America

  2026 and 2027 Registration Updates for the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America

 

2026 Registration Dates, 2027 Qualifying Window and New Downhill Course Procedures Announced

 

BOSTON (Monday, June 16 at 1:00 p.m.) — The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced registration updates and information pertaining to both the 2026 and 2027 editions of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. Also announced today are new procedures pertaining to significant net-downhill Boston Marathon qualifying races.

 

2026 Boston Marathon Registration Week

 

Registration for the 2026 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America will occur over five days, September 8 through 12, 2025. Similar to recent years, anyone who has achieved a currently valid Boston Marathon qualifying time for their respective age and gender can apply during this time within the B.A.A.’s online platform Athletes’ Village. Registration is not on a first-come, first-served basis, and applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 12. 

 

Qualifying standards can be found here, and additional registration information is available here.

 

2027 Boston Marathon Qualifying Window

 

The B.A.A. has also announced that the 2027 Boston Marathon qualifying window will open on Saturday, September 13, 2025 – one day after Registration Week for the 2026 event closes. The qualifying window will remain open through 2027 Boston Marathon Registration Week in September 2026, with exact dates to be announced later. 

 

New Net-Downhill Course Procedures for Boston Marathon Qualifying Races

 

The B.A.A. annually reviews Boston Marathon qualifying rules and procedures to ensure that athletes are competing and applying for Boston Marathon entry without substantial advantages over fellow athletes. Working with data scientists and reviewing applicable results data from 2022 through the present, the B.A.A. has analyzed studies and findings which show that athletes qualifying at courses with at least 1,500 feet (457.2 meters) of net-elevation drop between start and finish receive a substantial time advantage over qualifiers from events with less than 1,500 feet (457.2 meters) net-elevation drop.

 

Starting with registration for the 2027 Boston Marathon, qualifying results from any course with a net-downhill of 1,500-feet (457.2 meters) or more will incur a time adjustment to results, (known as an ‘index’) upon being submitted for Boston Marathon registration. 

 

The below adjustment in rules will go into effect starting with the 2027 Boston Marathon qualifying window, which will open September 13, 2025.

 

“As the sport of marathoning has increased in popularity and the demand for a place in the Boston Marathon has reached record levels, the B.A.A. has continued to analyze race results from events across the world,” said Jack Fleming, B.A.A. President and Chief Executive Officer. “The new downhill course adjustments are the next step in our evolving Boston Marathon registration process. We wanted to give athletes and events ample time to prepare in advance of the 2027 Boston Marathon registration period. We know athletes plan their qualifying marathons well in advance.”

 

Net-Downhill Definition: The B.A.A. defines net-downhill as the difference in elevation between the start and finish points of an event. 1,500 feet is equal to 457.2 meters.

 

Downhill Results Indexing:

Starting with registration for the 2027 Boston Marathon, verified qualifying times from any course with a net-downhill of 1,500 or more feet will incur a time adjustment to results (known as an ‘index’) after being submitted for Boston Marathon registration. The below time indexes will be added after an official qualifying time is submitted for review to the B.A.A.

 

• Verified qualifying times from any course with a net-downhill of between 1,500 and 2,999 feet (457.2 meters and 914.1 meters) will incur a five-minute (+5:00 minutes) time adjustment to results once submitted to the B.A.A. for review.
• Verified qualifying times from any course with a net-downhill of between 3,000 and 5,999 feet (914.2 meters and 1,828.5 meters) will incur a ten-minute (+10:00 minutes) time adjustment to results once submitted to the B.A.A. for review.
• Any course with a net-downhill of 6,000 feet (1,828.6 meters) or greater will not be allowed for Boston Marathon qualifying purposes.

 

The above time indexes will be in place for at least the next two years, and the B.A.A. reserves the right to make additional adjustments in the future if deemed necessary.

 

Boston Marathon Qualifying Events

 

As a reminder, to be considered for Boston Marathon qualification purposes, marathon events must:

Be a full marathon distance (26.2 miles/42.195 kilometers) with a minimum of three official participants.

• Only a certified full marathon distance will be accepted for qualifying. Distances shorter than a full marathon will not be accepted.
• Times from indoor marathons, virtual marathons, time-trials, or treadmills are not accepted for qualifying purposes. Starting with 2027 registration, marathons with greater than 6,000 feet (1,828.6 meters) of elevation drop between start and finish will not be accepted for qualifying purposes.

Be a certified course by USATF, World Athletics, AIMS, or foreign equivalent governing body.

 

Events which fail to provide adequate proof of certification will not be eligible for qualification. Events are encouraged to submit proof of certification, as well as results and proof of course elevation to results@baa.org. If proof of course certification is not provided by July 1 each year, then an event may be deemed ineligible for Boston Marathon qualification/registration in September. It is the responsibility of event organizers to submit proof of certification, proof of course elevation, and official results to the B.A.A. in a timely manner.

 

Athletes are encouraged to visit World Athletics and USATF or their respective qualifying event’s website for information on course elevation and current certification to ensure events meet the above Boston Marathon qualifying criteria.

 

Representatives of marathon events who may be affected will receive additional information from the B.A.A. in the coming weeks. The B.A.A. reserves the right to review and verify that any qualifying race submitted for entry meets all qualifying race criteria.

 

Examples of Downhill Time Indexes

 

Runner A is an 18-years-old man (qualifying standard of 2:55:00). Runner A times 2:45:30 at a marathon which features a net-downhill of 2,000 feet (609.6 meters) from start to finish.  When applying to participate in the 2027 Boston Marathon, their result will incur a five-minute index and will be considered as 2:50:30 during the registration review process. Therefore, their result will be considered 4 minutes, 30 seconds under their 2:55:00 qualifying standard.

 

Runner B is a 40-year-old woman (qualifying standard of 3:35:00). Runner B times 3:20:30 at a marathon which features a net-downhill of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) from start to finish. When applying to participate in the 2027 Boston Marathon, their result will incur a ten-minute index and will be considered as 3:30:30 during the registration review process. Therefore, their result will be considered 4 minutes, 30 seconds under their 3:35:00 qualifying standard.

 

Runner C is a 35-year-old man (qualifying standard of 3:00:00). Runner C times 2:58:00 at a marathon which features a net-downhill of 2,500 feet (762 meters) from start to finish. Their result will incur a five-minute index and will be considered as 3:03:00. Therefore, their result will be considered 3 minutes over their 3:00:00 qualifying standard and Runner C will not be allowed to submit a qualifier application for entry.