2016 Boston Marathon Qualifier Breakdown Announced

The field of qualifying runners for the 2016 Boston Marathon has been filled and, overall, it is a considerably faster group of runners that made the cut compared to the 2015 race.

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that applicants who were 2 minutes, 28 seconds or faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender were accepted into the 2016 Boston Marathon. That compares with a minimum time of at least 62 seconds faster than age-group/gender standards to get into the 2015 Boston Marathon and 1:38 or faster to get into the 2014 race. Qualified applicants who didn’t make the cutoff will be sent notice today that they didn’t get in.

In preparation for the 2016 race, the B.A.A. implemented the same registration process for qualified runners as it used in the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 marathons, allowing the fastest qualifiers to register first. The 120th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 18, 2016.

In cooperation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route, the B.A.A. has set the field size for the 2016 Boston Marathon at 30,000 official entrants. More than 80 percent of the field will be comprised of athletes who have met the qualifying standards. The balance will consist of invitational entrants, many of whom run for local charitable organizations. Since 1989, between the B.A.A.’s Official Charity Program and principal sponsor John Hancock Financial’s Non-Profit Bib Program for the Boston Marathon, more than $234 million has been raised for charity.

Registration for runners who met the B.A.A.’s qualifying standards for the 2016 Boston Marathon began on Monday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. ET using a “rolling admission” schedule and continued through Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10 p.m. ET. Registration re-opened on Monday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. and application submissions were received through Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. ET.

Qualifiers who were two minutes, 28 seconds (2:28) or faster than the Qualifying time for their age group and gender were accepted into the 2016 Boston Marathon.

– 28,594 applications were received during the registration period for qualifiers.

_ 24,032 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of their qualifying performance.

– 4,562 applicants were unable to be accepted due to the large number of eligible qualifiers who submitted an application for entry combined with field size limitations.

Details of the B.A.A.’s registration process for qualifiers can be found on the following web page: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/athlete-registration.aspx

During the registration period, the breakdown of accepted qualifiers was as follows:

– 4,744 qualifiers met their qualifying time by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or faster.

– 7,495 qualifiers met their qualifying time by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or faster.

– 6,849 qualifiers met their qualifying time by 05 minutes, 00 seconds or faster.

– 4,540 qualifiers met their qualifying time by 02 minutes, 28 seconds or faster.

– 404 qualifiers were accepted based on finishing 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons.

During the second week of registration, 5,252 qualifiers were accepted.

Qualifying performances for the 2016 Boston Marathon must have been run between September 13, 2014 and September 19, 2015.  Notices via e-mail to those accepted will be issued by the B.A.A. beginning today.

Of the registered athletes, 404 qualifiers who have an active streak of ten or more consecutive Boston Marathons completed entered during a pre-registration period in August and have been accepted. In the coming months, qualified elite athletes and athletes with disabilities will be added to the field.

The names of those runners who have been accepted will be posted on the “Entrants” page of the B.A.A.’s web site: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/entrants.aspx

“For so many runners, qualifying and participating in the Boston Marathon is the highlight of their running careers,” Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director said in a release. “It is extraordinarily difficult to inform those who have qualified that the field size is limited and there is not enough space for everyone. We have worked hard to ensure a fair and balanced registration process that gives qualified runners the best opportunity to participate in the Boston Marathon. In order to ensure the greatest race experience for runners, spectators, and everyone in the community, we work with many constituencies to determine the most optimal field size.”

Next year’s Boston Marathon will mark the 31st consecutive year that the event will have John Hancock Financial as its principal sponsor.