Registration is less than a month away. I've got a 4:02 cushion so I should be good to go for my 5th Boston in a row. Hard to predict a cutoff since they vary the number of qualified runners they take each year but for previous years they had:

Boston 2017 had a 2:09 cutoff
Boston 2016 had a 2:28 cutoff
Boston 2015 had a 1:02 cutoff
Boston 2014 had a 1:38 cutoff

Quote:

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• Monday, September 11 - Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or more.
• Wednesday, September 13 - Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or more (if space remains).
• Friday, September 15 - Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 5 minutes, 00 seconds or more (if space remains).
• Saturday, September 16 - Registration closes at 10:00 p.m. ET.
• Monday, September 18 - All qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard (if space remains) may submit an entry.
• Wednesday, September 20 - Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. ET.
• Registration from September 11-20 will not be first-come, first-served. The fastest qualifiers in gender and age groups will be given entry as space allows.
• If space remains after this initial period, then on Monday, September 25 registration will re-open to anyone who meets the qualifying standards on a first come, first served basis.
• Registration will remain open until the maximum field size is reached.

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I'm in, or at least should be. I've got a 4:05 cushion, which should be good like you say.

Any thoughts on Hotels yet?

I would probably look at booking something soon. A lot of people book soon after the April. We've done AirBNB and will do that again.

This website is good for hotels: http://www.marathontours.com/races/boston-marathon-384

Endo Ag said:

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Any thoughts on Hotels yet?

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Yeah. I looked around on AirBnb and hotels.com this morning and my thoughts are: holy schneikes, this is going to be an expensive trip.

Yeah. Mine is complicated by having a significant number of people who are talking about attending, but knowing that reality will hit and most won't come, and then having a few who are near local who might show for a day, but won't need space all weekend.

Our best friends live an hour west of Hopkinton too, so we may just base out of there. Hard to say.

coop-aero-06 said:

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Endo Ag said:

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Any thoughts on Hotels yet?

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Yeah. I looked around on AirBnb and hotels.com this morning and my thoughts are: holy schneikes, this is going to be an expensive trip.

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Biggest reason I don't have any desire to go back. Too many other races I'd rather spend money on. That said, Boston is, by far, still my favorite marathon I've run.

Got hosed at the Woodlands Marathon and was on pace for a 5 minute cushion through 25.4 miles.
Haven't been back since 2013. Congratulations! I'll be cheering you on from Aggieland.

The first year I went, we had 10 in our party, we did hotel rooms in Cambridge. It was still pretty pricey. The second year, we had only 5 and just rented a house in Cambridge through airbnb and haven't gone back to hotels. Cambridge, north end, back bay are all good places to stay.

I got older so I have 5+ minute cushion. Thinking about running Grasslands this year instead. I think I'll leave Boston as a reward for breaking the 3 hour mark.

Good luck to everyone near the predicted cutoff time.

I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to run Boston. What happens if for some reason you don't re qualify?

I know the answer may frustrate some, but if I don't requalify then I never run the race. Or I pay to get in. Looking back on past goals, I never wrote down I wanted to run Boston. It was qualify for Boston and go sub three. I get the race is a big deal and it would probably be amazing to run it. I don't feel that my life would be incomplete if I never ran it.

We went last year to watch my wife and I'd rather spend the travel budget going somewhere else. I'd like to revisit Boston someday just not necessarily next year.

I never planned to run marathons in the first place. I read about a fifty mile race and decided I was going to try an ultra. Went out ran ten miles one weekend and decided to pursue that goal. If it wasn't for Chris Field putting on a marathon in my backyard, I might have never run the distance.

TL;DR version. Chris Field is a jerk that got me into running marathons instead of ultras.

sims05 said:

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I never planned to run marathons in the first place. I read about a fifty mile race and decided I was going to try an ultra. Went out ran ten miles one weekend and decided to pursue that goal.

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Welcome to the dark side!

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I never wrote down I wanted to run Boston. It was qualify for Boston and go sub three.

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I get this too (well, not the sub 3 part). I officially start training for Houston next Monday. IF I BQ, I won't get to run Boston until 2019. My wife has family not too far from Hopkington, so that makes it a little more affordable.

Registration closes Wednesday, likely will not open again.

Registered over the weekend. I should be in with a 6 minute cushion.

You are good. They wouldn't have opened up this week if everyone with 5 + minutes wasn't already in.

Got the email from BAA and almost thought about applying. Then I remembered talking big game about how I was passing this year. A five minute cushion wouldn't make it as exciting waiting for confirmation.

I filled out the form yesterday...now to wait. 4+ minute cushion should be solid, but I hate waiting.

I registered for the Charleston half in January so I have a reason to quit being fat and lazy. It's time for my comeback to start!

I'm in. 5 in a row!

I'm in.

Cutoff was 3:23!

I was thinking a cutoff in the low 2s but didn't expect mid 3s. Getting closer to 5 minute cushion than 0.

In! I can't believe the cutoff was -3:23. I'm guessing we will see another 5 minute reduction in qualifying standards in the next 5-10 years if this continues.

3:23 is a huge time.

Congrats to those who got in.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to do -4 for 2019. Sounds impossible for me.

Unthought Known said:

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3:23 is a huge time.

Congrats to those who got in.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to do -4 for 2019. Sounds impossible for me.

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I'd really aim for -5. Realize that 3:23 was also with a REALLY warm year at the biggest BQ race.

A big anniversary year is coming up soon, I think. That might push the beat your standard by number up. I also think they are starting to try to get back to the pre bombing race cap. Haven't seen the number of participants this year.

Unthought Known said:

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3:23 is a huge time.

Congrats to those who got in.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to do -4 for 2019. Sounds impossible for me.

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Yeah, my "safe" number was 3 minutes under BQ, and I only let myself accelerate in the final miles. If I had been more strict about not outrunning my safe number, I'd be on the outside looking in. The upside is that it sounded impossible a two years ago.

My buddy finished at 1:23 under. He was aiming for 3. Even if he had made that goal, no bueno.

I am trying in December. Thinking 4 has to be my goal which adding the distance probably puts it outside my ability.

Lots of miles, and add tempo runs if you aren't doing them, and you'll be amazed what can happen.

I think I can make a BQ time. The key is getting under.

One strategy is to hold onto the pace you are running now for a few years and then by virtue of getting older you will have the cushion you need below the qualifying time. Of course, you also have to hope the BAA doesn't lower the qualifying standard.

Unthought Known said:

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I think I can make a BQ time. The key is getting under.

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You can do it. I think virtually everyone in this group made big jumps to get to the BQ slot. You can't expect different results doing the same thing.

You're so right. I had a stronger basecwhen I started the training and will have twice as many miles as last time. And working in speed work.

So, I looked at my mileage when I came within 10 minutes (more like 12 minutes now) on my first and only, and over 10 weeks out my weekly mileage is surpassing my highest mileage.