After two years of no cut-offs, 5:29 buffer for this upcoming year.

https://www.baa.org/global-field-qualifiers-notified-acceptance-128th-boston-marathon-presented-bank-america

I saw that this morning and had a solid freak out moment. It doesn't affect me for the 2024 race, but I am chasing 2025. It definitely seems like a considerable jump from the two years of no cut-off. I am sure that there are good reasons for the jump, with the residual effect that covid had on racing seeming most likely to me.

Just got cleared to return to running yesterday. Hoping I can stay healthy and make it to the start line this year.

Wonder how soon it will be before they lower times again. I expect them to drop it another 5 minutes.

Will be interesting to see if they do. The last two years they accepted all qualifiers and then jumped to >5 minutes this year. That's a big leap. I haven't looked at any analysis but was it more applicants or fewer available spots (more charity spots)?

A record number of applicants is the big thing. There were over 33,000 applicants, and the previous record was ~30,000 in 2019.

The percentage of charity spots versus time qualifiers is right about the same as it's been for some time, from what I understand.

Yeah I think the last couple years numbers were simply down due to the pandemic canceling races etc

I would have to double my Half Marathon to make it. I know there are plenty of people out there who can actually do stuff like that. I'm not one of them. I've learned my place, and was ecstatic to get my sub-4 at 50 years old. Maybe gonna chase a 21 minute 5K instead. I had a 6:02 mile this evening. That was fun. Boston, nope.

Over 5 minute cut off is heartbreaking for people. Instead of lowering times, I'd prefer they tighten the course requirements. Get rid of point to point BQ courses (I get the irony of Boston being point to point). All races aren't equal, and it stinks that some can run a significant down hill marathon to qualify. This would lower the number of qualified applicants real quick.

I'm a purist when I comes to Boston, so I don't think charity runners should get a "free" pass. That would open more slots for qualifiers. Or run the charity folks on the day before or something. That said, I know the above will never happen.

zachsccr said:

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Over 5 minute cut off is heartbreaking for people. Instead of lowering times, I'd prefer they tighten the course requirements. Get rid of point to point BQ courses (I get the irony of Boston being point to point). All races aren't equal, and it stinks that some can run a significant down hill marathon to qualify. This would lower the number of qualified applicants real quick.

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Weather-adjusted times would be more fair than downhill point-to-point qualifiers. Houston was 60-70 degrees this year. Every marathon in the entire region was unseasonably hot - Texas was boiling, Seabrook and USA Fit had heavy rain, Galveston was boiling, and The Woodlands was barely passable. Somebody running Houston in 3:30 this year, maybe flying in and spending a bunch of money to race at 70 degrees, had a way better race than someone running 3:25 in a downhill point to point at 45 degrees.

I doubt Boston wants to open that can of worms. Where do you draw the line? Do you start putting shoe restrictions to not allow the carbon plate shoes?

I hope the baa is upping charity fundraising requirements as well.

Two weeks out and training has gone really well for me. No major setbacks or lingering issues. All that's left is to rest up and make it to Hopkinton in a fortnight.

Roll Call - anyone else toeing the line this year?