Ok, to qualify for the Boston Marathon I have to run a 3:25:00. But I have heard with some many people trying to register running the qualifiying time is no longer a guarantee that would get you into the race. I've also been told that to make sure to get in you should run several minutes faster than the qualifying time. So how many minutes faster should I be shooting for?
At least 2:35:00
BQs slower than 2:28 under the standard left you outside looking in. Here is the breakdown for the 2016 race:
4,744 qualifiers who were 20:00 or more under their standard.
7,495 qualifiers who were 10:00 or more under their standard.
6,849 qualifiers who were 5:00 or more under their standard.
4,540 qualifiers who were 2:28-4:59 under their standard.
If you want to be sure you get in, then go the fundraising for charity route.
internetExpert wrote:
If you want to be sure you get in, then go the fundraising for charity route.
http://www.baa.org/utilities/charities.aspx
It's easier just to cheat on your qualifying run.
Hi Mike
EZPass Mike wrote:
Hi Mike
Hi other Mike!
If you hop in your car and register a 3:11, you are bound to get in.
Thank you, Barb. https://goo.gl/maps/dXfm3H66fg82
In some ways it's kind of a dumb question, right? You want to run as far under your standard as you possibly can, both because that gives you the best chance of running the race, but also because that's why you run a race.
I mean, if we told you to run six minutes under and you set that as a goal, and reached it, you'd be a better runner than if we told you to run two minutes under and you set that as a goal, and reached it; but you'd have to not blow up. So really, only you know what you're capable of, and the goal is to run as far under the standard as you can do.
Nobody can promise a specific time will get you in - you're literally racing against everybody else who's trying to run Boston next year, with the prize going to the ~20,000 who beat their standard by the largest margin.
But to throw some numbers out there, you're obviously safe if you beat it by ten minutes. That also gives you the security of likely getting your confirmation before the registration even ends. Five minutes under gets you registration during the first week, and so far they've never had to shut it down during the first week since they went to the lottery.
You're not safe if you have to register the second week, but realistically three minutes under should put you in a decent spot. Any less than that, and you'll be sweating it.
But seriously, beat it by as large a margin as you possibly can. It's a race. Don't say, "well, I'll be in with three minutes to spare so I should relax" with three miles left in your race.
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