If a BQ is so easy to hit, then why do so many people have trouble getting it?

easy if you've had the benefit of any college or a decent high school training in your past. in the past, you had the time and the coaching and the body and the team, and now as a hobby jogger, all you've got to do is regain former fitness by repeating some workouts from the past and adding a long run.

hard otherwise. you're building brand new fitness and you're older. you don't have a coach or the knowledge to train effectively. you don't have a team to push you. and you don't have the time.

It's easy if you're a serious runner or even a moderately talented runner that doesn't train much.

It’s very tough but not sure wrote:

If a BQ is so easy to hit, then why do so many people have trouble getting it?

The answer is, despite all of the elite athletes that appear to populate the boards here, is that it is difficult for the average person or the person who wasn't a runner their whole life.

I wasn't a runner until I was 29. Played team sports in HS and two in college (soccer and basketball). Picked up running in graduate school.

I ran my first marathon in 2008 and didn't get the honor of running Boston until 2018. It was a long, hard road for me.

I imagine that people who run in HS and/or college have a much easier time with BQing. The rest of us have to work much harder to gain that experience, learn how to train well, and to have the stars align on race day to make a BQ possible.

Because most hobby joggers do not train hard. They don't run enough mileage. And they don't do hard workouts.

They just jog a few times a week ,and add a long run in the weekend. And they believe they are working hard.

2:49.17 or you don't go.

When you can train like an elite athlete it’s easy, when you have many other commitments and time pressures it’s far more difficult to put the time in. If then have time pressures with never competed, run for fun or used to train hard and stopped for 10+ years it make hitting the top 5%-10% quite a challenge

this type of thread reappears here frequently - the experienced runners here know they can make a bq because they have already experienced the training and results necessary to do that. if someone challenged me to swim the english channel, bench press 300lb, or climb El Capitan, I would be a lot less confident in my abilities, because I'm not even sure with a year or two of training I would make it. From my experience as a runner I would know to seek out experts, put a training plan together, and give it a shot - but I probably would fail in the execution. Running the BQ - I know I would make it.

This type of thinking does not put down the hobby jogger, or late in life runner. I'm excited to grow the sport and to see new runners have the same satisfaction I have had from training and competing.

tarckstar wrote:

2:49.17 or you don't go.

I know a guy who got in with a 2:49.18

A BQ is possible for anyone willing to put in the time.

That doesn’t mean just “12 weeks of intense marathon training”, but actually putting in the work to become a decent runner. That takes years (unless you are already exceptionally fit for other reasons).

Most of the people I’ve seen fall short haven’t built enough of a base before they go after a decent marathon time. They often feel like it’s a bucket list item that they should be able to complete just because they really want it.

If you love running, and stick with it you will inevitably be able to BQ, but if you’re just a badge collector you’re going to have a hard time.

LRC would have you believe that the average joe can crank out 7flats from dawn til dusk, but in reality, most humans are totally untrained and can't even run one 7:00 mile. BQ was explicitly created to exclude these people.

Because they’re confused on how to train

I'll use myself as an example. I started running at age 25 and ran my first marathon at age 28. I tried to BQ for years and never got close. I thought I was training hard and I thought I was good weight. I was never a person with natural speed (one of the slowest boys in the 50 yard dash in elementary school).

Fast forward to age 44 age when I decided to put forth a real effort to BQ, which I did running a BQ-3:00. I became a convert to high mileage and low weight (currently ~145 lbs at 5' 11") and ran a BQ-9:00 at Boston. I continued training hard and ran a BQ-27 at LA (2:58) at age 47 and BQ-38 at age 49 (2:52) at Tuscon (based on 50-54 BQ time of 3:30 in effect at the time).

I've definitely become a convert to the belief that most folks willing to put in a consistent multi-year effort can BQ. If I can, with no real talent, run a BQ-38 (or -33 on the new standards) certainly nearly anyone willing to put in the work can run a BQ-1 second.

Lazy Runner wrote:

A BQ is possible for anyone willing to put in the time.

No, it takes some talent to run that fast. A BQ is easy for someone that competed in school, but the person who ran in school had talent for the sport.

If "anyone" could run the fast wouldn't the average person be capable of 2:30?

It's not easy. It takes time, even with good training, and how long it takes depends a lot on your natural ability. I do believe that most people are capable of getting there eventually, though.

I started running after college. I've been training "seriously" for about a year and a half (>2600 miles last year, currently running 60-80 mpw) and I don't expect to qualify until early next year. I don't have much lifetime mileage and probably not that much talent, so I just need to be consistent and work hard.

Lazy Runner wrote:

A BQ is possible for anyone willing to put in the time.

That doesn’t mean just “12 weeks of intense marathon training”, but actually putting in the work to become a decent runner. That takes years (unless you are already exceptionally fit for other reasons).

Most of the people I’ve seen fall short haven’t built enough of a base before they go after a decent marathon time. They often feel like it’s a bucket list item that they should be able to complete just because they really want it.

If you love running, and stick with it you will inevitably be able to BQ, but if you’re just a badge collector you’re going to have a hard time.

This is total crap. I'm am okay adult onset runner. Some talent; not a ton. I've BQ'd several times and even ran the thing once. (It was okay, but I wouldn't rush to do it again.)

I know MANY serious runners who would love to BQ. Many who have busted their asses chasing after this holy grail of running for years. A few squeaked in. Most fell a handful of minutes - and in some cases many minutes - short. It takes a bit of talent and a bit of luck as far as being able to train and not get injured. And things need to line up right on race day. Possible for "anyone willing to put in the time"? No freaking way.

+10

The BQ cutoff as I recall marks about the top 20th percentile of runners. If everyone ran 40+ miles and did intervals etc, maybe you could bump it to top 30 percentile.

I remember a Swiss study showing that a marathon time is highly depending on 1) aerobic potential and 2) calf size. Those are largely determined by genetics or "talent".

If you say a 4:00 marathoner who runs regularly but recreationally should hit 3:00, shouldn't that 3:00 marathoner who runs similarly be able to hit 2:15 if they "put in the time"? LOL.

Alternatively, I wonder how many 2:40 marathoners could leg press 4X their bodyweight or swim 5 miles - I mean, if they put in the time.

When I first ran marathons, I thought it was very very hard to BQ. My first marathon was 3:50s off 20 mpw and Galloway's original program. Once I trained properly for the marathon, it could be easily done. Instead of BQ'ing, I went for the goal of sub-3:00. A much more worthy goal, IMO, even for masters runners.

3:15 for 40+. It's hard because these runners run for 1-2 years and expect it to be given to them on a silver platter. Work up to it and stop being entitled. Everyone has this off the couch mentality. Put in a solid 2-3 years of mileage.

It’s very tough but not sure wrote:

If a BQ is so easy to hit, then why do so many people have trouble getting it?

Most of them don't train nearly enough.

You have to have a tiny bit of talent. Not much but a little. Other than that, it will be much tougher if you were obese or were a chubby one point in your life. But I cannot imagine most people who are not grossly overweight not being able to do it if they put in the effort of let's say 70mpw and good coaching.