Is there a better way to admit Boston Marathon entrants?

Maybe just train harder? 3:00 is a tome that’s incredibly slow yet that people pretend is hard to achieve.

I'll risk sounding nuts to make the point... so he's advocating the equivalent of term limits for BQs? Or omitting runners for being overqualified (run it too many times)?

So a Kipchoge or a 2:30ish perennial qualifier should get left out so some guy who BQed for the first time and would get cutoff should run in his place?

As far fetched as that sounds, where would you draw the line regarding 'tenure'? How many times is too many times?

Not to mention this would more heavily incentivize course cutting and other cheating to BQ, if first timers are going to be emphasized. Cheaters generally can't BQ while multi-timers have no trouble BQing.

The current way has its problems, but I don't see how what he's suggesting would be better.

I think there are a number of measures that could be implemented to improve fairness before considering restricting repeat qualifiers.

Disqualifying downhill races for example. Seems like a no-brainer if we're at the point of taking these extra steps.

It’s the participation trophy generation grown up. No, that’s not a better way.

Train harder and smarter. That is what makes Boston special for so many runners. It’s even more special when you finally get it done.

I’ll just say, the male in his late 30s has it the toughest, but it’s still not that hard with the right training.

BAA is inept. Just really lower the time standards. If there is still space, take those on a waiting list from each age division.

This whole thing about BQ qualifying standards but then it's really not, just shows that it's still amateur hour at BAA.

Only thing I’d change is have a guaranteed standard with the open slots for slower.

maybe 2:45 for open men and equivalent age group standards. Then let people in based on being the least ‘over’ the standard… or even have a lottery for ~2:45-2:55 window. That would equalize a little for people who maybe chose easier marathons, and give the people who just hit the standard some hope.

Anyone who has more than 100 followers on social media should be immediately disqualified

Call me old school, but I am all for the current system. BQ is a challenge for many and a decent goal. If you cant get in on time, you can raise money for charity, bandit it, run it w Tracksmith on weekends, etc.

If you want to tackle something, go look at some of the larger lottery based races where you can enter 6+ times and still be unlucky and be left with maybe raise $5k, spend $5k, and run a 4hr thon.

Btw, does he allude to what he means by "better"?

Just charge more money til you barely fill the field.

Don't they have an automatic qualification for those runners with a 10 year streak? It's a similar idea.

Wtf, it's a competitive road race... Yes, fastest qualifying time gets in over the slower time! The rule is black and white and fair. I'd be embarrassed if I was selected over a faster runner merely because I was a Boston novice and the other guy had run Boston before.

There's a charity option if one truly wants to run Boston but falls short for whatever reason.

I think you're trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. The standards are not that hard to meet for someone who takes their training seriously and qualifying for Boston has motivated many runners to push themselves to be faster. In the specific case of Boston my preferred way would be to put both of the runners you describe into the race and if that overcrowds the field too much leave out a carity runner.

Lock him up

I remember when he was actually trying to get better and chased a sub 3 marathon. Instead of trying to get stronger and faster, he just turned into a complete shill for brands and free bibs. He's just trying to keep his audience happy by stirring the pot.

I worked my tail off to qualify and I would hate it if there was a sympathy entry into Boston. It wouldn't mean as much, IMO. I've never run it, and although I've had health issues that set me back, I'm proud to have worked so hard to qualify with plenty of time to spare. I didn't complain that the qualifying times were too hard. I ran more and worked harder.

It's not that complicated

I think, in order to talk about this, we have to be honest about human beings. There are those who think they're somehow special because they BQ and that those who don't BQ are less than. There are those who want desperately to BQ because they think it's meaningful and that doing so will make them special. There are those who want to run Boston (however...charity, easier entry) but still want it to be thought of as a special achievement so they can be seen as special by having run it.

And therein lies the problem with what Kofuzi is suggesting—people want BQ to mean something to them and to others, but if Boston is perceived as being easy(ier) to get into, it loses its cache (to the people who care about what BQ means in the first place). It's naive to think that the interest in Boston is about running the particular course, about being part of the particular marathon. For probably 99% it's about the perceived cache/"meaning" that running Boston holds.

All of this is silly. It's just a marathon. And not even a very good one. It's fine. The history of it is kinda cool, I guess. The actual course—it's fine. The "legendary" hills are interesting when considering the elite race, but beyond that, not really. The logistics (bus, waiting) are annoying. The postrace experience is a joke. The price gouging in Boston for BM weekend is criminal.

I have no special interest in who gets to run Boston. I have a BQ +40 mins. I've run it once and don't plan to run it again. If you love Boston—cool! Keep running it. Have fun.

Anyway, my solution (to a problem that doesn't exist): Make the BQ times harder across age groups. Then free up ~5K spots for a lottery. The BQs will whine that BQ doesn't mean the same thing anymore—good. This would be a worthwhile lesson: BQ is meaningless. Run it or don't. No one cares. (You care—that's fine, that's enough.)

Tell me if this is a stupid suggestion, but isn't the most obvious and easy solution to rise the fees with like a substantial amount?

Yes it's called the Unicorn Club but you still have to run a qualifying time. After 25 consecutive Boston's you don't have to requalify.

the statement in the op is garbage and boston would become complete garbage if this is the way it operated.