Boston Marathon QT - Disservice to Runners

I think the suspense of whether you’re gonna get in or not is pretty cool. It makes the cutoff reveal day an event, and people who get in seem to have a very happy day.

Slow people's problems.

If you want suspense buy a lottery ticket. Those that win that are pretty happy as well.

But don't toy with peoples goals and running ambitions.

Isn’t the current system close to a de facto version of this?

I mean, if you look at the standards for the period you’re running, 10 minutes under your standard would guarantee you entry (with the outlier case removed).

Is it because the number of non-qualifier spots may not have been “set” to your satisfaction?

Is it because they’ve changed qualifying standards (A decision made to maximize the number of qualifying runners in each race while trying to manage a lot of difficult factors based on their own moving and uncertain target: the number of runners likely to run certain times.)

Just how many “alumni” are you, OP?

Please tell me this isn’t like that movie “Split.”

No one is entitled to a spot on the starting line. Run faster or choose another race. It should be 100% qualifiers. No lottery and no charity. May the fastest runners win a spot.

It doesn't keep them in the dark - it's safe to assume in recent years you had to run 4-5 minute faster than the standard, if you are scraping on the edge then yes, you run the risk of not getting in unless you try to run faster and get more buffer.

This is no different than any marathon entry based on results - Boston Marathon as any has a fixed capacity, you solution would mean even less runners running fast times will get in. There is a reason getting into Boston is seen as a pinnacle of marathon achievement - running a fast time is almost exclusively the only way to do it.

I hate the lottery idea. The current system is the most fair. If you want to get in for sure run significantly faster than the qualifying time. If you don't make the cutoff it means someone somewhere was faster than you and bumped you out of the race - that's life.

Agree with this. Alternatively, those who don't like the current system could just think of it as a lottery - but rather than a random lottery, it's a hard cutoff based on time. All the losers end up being the slowest ones in the lottery pool.

I do think BAA likes the current system because it creates so much press every year and makes them feel special. They could easily set the preliminary cutoff much faster, for example 2:45 for men, and then adjust it down to a slower time later based on capacity. Instead they go the other way, piss people off who don't completely understand or can't deal with the system, and they get a bunch of attention.

Choose different goals and ambitions it you don't like the situation. You're not entitled to certainty just because you got your feelings hurt.

No age groups? Just “the fastest”? What’s your cutoff?

Sounds like a recipe for the BAA to not have enough registrants to meet the field size. Sounds like they’ll probably draw some local ire because they don’t have a charity program. Wow. Decreased participation from runners likely to spend less money in the Boston metro area, and bad PR. I’m sure that will go over well in negotiations with the city about the local government support the BAA will need.

Nothing has changed.

The best man wins !!!

I'm a qualifier and 2026 will be my second Boston. No lottery.

I 100% disagree with "no charity". The marathon raises so much money for great causes. It wouldn't be the race it is without the charity runners and all of their related support on the course. It's great for the community and the organizations that are out there making the world a better place. When you have a kid or family member that needs Children's Hospital or Dana Farber, you will appreciate the support they get from the Boston Marathon. Long live the BAA.

True enough, but I dare say that there are things race organizers can do to make sure that the best man competes with better men en route to Boylston.

just use automatic and provisional standards, not that hard.....

18-35 Men is what 2:50? Make the automatic time 2:35, and make the provisional standard 3 hours. everyone who runs 2:35 gets in, then the next so many fastest times under 3 hours get in.

OK. Sure, that’s not how the system is stated now, but how does it actually differ in practice from what occurs each year?