What made Boston fill so fast this year?

should go back to older standards...

OR still allow even people who dont meet standards to run it but they start 2 hours after everyone else i.e. new corral for them. then you could have 50,000+ registrants instead of 25,000 registrants?

The Internet.

Ever since I invented it, causing to information travel at the speed of light, panic has ensued.

Don't forget all those monitors radiating letsrun have caused global warming...cha-ching!

All the folks who got shut out last January no doubt sent their apps in the first week of September this year. So you had a very early rush for 2010 by those who wanted to run 2009.

With so many slots going to charity runners, the race was closed last year for only the second time. People realized that they now could be shut out and couldn't take the chance of waiting as they always had. So everything changed.

Either get rid of the charity runners or raise the standard. Or register early.

BTW, if I'm wrong on the charity runners, I'd like to hear it, since I've blogged about it. I don't know whether not including a 4 hour guy would open a spot for a 3 hourer.

The answer: The Obamaloids may outlaw running next year in time for the election. They could do it.

I have never been so befuddled by a POTUS in my life.

Well, maybe Carter was worse...the verdict's not in yet.

Hey, with THIS crew, ANYTHING is possible.

Come on 2012.

unfortunately, i think charity spots are here to stay and they likely will be more. as a runner and an accountant i know they can make more profit with charity runners as they can write off those people's entries, essentially making double entry off every charity person they accept, offsetting a "real entry."

that being said, make a 3rd wave with these people and drop time standard 5 minutes per age group and add 5k entrants.

Raise the standards? Why would they want to prevent this? Having your product sell out is what you want. Sorry if you're a 2:35 runner who doesn't get a chance to register, but that just makes you want to register early next year. Plus, may make you willing to pay more. The Boston Marathon isn't a private B.A.A. event, it's a big money international marathon. Selling out in November is a success.

MarathonMind wrote:

All the folks who got shut out last January no doubt sent their apps in the first week of September this year. So you had a very early rush for 2010 by those who wanted to run 2009.

+1

It has nothing to do with charity runners. There aren't that many of them.

It has everything to do with the race filling earlier and people getting closed out last year. If standards aren't made more difficult for next year's race, you can be sure it will close out even earlier next year. Every person who got closed out this year (for example, those who qualify at Philly) will register even earlier next year.

i kinda liked it when they made us run sub 2:50 to earn a boston marathon bib number.

either way I have a few friends who got shut out this year and hope not to many of you did too?

however if you didn't get in please come run the 6th Annual New Years Boston Marathon on 1-1-2010.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/01/a_running_start_to_2009/

I start at 6am sharp. No entry fee, no bull, just running. Also on New Years morning the roads are almost completely traffic free all the way to Copley Sq.

Another year of covert marketing as the Hobbyjogger Olympics.

Slow and Steady wrote:

Raise the standards? Why would they want to prevent this? Having your product sell out is what you want. Sorry if you're a 2:35 runner who doesn't get a chance to register, but that just makes you want to register early next year. Plus, may make you willing to pay more. The Boston Marathon isn't a private B.A.A. event, it's a big money international marathon. Selling out in November is a success.

Yep, Boston is greedy and as long as they're getting their money in their pocket then why would they change a thing? They're getting their money earlier than usual, to boot. They should jack entry fees another $10 and probably soon will.

I'm so glad it did fill up. I was almost tempted to run that joke of a marathon, 2000 runners and 18000 wannabes all contributing the overpriced fee to the most pathetic organization in running all to get their ego stroked and say "I ran Boston". Now I can pick a low key spring marathon and run it in peace and have people afterwards ask me how long that marathon was.

Jack the entry by $10?? I bet they jack 'em $50. I know I'd pay it...

It's time for another marathon to step up and become what Boston used to be. A marathon for the SERIOUS runners of letsrun.com. One that focuses on providing a high quality racing experience instead of maximizing the bottom line. A race that embraces the smug "I am better than the hobbyjoggers" letsrun ethos. The qualifying standard for 18-39 year old males should be one second faster than Dane Whateverhisname's PR, and if he improves the standard should adjust accordingly.

Most importantly, rather than fans, the course will be lined with hecklers telling you how much you suck.

Yep* wrote:

I'm so glad it did fill up. I was almost tempted to run that joke of a marathon, 2000 runners

Try closer to 200.

That'd be fine by me, too.

Not an Economist wrote:

Jack the entry by $10?? I bet they jack 'em $50. I know I'd pay it...

They are not letting more charity runners in. 20% of the field are charity runners, exemptions to clubs, sponsors exemptions, etc... Some of these are fast runners, some are not. 80% of the field has qualified. Look for them to raise the price in the future, but not make the race bigger.

That was me. I tried to register last January exactly one hour after the site was closed, and so I signed on this year in early October. If that's what it takes I'll deal with it.

It is the marathon boom finally coming home to roost at Boston. Marathon entries have been up just about everywhere. The Houston marathon sold out in just a few days. Other events like Medtronic and Grandmas are quick sell-outs. RnR turned San Antonio from a 1,100 finisher race to a 7,500 finisher race. It is obvious that the massive increase in runners would translate into more BQ-ers.

Boston will never raise their standards, although they should. It would be like giving away money. What the races that sell out quickly should do is create an accessible sub-elite standard that allows runners who can run a sub 3, 2:50, 2:40 certain registration privileges, like a guaranteed bib if you register by a certain date or even a gauranteed bib if you register at the expo (more for the 2:40-2:30 guys). There are very few people out there who run that fast and those people deserve to be allowed to the front of the line.