To put the 18-35M standard into perspective.. 1,818 people ran that standard today, the other 24,593 did not.

18-35 YO males are insufficiently represented/privileged is your argument in Boston?

Yeah, old women have it way easier, we all already know this. If anything needs changed, older women need a harder standard.

That stat reflects the weather.

Canada Girl wrote:

That stat reflects the weather.

I agree- how did the other age groups do with the heat? A lot of people were probably off of their BQ time. That number doesn't seem too crazy. How many people got in with a sub-3:05 time?

My understanding is that the standards are set across the board so you have about the same number of slots filled in each age group.

FightFor15 wrote:

Canada Girl wrote:

That stat reflects the weather.

I agree- how did the other age groups do with the heat? A lot of people were probably off of their BQ time. That number doesn't seem too crazy. How many people got in with a sub-3:05 time?

My understanding is that the standards are set across the board so you have about the same number of slots filled in each age group.

You understand wrong. A 50 year old woman who runs 3:58:30 (BQ - 90) will get in before a 34 year old guy that runs 3:04 (BQ - 60).

boots on the ground wrote:

FightFor15 wrote:

I agree- how did the other age groups do with the heat? A lot of people were probably off of their BQ time. That number doesn't seem too crazy. How many people got in with a sub-3:05 time?

My understanding is that the standards are set across the board so you have about the same number of slots filled in each age group.

You understand wrong. A 50 year old woman who runs 3:58:30 (BQ - 90) will get in before a 34 year old guy that runs 3:04 (BQ - 60).

How does that make what the previous poster said wrong?

FightFor15 wrote:

My understanding is that the standards are set across the board so you have about the same number of slots filled in each age group.

That's not the way it is.

It was the weather. Some managed well. Maybe they live in hot climates? Majority were dying though. I was off my BQ time by 25 minutes lol. I had about 6 or 7 friends in the race that I knew about, and the best result was 7 minutes from his PR.

Cicirunner wrote:

It was the weather. Some managed well. Maybe they live in hot climates? Majority were dying though. I was off my BQ time by 25 minutes lol. I had about 6 or 7 friends in the race that I knew about, and the best result was 7 minutes from his PR.

What was the temperature there yesterday?

ToPutitinPerspective wrote:

18-35M Qualifying standard to hard? 1,818 people ran that standard today, 24,593 did not.

Half of the entire field ran slower than 3:58 Marathon.

I think it's time the standards get adjusted.

whaaa. whaaa.

Start your own marathon. Boston will do fine without you.

Wait: Didn't they have to run the standard to get into the race, aside from charity runners?

No one said what the M18-34 standard is. Back when I ran my first marathon age 18, I ran 2:53 which was three minutes slower than the universal cutoff. Running at Boston meant something back then lol.

If you can't run the current Boston qualifying standard for your age group, you should stick to the local 5k scene anyway. Entitled, weak, hobby joggers...

A Real Man wrote:

If you can't run the current Boston qualifying standard for your age group, you should stick to the local 5k scene anyway. Entitled, weak, hobby joggers...

I think 35-39 should be a separate age group. There's (usually) a lot of physiological change in those years that would warrant them not being grouped with the younger crowd.

Canada Girl wrote:

That stat reflects the weather.

Also poor race planning from a lot of people.

People train for months for this race. Most have time goals. So when the weather isn't ideal, they still decide to go with it and crash hard.

The ones who succeed the most are either well adjusted to heat (TX/AZ/FL etc) or scrap their time goals and plan on a slower race. If you qualified with a 2:50 and go out to run a 3:00, you'll probably succeed. If you go out in 1:25 , you'd burn hard with the heat.

FightFor15 wrote:

Canada Girl wrote:

That stat reflects the weather.

I agree- how did the other age groups do with the heat? A lot of people were probably off of their BQ time. That number doesn't seem too crazy. How many people got in with a sub-3:05 time?

My understanding is that the standards are set across the board so you have about the same number of slots filled in each age group.

From the weather thread...about 8,000 runners or 30% re-hit the BQ mark. Even lower than last year.

It's cause people train for the BQ then once they get the qualifier slack off leading up to the race

Most people come here for the experience, they aren't really shooting for a fast time, but to get here, you have to get a standard

The motivation for many people is a year out, which is 6 months before their BQ target race. The next 6 months leading up to Boston, the motivation isn't the same. Especially if you're not a competitive runner.

NOP Skeptic wrote:

It's cause people train for the BQ then once they get the qualifier slack off leading up to the race

Most people come here for the experience, they aren't really shooting for a fast time, but to get here, you have to get a standard

The motivation for many people is a year out, which is 6 months before their BQ target race. The next 6 months leading up to Boston, the motivation isn't the same. Especially if you're not a competitive runner.

That's surely the case for some, but I suspect a good many -- myself included -- came in with great winter training but the heat really got to them.

I could tell by mile 5 or 6 that trouble probably lay ahead...but then, what if not? I came into the race with my best ever marathon training under my belt -- and that, after a 2:50 in Philly in November. Anyway, I wanted to PR and so I went for it. I wasn't going to be satisfied shooting for a 2:56 instead.

Well, it cost me dearly -- the sun felt powerfully hot even before the gun went off. I tried mega-hydrating, but couldn't seem to consume enough water and Gatorade to make up for the sweat. My shoulder's now beat red.

The wheels started coming off around mile 14 when my left calf started cramping up. I managed to keep run/jogging to the top of Heartbreak, but by then Bonkfest 2017 was underway. Ultimately, I walk-jogged home up Boylston, with all of my leg muscles on both legs alternately seizing up, sometimes simultaneously, and crossed the line in a disappointing 3:15. Ahhh well.

There HAVE been hotter Bostons. There HAVEN'T been any hot days like Monday in the Northeast for me to train in since October. That was the killer for me.

Not bitching or making excuses. I went for it and paid for it, too. But I suspect there are plenty of others who laid an egg Monday despite hard, smart training in recent months

The 18-35M BQ is slower than 150% of the world record, equivalent to a 2:32 800 meters.

The Boston marathon is a scam. 3:05 is not fast, get over yourselves BQ'ers.