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2027 Boston Marathon Cutoff Is 5:17; 1,000 More Qualifiers Enter Selection
The B.A.A. set a 5:17 cutoff for 2027 Boston Marathon qualifiers and is selecting 1,000 additional runners. Here is what applicants need to know.
The Boston Athletic Association announced Tuesday, September 29, that the 2027 Boston Marathon cutoff is 5 minutes, 17 seconds. Applicants whose verified marathon times beat their age and gender qualifying standards by at least that margin have been accepted, subject to final verification. The race is scheduled for April 19, 2027.
The B.A.A.’s September 29 announcement also describes a new route into the field: 1,000 additional qualifiers whose times did not clear the cutoff are being selected at random. Their notices will go out over the coming days. A qualifying standard alone did not guarantee an entry, but falling short of 5:17 did not automatically end every applicant’s chance this year.
What the 5:17 cutoff means
The cutoff is a margin below the published qualifying standard, not a new single finish-time standard for everyone. For example, the B.A.A. lists a 2:55:00 standard for men ages 18–34 and a 3:25:00 standard for women and non-binary runners in that age group. Subtracting 5:17 gives 2:49:43 and 3:19:43, respectively, for cutoff-based acceptance in those categories. Those two example finish times are editorial arithmetic from the B.A.A.’s standard and cutoff; the runner’s age is determined on April 19, 2027, and submitted times remain subject to verification.
The B.A.A. received 33,649 qualifier applications, a revised count in Tuesday’s release. Its preliminary breakdown says 24,630 applicants were accepted through the time cutoff and 1,000 more are in the new selection process, for 25,630 accepted or being accepted pending verification. It lists 8,019 qualifier applicants as unable to be accepted. The full race field is capped at 30,000 entrants, including invitational runners. The B.A.A. says these statistics may change during verification.
Notices and the new selection
Acceptance and non-acceptance emails began going out September 29 and will continue over the coming days, according to the B.A.A. An applicant’s card authorization at registration is not proof of acceptance; the organization says it charges the entry fee only after an application is verified and accepted. Qualifier registration for 2027 closed September 18 and will not reopen.
The 1,000 selection places are for applicants who met their qualifying standard but did not meet the faster cutoff. The B.A.A. had announced that process in July; Tuesday’s release confirms that selection is underway. Applicants should use their official B.A.A. notice and Athletes’ Village account to determine their own status, especially while verification and selection continue.
Sources
- Boston Athletic Association, September 29 acceptance announcement: cutoff, revised application count, preliminary acceptance figures, selection status, notices, and race date.
- Boston Athletic Association qualifying standards and rules: age-group standards, age-on-race-day rule, and verification requirements.
- Boston Athletic Association, July 22 registration update: design of the new random selection process.