Race date
Monday, April 19, 2027Boston, United States · Marathon · 42.195 km
Entry status
2027 acceptance cutoff confirmed: 5:17 faster than BQ
The B.A.A. has confirmed the 2027 acceptance cutoff: at least 5 minutes 17 seconds faster than your age-and-gender BQ standard. Acceptance and non-acceptance notices began September 29; check Athletes' Village and official email. Eligible applicants outside the cutoff enter the approximately 1,000-place Boston Qualifier Selection, not a reopened public ballot.
A point-to-point classic with downhills and Heartbreak Hill. Boston is primarily a qualifier-driven Major, not a general lottery race.
2026 race recap
Regional results
Race report
- Overall Men
- John Korir (Kenya)2:01:52
- Overall Women
- Sharon Lokedi (Kenya)2:18:51
- Taiwan Men
- Meng-Tsung Chu2:28:49
- Taiwan Women
- Yenling Cheng2:59:27
2027 entry
2027 BQ application
Status: Closed
Applications are closed and will not reopen. The 2027 cutoff is 5:17 faster than BQ; notices began September 29. Check Athletes' Village and official notices, not credit-card preauthorization. Eligible applicants outside the cutoff enter Boston Qualifier Selection.
2027 charity entries
Status: Check official capacity
Official charities offer a separate entry route. Confirm remaining places, fundraising obligations and overseas eligibility directly; the BQ deadline does not mean every charity route is closed.
2028 qualifying window (not registration)
from September 19, 2026 (America/New_York)
Status: Open
Qualifying performances from September 19, 2026 count toward 2028, through the end of the September 2027 registration week. Registration dates are not yet announced. Use a certified full marathon and recheck the 2028 downhill adjustment index, which may change.
Notes for Taiwan runners
Race planning
- 2027 notices have started. Confirm formal acceptance in Athletes' Village before arranging travel; card preauthorization is not acceptance.
- Qualifying, eligibility to apply and acceptance are separate. The 2027 acceptance buffer is 5:17. Boston Qualifier Selection is only for eligible existing applicants outside the cutoff, not a new public application route.
- For a 2028 target, certified full-marathon results from September 19, 2026 enter the qualifying window. Age is assessed on Boston race day; check the target edition's downhill rules.
- US Eastern deadlines often fall on the next Taiwan calendar day. An open qualifying window is not an open registration window.
Cutoffs
- The B.A.A. timing page says the finish line closes at 5:30 PM, roughly six hours after the final starter crosses the start line.
- The 2027 acceptance cutoff is at least 5:17 faster than your BQ standard; this is an entry-selection threshold, not a race-course cutoff. Starting in 2027, some net-downhill qualifying races over 457.2m have time adjustments.
Where to stay
Compare Boston Marathon hotels near the Boston Common bus area and Back Bay finish, with a transport plan for the Hopkinton start.
Have you run a Boston qualifier?
BQ standards, qualifying rules and the acceptance cutoff
For many runners, Boston and its Boylston Street finish are a lifelong goal. BQ means Boston Qualifier: the qualifying time standard used for Boston Marathon applications.
What is a BQ?
Unlike Majors that rely heavily on random drawings, Boston sets qualifying standards by age and gender. Meeting the standard is the first step toward applying.
Qualifying is not acceptance
Demand can exceed the available qualifying places. Applicants may need to beat their BQ standard by an additional cutoff margin, determined each year by the application field.
The qualifying window
Your performance must fall within the target edition's qualifying window and come from an eligible certified marathon. Your qualifying age is your age on Boston race day.
Choosing a qualifying race
Taipei and Wan Jin Shi are local options runners consider for a BQ attempt. Flat overseas courses such as Berlin and Chicago are also popular choices.
Downhill rules from 2027
From the 2027 edition, qualifying courses with substantial net elevation loss are subject to time adjustments. Depending on the drop, five or ten minutes may be added, or the performance may not be accepted.
Planning your attempt
- Do not aim only to scrape under the qualifying standard.
- A training target five to seven minutes faster can provide a starting buffer, but no margin guarantees acceptance.
- Before applying, recheck the official qualifying standards, cutoff and course certification.
Race-day English for Taiwan runners
A Traditional Chinese guide to the English you may need at the Expo, bag check, start corrals, aid stations and medical tents.
PaoBaoDao is an independent WMM race guide, not the official registration service. Entry availability, deadlines, charity and tour terms, qualifying standards, cutoffs and pickup rules may change. Check the organizer's current rules before applying, paying or booking travel.
Official links
Use these official pages to check entry requirements, race-week documents and travel arrangements.