Global Field of Qualifiers Notified of Acceptance into the 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America

September 28, 2023

22,019 qualified athletes have been accepted into April’s race

BOSTON /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today began notifying qualified applicants of their acceptance into the 128^th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. The race will be run on Monday, April 15, 2024, and will mark the centennial anniversary of the event beginning in the town of Hopkinton. Bank of America will serve as presenting partner for the first time.

Qualifiers who were 5 minutes, 29 seconds (5:29) or faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender have been accepted into the 128^th Boston Marathon. A total of 22,019 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending final verification of their qualifying performance. Email notices to athletes accepted and not accepted have begun being issued by the B.A.A. and will continue through the coming days.

A total of 33,058 qualifier applications were received during registration week (Sept. 11-15), a race record. The Boston Marathon field size is set at 30,000 official entrants.

“Just four years after we adjusted the race’s qualifying standards by five minutes for all ages and divisions, more than 33,000 athletes earned Boston Marathon qualifying times,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the B.A.A. “While we’re unable to accept all into the field, we applaud and recognize the many athletes who circled the 128^th Boston Marathon on their calendar as a goal race to strive towards. Boston Marathon qualifiers are among the most dedicated athletes in sports and are always pushing to achieve their goals and personal bests.”

“With April’s race nearly six months away, we look forward to welcoming athletes from around the globe to the 128^th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America,” said David Tyrie, Chief Digital Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for Bank of America. “This year’s registration week resulted in the highest number of qualifier applicants in race history, a testament to the strength of the marathon community.”

The remainder of the field will consist of invitational entrants, including runners participating as part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, as well as invited professional athletes and Para athletes.

A history of qualifying times and past registration acceptance information can be found here.

128^th BOSTON MARATHON QUALIFIER REGISTRATION BY THE NUMBERS:

• 33,058 applications were received during the registration period for qualifiers.
• 22,019 qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of their qualifying performance.
• 11,039 qualifier applicants were unable to be accepted into the 128^th Boston Marathon.
• This year’s ‘Cut-Off’ time needed to gain acceptance into the Boston Marathon was 5 minutes, 29 seconds or faster (5:29) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender.
• This year’s qualified field includes 12,535 men, 9,440 women, and 44 non-binary athletes to date.
• 660 qualifiers were accepted based on finishing 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons.
• Citizens of 127 countries applied for entry into the 128^th Boston Marathon.
• Residents of all 50 U.S. states (plus Washington, DC) applied for entry into the 128^th Boston Marathon.
• More than 528 qualifying marathons were utilized by athletes entering the Boston Marathon.
  • The top five most popular qualifying races were 2023 Boston Marathon, 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 2023 TCS London Marathon, 2022 BMW Berlin Marathon, and 2022 California International Marathon.
• Approximately 11,391 athletes will be racing their first Boston Marathon.
• The youngest and oldest accepted athletes are 18 and 82 years old, respectively.
• 287 athletes residing in Hopkinton are entered in this year’s race, which will start in the Town of Hopkinton for the 100^th time.
• 1,222 Massachusetts residents are entered in the Boston Marathon.
• 250 cities and towns within Massachusetts are represented in the field.

During the registration period, the breakdown of accepted Qualifiers was as follows:

• 6,182 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or more.
• 8,858 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by between 10 minutes, 00 seconds and 19 minutes, 59 seconds.
• 6,979 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by between 05 minutes, 29 seconds and 9 minutes, 59 seconds.

The next B.A.A. event will be the 2023 B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, on Sunday, November 12.

A list of frequently asked registration questions can be found below. Please note that all statistics above are preliminary and may change slightly during the verification process.

Frequently Asked Questions for Athletes

When will official notices of acceptances and non-acceptances be emailed?

Notices of acceptance or non-acceptance have begun to be issued and will continue through the coming days.

When will credit cards be charged? My credit card has been charged/it appears entry fees have been withdrawn from my bank. What does this mean?

Credit cards will be charged upon acceptance. Upon submission of an athlete’s application, their credit card has been authorized for payment. If an application is accepted, only then will the credit card be charged the non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-deferrable entry fee. Athletes may notice a preauthorization draft on a credit card statement. The actual charge will not appear on the credit card until their entry has been verified and accepted. Only athletes who are accepted into the Boston Marathon will be charged the entry fee.

Will 128^th Boston Marathon registration re-open to qualifiers?

Registration for the 128^th Boston Marathon was open from September 11-15 for all qualified athletes and will not re-open. Registration information for the 129^th Boston Marathon will be announced after the conclusion of the 2024 event.

When does registration for the 129^th Boston Marathon open?

Registration information for the 129^th Boston Marathon will be announced following the conclusion of the 128^th race. The 2025 qualifying window began on September 1, 2023.

I still want to participate in the 128^th Boston Marathon. What can I do?

Organizations who are part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program have begun accepting applications for next April’s race. Athletes interested in fundraising as part of a charity program are encouraged to contact the non-profit or charity organization directly for more information.

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.) 

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. Starting in 2024, the Boston Marathon’s presenting partner will be Bank of America. The 128^th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 15, 2024. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Chris Lotsbom

Director of Race Communications & Media

Clotsbom@baa.org

Lorna Campbell

Head of Public Relations

Lcampbell@baa.org