Boston, United States

Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America

How to get into the Boston Marathon 2027

Race day 19 Apr 2027 · in 6 months

Part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors

5 official routes into the Boston Marathon 2027; 1 open now.

Boston has no open lottery: most of its field of 30,000 official entrants earn the right to apply by running a Boston qualifying time, and meeting that standard is only the right to submit a registration application, not a guaranteed bib. Qualifier registration for the 2027 race ran from September 14 to 18, 2026 through Athletes' Village, and the B.A.A. accepts the fastest applicants relative to their age and gender standard and announces a cut-off; for the 2027 race that cut-off was 5 minutes 17 seconds. New for the 2027 race, about 1,000 qualifiers who missed the cut-off were picked at random through the Boston Qualifier Selection. The other ways in are invitational entries from the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program and packages from the B.A.A. International Tour Program.

The Boston Athletic Association's Patriots' Day marathon from Hopkinton to Boston. Most runners enter by meeting a qualifying time; others run for an official charity or travel with an international tour operator.

Open now: 1
Charity place · Official charity places
Opens next: 0
Closed: 2

2 routes unconfirmed

Boston Marathon 2027 ballot

Run by Abbott World Marathon Majors

Who can apply: Current AbbottWMM Gold Club members (paid annual membership, capped numbers); race draws are subject to their individual terms.
Entry fee: Not yet published by the organiser
Opens: Not yet published by the organiser
Closes: Not yet published by the organiser
Best for: Committed Majors runners willing to pay a yearly membership for an additional, members-only draw at every Major.
How competitive: Not published by the organiser
Tips: Membership is capped and sold for the following year from December, so join the waitlist early if you want to be in the next intake. It renews automatically each year and is for one person only; treat it as an extra ticket in a small draw of 50 places per race rather than a guaranteed entry.

Run by Abbott World Marathon Majors

Who can apply: Runners with an AbbottWMM profile showing 4, 5 or 6 stars by the draw date who have not already completed this race.
Entry fee: Not yet published by the organiser
Opens: Not yet published by the organiser
Closes: Not yet published by the organiser
Best for: Runners who already hold three or more Majors stars (four for Tokyo and Boston) and want a separate shot at a Major they have not yet run.
How competitive: Not published by the organiser
Tips: Nothing is automatic: log in to the Runner Portal and opt in to each draw you qualify for, and make sure any older or unmatched results have been claimed so your star count is right by the draw date. The prize is the right to enter, not a free place, so budget for the race fee; a winner who misses the acceptance deadline loses the place. Road to the Majors challenges in the Global Run Club can add extra draw entries.

Boston Marathon qualifying times

Who can apply: Qualifying time on a certified marathon course run on or after 2025-09-13, within the age-group standard for age on 2027-04-19; aged 18 or over on race day.
Entry fee: Not yet published by the organiser
Opened: 14 Sept 2026, 14:00 UTC
Closed: 18 Sept 2026, 21:00 UTC
Best for: Runners aged 18 or over on race day whose certified marathon time beats their B.A.A. age-group standard, ideally by several minutes.
How competitive: For the 2027 race the B.A.A. received 33,649 qualifier applications for a field capped at 30,000: 24,630 were accepted by beating their standard by 5:17 or more, 1,000 more through the Boston Qualifier Selection, and 8,019 qualifiers were not accepted (8,887 for 2026 and 12,324 for 2025).
Tips: Treat the BQ standard (2:55:00 for men and 3:25:00 for women and non-binary athletes aged 18 to 34 for 2027) as a floor and aim comfortably under it, since only applicants faster than the cut-off are accepted on time. From 2027, courses with 1,500 to 2,999 feet of net downhill add five minutes to your time and 3,000 to 5,999 feet add ten. The B.A.A. stated that 2027 qualifier registration would not re-open after its September window closed.

Boston Marathon charity places

Who can apply: Must be recruited by an official charity and pledge to fundraise for it.
Entry fee: Not yet published by the organiser
Fundraising minimum: Not yet published by the organiser
Opens: Not yet published by the organiser
Closes: Not yet published by the organiser
Best for: Runners without a BQ who will pledge to fundraise for one of the non-profits given invitational Boston entries by the B.A.A.
How competitive: Not published by the organiser
Tips: A record 215 organisations hold invitational entries for 2027, and each recruits its own runners, so you apply to a specific charity rather than to the B.A.A. The B.A.A. also fields its own Gives Back Marathon Team, whose application opened in mid-September, and Boston qualifiers who were not accepted are pointed to charity programme members, which open their applications later in the fall.

Boston Marathon International Tour Program

Who can apply: Not yet published by the organiser
Residency: Athletes who live outside the United States only.
Entry fee: Not yet published by the organiser
Package price: Not yet published by the organiser
Opens: Not yet published by the organiser
Closes: Not yet published by the organiser
Best for: Athletes living outside the United States who want a Boston entry without a qualifying time, sold by an approved tour operator.
How competitive: Not published by the organiser
Tips: B.A.A. tour operators must sell every entry to non-U.S. residents and at least 80% of their allocation to residents of their own country, so start with an operator based where you live. The operator cannot register you: you complete your own Boston registration and sign the participant waiver yourself.

Which Boston Marathon route suits you?

Anyone can apply: Gold Club member draws: 2027Committed Majors runners willing to pay a yearly membership for an additional, members-only draw at every Major.
Six Star draw: Boston 2027Runners who already hold three or more Majors stars (four for Tokyo and Boston) and want a separate shot at a Major they have not yet run.
Official charity placesRunners without a BQ who will pledge to fundraise for one of the non-profits given invitational Boston entries by the B.A.A.
Runners from overseas: Gold Club member draws: 2027Committed Majors runners willing to pay a yearly membership for an additional, members-only draw at every Major.
Six Star draw: Boston 2027Runners who already hold three or more Majors stars (four for Tokyo and Boston) and want a separate shot at a Major they have not yet run.
Qualifier registration (BQ)Runners aged 18 or over on race day whose certified marathon time beats their B.A.A. age-group standard, ideally by several minutes.
International travel partnersAthletes living outside the United States who want a Boston entry without a qualifying time, sold by an approved tour operator.
Runners with a qualifying time: Qualifier registration (BQ)Runners aged 18 or over on race day whose certified marathon time beats their B.A.A. age-group standard, ideally by several minutes.
Runners happy to fundraise: Official charity placesRunners without a BQ who will pledge to fundraise for one of the non-profits given invitational Boston entries by the B.A.A.
Runners who want a guaranteed place: Official charity placesRunners without a BQ who will pledge to fundraise for one of the non-profits given invitational Boston entries by the B.A.A.
International travel partnersAthletes living outside the United States who want a Boston entry without a qualifying time, sold by an approved tour operator.

Entering the Boston Marathon from overseas

A Boston qualifier can be run anywhere in the world if the marathon is certified by USATF, AIMS or a foreign equivalent, timed by transponder with at least three entrants, and not on a course with 6,000 feet or more of net downhill. Athletes who live outside the United States can also buy a place from one of the 40 operators in the B.A.A. International Tour Program, listed by region across Asia, Europe, Oceania, the Americas and Africa; each runner still files their own registration and waiver, and the operator sends a representative to Boston with its entrants.

Boston Marathon 2028 ballot: dates coming soon

The organiser has not announced the Boston Marathon 2028 entry dates yet. We don't guess them: here is what is known so far.

The 2027 Qualifier registration (BQ) ran 14 Sept 2026, 14:00 UTC – 18 Sept 2026, 21:00 UTC.

Boston Marathon FAQ

How do I get into the Boston Marathon 2027?

There are 5 official routes into the Boston Marathon 2027: ballot, qualifying times, charity places and International Tour Program. Open now: Official charity places.

When does the Boston Marathon 2027 ballot open and close?

The dates of the 2027 Gold Club member draws: 2027 are not yet published by the organiser. The dates of the 2027 Six Star draw: Boston 2027 are not yet published by the organiser.

Is there a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon?

Yes. Qualifier registration (BQ): Qualifying time on a certified marathon course run on or after 2025-09-13, within the age-group standard for age on 2027-04-19; aged 18 or over on race day.

How much does a Boston Marathon charity place cost?

Official charity places: the fundraising minimum is not yet published by the organiser.

Can overseas runners enter the Boston Marathon?

International travel partners: Athletes who live outside the United States only. Official tour operators sell travel packages that include an entry (International travel partners).

Can I defer my Boston Marathon entry to a later year?

Only through the B.A.A. pregnancy and postpartum deferment policy. Athletes who are pregnant or within 24 weeks postpartum can submit physician-verified documentation no later than 14 days before race day, and approved deferrals receive guaranteed entry to one of the next two Boston Marathons. All other entries are non-refundable, non-transferable and non-deferrable.

Does a time from a downhill marathon count as a Boston qualifier?

From the 2027 race, the B.A.A. adjusts times from net-downhill courses when you register: 1,500 to 2,999 feet of net downhill adds five minutes, 3,000 to 5,999 feet adds ten minutes, and courses with 6,000 feet or more cannot be used to qualify.

Can someone else run in my Boston Marathon bib?

No. Boston bib numbers are not transferable or exchangeable, and an athlete found wearing someone else's bib number faces disqualification.

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