2015 Boston Marathon Qualifier Acceptances, release, notes by Larry Eder

Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirhaman, 2014 Boston Marathon,

photo by PhotoRun.net

One of the litmus tests that I use each year to test the health of the sport is sign ups at the Boston Marathon. Some might think that is pretty self-evident, but, please hear me out.

The Boston Marathon is an iconic event, probably our most iconic in the sport. It is the citizen runner’s version of taking a swing in Fenway Park. The only marathon really where qualifying for the majority is key, this race was, in my era, and still is today, a test of how good a marathoner one is.

Walking around the Boston Marathon expo is pretty amazing. From great races and the finest of running footwear, to sponsors, and discount racks on running apparel and footwear, it is a running bazaar. And, it gets crazier each year.

But that is good.

We have had a time when running at whatever speed is good, and that is still here. I have no worries with it. I also think, that many runners, most, perhaps, still like to have goals, whether it is running their 5k time under twenty-five minutes, or qualifying for Boston, both are goals and goals are good. Goals in running give us something to focus on when the world seems to be going insane.

RunBlogRun applauds Boston for its self evaluation and fine tuning of its application process and acceptance process. With 80 percent of the fields being athletes who have actually qualified for Boston, the soul of the race is intact. Celebrating the diversity of the sport and the positive brought into the sport by curated charities is also very important.

We wish all of the 2015 Boston qualifiers great training over the winter and mild winters, so that those long runs become muscle memories and Boston, on a cool day, with the wind at one’s back, brings a fantastic time and experience.

Valencia Marathon sells out its 33,000 race bibs and sets a new record for registrations.

The Most Excellent Adventures of Des Linden

2023 Brighton Marathon

2015 BOSTON MARATHON QUALIFIER ACCEPTANCES

Notification to applicants begins Wednesday, September 24

BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today continued its notification to applicants of their acceptance into the 2015 Boston MarathonÂ®. In preparation for the 2015 Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. implemented the same registration process for qualified runners as it used in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Marathons, allowing the fastest qualifiers to register first. The 119th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 20, 2015 and will mark the 30th consecutive year that the event will have John Hancock Financial as its principal sponsor.

In cooperation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route, the B.A.A. has set the field size for the 2015 Boston Marathon at 30,000 official entrants. More than 80% of the field will be comprised of athletes who have met the qualifying standards. The balance will consist of invitational entrants, many of whom run for local charitable organizations. Since 1989, between the B.A.A.’s Official Charity Program and principal sponsor John Hancock Financial’s Non-Profit Bib Program for the Boston Marathon, more than $200 million has been raised for charity.

Registration for runners who met the B.A.A.’s Qualifying Standards for the 2015 Boston Marathon began on Monday, September 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET using a “rolling admission” schedule and continued through Saturday, September 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Registration re-opened on Monday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. and application submissions were received through Wednesday, September 17 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Â· 25,493 applications were received during the registration period for qualifiers.

Â· 23,546 Qualified applicants have been accepted to date or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of their qualifying performance.

Â· 1,947 applicants were unable to be accepted due to the large number of eligible qualifiers who submitted an application for entry combined with field size limitations.

Â· Details of the B.A.A.’s registration process for Qualifiers can be found on the following web page: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/athlete-registration.aspx

During the first week of registration, when the fastest of all Qualifiers submitted their application for entry:

Â· 4,093 Qualifiers accepted met their qualifying time by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or faster.

Â· 6,490 Qualifiers accepted met their qualifying time by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or faster.

Â· 6,160 Qualifiers accepted met their qualifying time by 05 minutes, 00 seconds or faster.

During the second week of registration, 6,447 Qualifiers were accepted. These were Qualifiers who were one minute, two seconds (1:02) or faster than the Qualifying time for their age group and gender. (Last year, for the 2014 Boston Marathon, Qualifiers who were one minute, 38 seconds or faster than the Qualifying time for their age group and gender were accepted.)

In addition, 356 Qualifiers who have an active streak of ten or more consecutive Boston Marathon completed also entered during a pre-registration period in August and have been accepted. In the coming months, qualified elite athletes and athletes with disabilities will be added to the field.

Those who submitted a verified qualifying performance that was 1 minute, 02 seconds or faster than the qualifying standard for their age and gender have been accepted into the race. Qualifying performances for the 2015 Boston Marathon must have been run between September 14, 2013 and September 17, 2014. Notices via email to those accepted will be issued by the B.A.A. beginning today.

The names of those runners who have been accepted will be posted on the “Entrants” page of the B.A.A.’s web site: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/entrants.aspx

Some of those entrants who ultimately will be accepted will not be notified of their acceptance or have their name appear because validation of qualifying performances is ongoing. The amount of time to verify the performance of qualifiers can vary from race to race.

“We never like to tell anyone who has worked so hard to qualify for the Boston Marathon that there is not space for them in the field,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. “Many of us know personally how difficult it is to meet those standards. But we also need to limit the field size for the race in order to provide the best and safest possible experience for those for whom we do have space. We run over most of the same roads that were used in the first marathon in 1897, and that requires us to achieve the best balance that we can between inclusion and quality.”

Notices to those who submitted an application for entry but who were not accepted were also issued today.

2015 BOSTON MARATHON: Men’s Qualifying Standards and Accepted Times*

AGE GROUP	QUALIFYING STANDARD	QUALIFICATION TIMES ACCEPTED(faster than and including)
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 03min 58sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 08min 58sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 13min 58sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 23min 58sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	3hrs 28min 58sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	3hrs 38min 58sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	3hrs 53min 58sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 08min 58sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 23min 58sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 38min 58sec
80 and older	4hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 53min 58sec

2015 BOSTON MARATHON: Women’s Qualifying Standards and Accepted Times*

AGE GROUP	QUALIFYING STANDARD	QUALIFICATION TIMES ACCEPTED(faster than and including)
18-34	3hrs 35min 00sec	3hrs 33min 58sec
35-39	3hrs 40min 00sec	3hrs 38min 58sec
40-44	3hrs 45min 00sec	3hrs 43min 58sec
45-49	3hrs 55min 00sec	3hrs 53min 58sec
50-54	4hrs 00min 00sec	3hrs 58min 58sec
55-59	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 08min 58sec
60-64	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 23min 58sec
65-69	4hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 38min 58sec
70-74	4hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 53min 58sec
75-79	5hrs 10min 00sec	5hrs 08min 58sec
80 and older	5hrs 25min 00sec	5hrs 25min 58sec

* Potential, qualified entrants for the 2015 Boston Marathon must have met the designated time standard that corresponds with their age group and gender in a certified marathon on or after September 14, 2013 and prior to having submitted an entry application. Proof of qualification must accompany each athlete’s application, and participants are required to be 18 years or older on race day.< font size="1" color="#595959" face="Arial">

Qualifying performances achieved on or after Saturday, September 13, 2014 will be valid for 2016 Boston Marathon registration submissions. The registration dates for that year’s race have not yet been established.

ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES – QUALIFYING TIMES & REGISTRATION DATES

Registration for Athletes with Disabilities will occur on a “rolling admission” schedule, beginning with the fastest qualifiers on Wednesday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET. For more information, please visit: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/qualifying/athletes-with-disabilities.aspx

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.’s Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the World Marathon Majors, along with the international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. More than 60,000 runners will participate in B.A.A. events in 2014. The 119th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 20, 2015. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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