Boston Marathon 2027: Registration Dates, the New 1,000-Place Lottery and When to Start Training
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
This article contains my Runna ambassador link. If you use my free trial, it supports the blog. Thank you.
Published 6 August 2026
Something is shifting in the world of the Majors. For 2027, London is staging its marathon over two days for the first time, and Boston, the race famous for its locked front door, is introducing a random selection that hands 1,000 qualifiers a second chance. Read those two changes together and the signal is hard to miss: the biggest races on the planet are opening up to more runners than ever, and interest in the World Marathon Majors is only heading one way. In my view, that can only be a good thing for the running community as a whole. More start lines, more first-timers, more of us chasing something big.
Boston, though, still carries a little extra mystique. It's the world's oldest annual marathon, it's run on a Monday (Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts holiday), and it's the only Major where the front door has a time lock on it. You don't ballot your way into Boston. You earn it.
Or at least, that was the whole story until now. That new random selection is the biggest change to Boston entry in years, and if you've ever uttered the sport's cruellest sentence, "I qualified for Boston but didn't get in," this article is for you.
And Boston itself? I've visited the city a couple of times and always loved it, especially the waterside and Faneuil Hall. For a runner looking to carb up in the days before a race, there really couldn't be a better place. I hope to run Boston one day myself, representing Team Runna as one of their brand ambassadors. For now, let me help you get there first.
In This Article
Boston Marathon 2027: The Key Facts
The 131st Boston Marathon takes place on Monday 19 April 2027, running the historic point-to-point route from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in the heart of the city. Entry is built around qualifying times, set by age group and gender and based on your age on race day. To give you a flavour, men aged 18 to 34 currently need 2:55:00 and women 3:25:00, with standards easing as the age groups rise. Your qualifying race must be a certified marathon run within the qualifying window.
Registration Dates and How It Works
Get these in your diary:
Qualifier registration opens: Monday 14 September 2026
Registration closes: Friday 18 September 2026 at 5pm US Eastern time
Where: the B.A.A.'s online platform, Athletes' Village
Here's the crucial bit that trips people up every year: registration is not first come, first served. Every application submitted during the five-day window gets equal consideration. After it closes, the B.A.A. verifies every qualifying time and ranks applicants by how far they beat their standard. The fastest fill the field, and the slowest accepted margin becomes that year's cut-off.
That cut-off has become savage. For the 2026 race, nearly 9,000 runners who genuinely hit their qualifying time were still turned away, with the cut-off reaching a record 4 minutes 34 seconds under the standard. A BQ alone stopped being a guarantee some time ago.
New for 2027: The Boston Qualifier Selection
Which brings us to the big news. New for 2027, the B.A.A. will run a Boston Qualifier Selection: after the traditional process fills the field, approximately 1,000 runners who met their age-group standard but didn't beat the cut-off will be randomly selected for entry.
You don't need to do anything extra. Everyone who applied with a valid qualifying time and missed the cut-off is automatically in the draw. It won't rescue all 9,000 heartbroken qualifiers, but it means hitting your standard finally counts for something again, even if you're seconds the wrong side of the line. My take: it's the most runner-friendly thing Boston has done in years, and it makes registering absolutely worthwhile even if you scraped your BQ by half a minute.
No Qualifying Time? Your Other Routes In
No BQ, no problem, well, almost. Around a fifth of the field enters through the official charity programme, raising money for Massachusetts-based causes, with applications typically running through the autumn. International runners can also secure guaranteed entry through official tour operators, companies like Sports Tours International and Marathon Tours & Travel, as part of a travel package, although note Marathon Tours do not offer entry to Boston. And if you're within touching distance of your standard, there's a third option: spend the next year getting faster. More on that below.
The Course: Respect the Hills
On paper Boston looks fast: a net downhill of around 140 metres from Hopkinton to the finish. Don't be fooled. The first four miles drop steeply and shred the quads of anyone who charges them, and then, just as fatigue bites, the Newton hills arrive between miles 16 and 21, finishing with the infamous Heartbreak Hill. It's not that any single climb is monstrous; it's where they sit in the race. Boston punishes runners who train for a flat marathon and rewards those who've prepared their legs for downhill pounding early and climbing late.
When to Start Training (and What to Do Before Then)
For an April marathon, a 16-week training block starts in early January 2027. So the real question isn't January onwards, it's what you do from now until then. That window matters more than most runners realise.
I'm in exactly this position myself. I'll be running the London Marathon in April 2027, the same month as Boston, so my marathon block also starts in early January. My last race of 2026 is the Krispy Kreme London 50 in early October, which leaves me with a choice for October through to the end of December. I'll likely select the Runna Run to Maintain Plan for that period: it lets me keep a base level of fitness ticking over, gives the body proper time to rest and recover after a long season, and means I'll enter the marathon block in January feeling refreshed rather than ragged. Fitness maintained, batteries recharged. That's the whole game for autumn.
Regular readers will know why I trust Runna with this. The World Marathon Majors programmes are built directly into the app, course profiles included. Runna knows about those quad-punishing early descents and the Newton hills at mile 16, and builds that into your training programme, so you arrive in Hopkinton prepared for the race Boston actually is. And if you're chasing the qualifying time itself, the same applies in reverse: Runna meets you where you are today and builds you up in a measured, sustainable and personalised way, whether that's toward a BQ attempt or your first start line in Hopkinton.
Start your free Runna trial here and make the months before January count.
Boston Marathon 2027 FAQ
When does registration for the Boston Marathon 2027 open?
Qualifier registration runs from Monday 14 September to Friday 18 September 2026 at 5pm US Eastern time, via the B.A.A.'s Athletes' Village platform. It is not first come, first served; all applications in the window are treated equally.
What is the new Boston Qualifier Selection?
New for 2027, approximately 1,000 runners who achieved their qualifying standard but did not beat the cut-off will be randomly selected for entry. Anyone who applies with a valid qualifying time and misses the cut-off is automatically included in the draw.
What are the Boston Marathon 2027 qualifying times?
Standards are set by age group and gender, based on your age on race day, 19 April 2027. Men aged 18 to 34 need 2:55:00 and women 3:25:00, with times easing through the older age groups. Check the B.A.A. website for your exact standard.
Can I run Boston without a qualifying time?
Yes. The official charity programme accounts for a significant part of the field, and official international tour operators offer guaranteed entry as part of travel packages.
Is the Boston Marathon course hard?
It's a net downhill course, but a deceptive one. Steep early descents batter the quads, and the Newton hills, including Heartbreak Hill, arrive between miles 16 and 21 when legs are already tired. Specific downhill and hill preparation makes a huge difference.
When should I start training for the Boston Marathon 2027?
A 16-week marathon training block for Boston starts in early January 2027. Use October to December for maintenance and base fitness so you begin the block rested, healthy and ready to absorb the training.
About the Author
Andy Hood is an ultra and endurance runner, testicular cancer survivor and proud Runna ambassador. After cancer knocked him off his feet in 2021, Andy laced his shoes back up and rebuilt his running with Runna's structured, personalised training plans, going on to complete multiple ultra marathons. He now designs bold running challenges to raise awareness of testicular cancer and has raised over £27,000 for cancer and mental health charities. He is the founder of Check Ya Balls gear, menswear that saves lives.
As a Runna ambassador, Andy can offer new users an exclusive two-week free trial. Claim your free trial here or download the app and use promo code ANDY2.
Comments