33,656 runners applied for the 2027 Boston Marathon. Here is when the cutoff drops, what the projections say, the new random draw and downhill rule, and the Florida marathons that count for 2028.
Boston registration closed on September 18, and 33,656 qualifiers from 129 countries applied for the 2027 race. That is up from 33,267 a year ago. Not all of them will get in. Acceptance emails go out by early October, and the number everyone is waiting on is the cutoff: how far under your qualifying standard you had to run.
This page covers what we know now, what the projections say, and what changes for Florida runners chasing a BQ. We will update it the day the B.A.A. announces the cutoff.
What is the 2027 Boston Marathon cutoff?
The B.A.A. has not announced it yet and says it will not predict it. Acceptance and non-acceptance notices go out by early October 2026. The most-followed independent projection, from Running with Rock, puts the 2027 cutoff between 5:20 and 5:30 under your age-group standard. For comparison, the 2026 cutoff was 4:34.
The key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sept 14-18, 2026 | Qualifier registration week (closed) |
| Sept 19, 2026 | Qualifying window for the 2028 Boston Marathon opens |
| Early October 2026 | Acceptance and non-acceptance notices, and the cutoff is announced |
| April 19, 2027 | 131st Boston Marathon |
Past Boston cutoffs
The cutoff moves every year with the size of the field and how many people qualify. Here is how the last eight races went.
| Race year | Cutoff under standard |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 4:34 (first year of the faster standards) |
| 2025 | 6:51 |
| 2024 | 5:29 |
| 2023 | 0:00 (everyone who qualified got in) |
| 2022 | 0:00 |
| 2021 | 7:47 (smaller October field) |
| 2020 | 1:39 |
| 2019 | 4:52 |
The 2026 number looks friendlier than 2025, but it is not. The B.A.A. made every standard from age 18 to 59 five minutes faster for 2026, so a 4:34 cutoff on the new standards is harder to beat than 6:51 on the old ones.
What is new for 2027
A random draw for runners who miss the cutoff
For the first time, the B.A.A. will pick about 1,000 extra runners at random from qualifiers whose times were not fast enough to beat the cutoff. It is called the Boston Qualifier Selection. If you qualified and your time falls short of the cutoff, you are still in that pool. You do not need to do anything extra, because it comes out of the same registration you already submitted.
A penalty for steep downhill courses
Qualifying times run on courses that drop a lot of elevation now get time added before they are ranked:
- 1,500 to 2,999 feet of net drop: 5 minutes added
- 3,000 to 5,999 feet: 10 minutes added
- 6,000 feet or more: not accepted for qualifying
The B.A.A. says the rule stays in place for at least the next two years. That matters for the runners who chase BQs on mountain courses out west. It does not matter in Florida. The highest point in the state is about 345 feet, so no Florida marathon comes anywhere near a 1,500-foot drop. A BQ on the Space Coast counts the same as it always has.
The current qualifying standards
These apply to the 2027 race and carry over to 2028 unless the B.A.A. says otherwise.
| Age group | Men | Women and non-binary |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 35-39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65-69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 75-79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 |
| 80+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 |
Missed it? The 2028 window is already open
Any certified marathon you run from September 19, 2026 on counts toward the 2028 Boston Marathon. That puts the whole Florida winter season in play. Our advice is the same as every year: aim for at least 5 to 6 minutes under your standard, because the last three cutoffs have landed between 4:34 and 6:51.
Florida's flat, cool-weather marathons that fall inside the new window:
- Space Coast Marathon, Cocoa, November 22, 2026 (full, with the waitlist closed)
- Jacksonville Marathon, December 12, 2026
- Palm Beaches Marathon, West Palm Beach, December 12-13, 2026 weekend
- Celebration Marathon, January 31, 2027
- DONNA Marathon, Jacksonville Beach, February 2027
- Tallahassee Marathon, February 7, 2027
We break down each course, what the weather usually does, and which ones BQ chasers pick in our guide to Boston qualifying races in Florida. If you need a plan, start with our marathon pace chart to see what your goal time means per mile, and browse every Florida marathon on the calendar.
What to do while you wait
- Watch your email in early October. The notice comes from the B.A.A. and tells you whether you are in, and if not, whether you are in the random draw.
- Do not book nonrefundable travel yet. Wait for the acceptance email.
- If you are more than 6 minutes under, you are very likely in. The projections top out in the mid 5-minute range, and no one tracking it expects a cutoff above about 5:45.
- If you are 5 to 6 minutes under, you are on the edge. Pick a winter Florida marathon now as a backup for 2028.
Sources: B.A.A. registration update, Sept 21, 2026; B.A.A. 2027 registration announcement; B.A.A. qualifying standards; Running with Rock 2027 projection. Last updated September 25, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2027 Boston Marathon cutoff time? expand_more
The B.A.A. has not announced it yet. Acceptance notices go out by early October 2026. The Running with Rock projection puts the cutoff between 5:20 and 5:30 under your age-group standard. The 2026 cutoff was 4:34.
When will I find out if I got into the 2027 Boston Marathon? expand_more
The B.A.A. says notices of acceptance or non-acceptance will be issued by early October 2026, after it verifies every qualifying time submitted during the September 14-18 registration week.
What is the Boston Qualifier Selection? expand_more
It is a new random draw for 2027. About 1,000 qualifiers whose times were not fast enough to beat the cutoff will be picked at random and offered entry. It comes from the same registration you already submitted.
Does the new downhill rule affect Florida marathons? expand_more
No. The B.A.A. now adds time to qualifiers from courses with a net drop of 1,500 feet or more. Florida is flat, with a high point of about 345 feet, so no Florida marathon is affected.
When does the 2028 Boston qualifying window open? expand_more
The 2028 qualifying window opened September 19, 2026. Any certified marathon run on or after that date counts, which puts the entire Florida winter marathon season in play.