2027 Boston qualifying times — after the downhill index.
A Boston Qualifier is not a finish time. It is a finish time, minus the B.A.A. downhill index, ranked against everyone else who also met the standard. The times below are official. The 2027 cutoff is not — the Association publishes it after Registration Week. Your fastest marathon still is not always your best Boston application. That part lives in the BQ Course Finder.
Your 2027 application time
Official math only: your age-group standard, plus the B.A.A. downhill index. No account. No Strava.
The B.A.A. uses age on race day, not on the day you ran.
Enter age and net time to see the indexed application.
Meeting the standard is the right to apply, not a bib. The 2027 cutoff is set after Registration Week (September 14–18, 2026). It is not on this page because the B.A.A. has not published it.
New for 2027: if you meet the standard and miss the cutoff, you are automatically entered in the Boston Qualifier Selection — a random draw of about 1,000 qualifiers. Chance of selection depends on how many applications arrive. That is the Association's rule, not a Compass probability.
Sign in with Strava to see a projected finish graded against your age-group standard on every race page. The calculator above does not need that. Sign in
Worked examples
B.A.A. worked examples (June 16, 2025)
Runner A — 18-year-old man, standard 2:55:00. Runs 2:45:30 on a 2,000 ft net-downhill. Indexed to 2:50:30. Buffer: 4:30 under.
Runner B — 40-year-old woman, standard 3:35:00. Runs 3:20:30 on a 5,000 ft net-downhill. Indexed to 3:30:30. Buffer: 4:30 under.
Runner C — 35-year-old man, standard 3:00:00. Runs 2:58:00 on a 2,500 ft net-downhill. Indexed to 3:03:00. Over the standard. Cannot apply.
Official 2027 qualifying times
These are the B.A.A.'s standards for the 131st Boston Marathon, Monday, April 19, 2027. Age is age on that Monday. Time is official net (chip) time. The same age-group table is currently listed for 2026; the downhill index is what is new for 2027 registration.
| Age group | Men | Women | Non-binary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 35–39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 40–44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 45–49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 50–54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55–59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 60–64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65–69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 | 4:35:00 |
| 70–74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 75–79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 | 5:05:00 |
| 80 and older | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 | 5:20:00 |
Source: B.A.A. Qualify, fetched 2026-08-29 (ET). Standards as published for the 2027 Boston Marathon. Confirm on baa.org before you race; the Association is the authority.
- Achieving the standard does not guarantee entry. It is the right to submit an application.
- Registration is not first-come, first-served. Applications: September 14–18, 2026, in Athletes' Village, until 5:00 p.m. ET Friday, September 18.
- The 2027 qualifying window opened September 13, 2025, and runs through Registration Week in September 2026.
- Certified full marathons only. No halves, indoor, virtual, treadmill, or time-trials.
- Minimum age: 18 on race day.
The 2027 cutoff is not a number yet
The cutoff is how much faster than the standard the last accepted qualifier ran, after verification and after the downhill index. The B.A.A. computes it when Registration Week closes, by ranking verified times inside each age and gender group.
2027 cutoff: — (B.A.A. has not published this. Expected after Registration Week, September 14–18, 2026. Applicants notified of acceptance or non-acceptance by early October 2026.)
What the cutoff has been
The B.A.A. publishes this series on the Qualify page. “Cut-off time” is minutes:seconds under the standard required for acceptance that year.
| Year | Field size | Cut-off | Qualifiers not accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30,000 | 4:34 | 8,887 |
| 2025 | 30,000 | 6:51 | 12,324 |
| 2024 | 30,000 | 5:29 | 11,039 |
| 2023 | 30,000 | 0:00 | 0 |
| 2022 | 30,000 | 0:00 | 0 |
| 2021 | 20,000 | 7:47 | 9,215 |
| 2020 | 31,500 | 1:39 | 3,161 |
| 2019 | 30,000 | 4:52 | 7,248 |
| 2018 | 30,000 | 3:23 | 5,062 |
Source: B.A.A. Qualify, Non-Accepted Qualifiers, fetched 2026-08-29 (ET). 2026 cutoff also in Field of Qualifiers Notified… 130th Boston Marathon (4:34; 33,249 qualifier applications; 24,362 accepted pending verification).
2026 was the first year of the tighter 18–59 standards. It was not the first year of the downhill index — that starts with 2027 registration. Past cutoffs are a crowd, not a prediction.
The downhill index (new for 2027 registration)
Starting with 2027 registration, the B.A.A. adds time to verified results from courses with 1,500 ft or more of net-downhill. Net-downhill is the elevation difference between start and finish, not the sum of the descents. The Association's designation of the course governs; Compass net-descent figures on race pages are derived from published course data and can disagree.
| Net-downhill (start → finish) | Index added to submitted net time | Eligible? |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500 ft (457.2 m) | none | Yes |
| 1,500–2,999 ft (457.2–914.1 m) | +5:00 | Yes |
| 3,000–5,999 ft (914.2–1,828.5 m) | +10:00 | Yes |
| 6,000 ft (1,828.6 m) or greater | — | No |
The index is added after the official qualifying time is submitted for B.A.A. review. It does not change the race's clock. It changes the application time.
Among courses under 1,500 ft, Compass still distinguishes gentle / moderate / aggressive descent on /bq, because a 250 ft drop and a 1,450 ft drop are different races. Those inner bands are Compass labels, not B.A.A. rules. Do not put them in this official table.
The indexes “will be in place for at least the next two years.” The B.A.A. reserves the right to change them. 2028 standards are currently listed as the same age-group table; 2028 indexes are “subject to change.” This page is 2027 only.
Mesa (~732 ft net drop) and Mountains 2 Beach (~623 ft) sit under the 1,500 ft line. Clock time is application time. That is why they lead the Course Finder. A Revel-style 5,000 ft drop is a different application after +10:00.
Open the BQ Course Finder — 26 audited BQ marathons, ranked after the index →
A simpler ranking by gain and weather, without the index, is in the flattest, fastest BQ marathons guide. The Course Finder is the fuller picture.
If you meet the standard and miss the cutoff
New for 2027: the Boston Qualifier Selection. About 1,000 applicants whose indexed time was not faster than the cutoff are drawn at random. You do not opt in; if you applied and missed the cutoff, you are eligible. Odds depend on how many qualifier applications arrive in September. The B.A.A. has said it is anticipated that not all applicants will be accepted.
Source: Registration updates for the 2027 Boston Marathon (released 11:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, July 22, 2026).
Calendar
| What | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 qualifying window opens | Saturday, September 13, 2025 | B.A.A. Qualify |
| 2027 race day | Monday, April 19, 2027 | B.A.A. |
| Qualifier registration | September 14–18, 2026, until 5:00 p.m. ET Friday the 18th | B.A.A. Qualify |
| Acceptance notices | Early October 2026 | B.A.A. July 22, 2026 news |
| 2028 qualifying window opens | Saturday, September 19, 2026 | same news post |
What this page will not do
This page computes official math: standard, index, indexed time, buffer. It does not estimate how a course plays. Terrain cost, heat cost, and the Compass Neutral Course live on the BQ Course Finder. Projected finish from your training history needs a sign-in. Green Score is a legacy composite on race pages; it does not belong here. How scores work — four independent dimensions lead, Green Score is the legacy composite — is on the methodology page.
Flat is not the same as fast. Miami is a Boston qualifier and a poor debut — 16 ft/mi of climb, a typical morning of 68°F / 62°F dew. Don't make Miami your first marathon. If you live in Florida and you want a BQ, read Flat doesn't mean fast in Florida, then go to Houston, Jacksonville, or Mesa.
Browse the race catalog and the guides.
Frequently asked
What are the Boston qualifying times for 2027?
The B.A.A. standards for April 19, 2027 range from 2:55:00 (men 18–34) to 5:20:00 (women and non-binary, 80 and older). Women and non-binary share a table. Age is age on race day. Full table above; source baa.org/races/boston-marathon/qualify.
What is the 2027 Boston Marathon cutoff time?
Not published. The B.A.A. sets the cutoff after Registration Week (September 14–18, 2026) by ranking verified, indexed times. The 2026 cutoff was 4:34 under the standard. That is history, not a 2027 forecast.
Does a qualifying time guarantee entry into the 2027 Boston Marathon?
No. It is the right to apply. If more qualifiers apply than the field allows, the fastest indexed times in each age and gender group are accepted, and that margin becomes the cutoff. About 1,000 of those who met the standard but missed the cutoff will be drawn in the Boston Qualifier Selection.
How does the B.A.A. downhill index work for 2027?
Net-downhill is start-to-finish elevation difference. 1,500–2,999 ft: +5:00 added to the submitted net time. 3,000–5,999 ft: +10:00. 6,000 ft or more: the course is not accepted. Under 1,500 ft: no index. In effect starting with 2027 registration.
When is the 2027 Boston Marathon qualifying window?
It opened September 13, 2025, and remains open through 2027 Registration Week in September 2026.
When is 2027 Boston Marathon qualifier registration?
September 14–18, 2026, in Athletes’ Village. Not first-come, first-served. Closes 5:00 p.m. ET Friday, September 18.
How is age determined for 2027 Boston qualifying times?
Age on Monday, April 19, 2027 — Boston race day — not age on the day you ran the qualifier.
What is the Boston Qualifier Selection?
New for 2027. A random selection of about 1,000 applicants who met their standard but were not faster than the cutoff. Automatic eligibility; odds depend on application volume.