This is it – the day that qualified Boston Marathon runners have been waiting for for a very long time! This is the day that the 2020 Boston Marathon registration opens! However, even if you have a qualifying time, it may not be time for you just yet to jump in with your $200+ and registration form! Read here to find out what you need to know!
2020 Boston Marathon Registration Begins
Make sure you check back throughout the week as I will be writing posts to layout hotel and airline options and how to nail down your travel to the 2018 Boston Marathon – for (almost) free!
The 2020 Boston Marathon Registration Procedure
It is strange to think that, not to long ago, a marathoner could actually run a qualifying race as late as March and still run that year’s Boston Marathon! In fact, it was called the Last Chance Marathon.
Now, registration opens and closes in September – seven months before the Boston Marathon. This year’s registration procedure is the same as the last few years – a rolling registration that opens each day based on the amount of time the runner cleared the qualification time. Remember: however, it is a little faster than last year for qualifying times! See this post for more information
Confused about anything? Try out this quick and easy calculator to see exactly when you will be able to register for the 2020 Boston Marathon! This page is having some problems so if it does not work, check back again!
Facts
- Race Day – April 20, 2020
- Registration opens – September 9, 10:00AM
- Race Fee – $205 for US residents, $255 for international residents
- Qualification window for the 2019 Boston Marathon started September 15, 2018 and closes when the field is filled
- Field Size: 30,000 official runners
- Registration Application – BAA
| Age Group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 3:00 | 3:30 |
| 35-39 | 3:05 | 3:35 |
| 40-44 | 3:10 | 3:40 |
| 45-49 | 3:20 | 3:50 |
| 50-54 | 3:25 | 3:55 |
| 55-59 | 3:35 | 4:05 |
| 60-64 | 3:50 | 4:20 |
| 65-69 | 4:05 | 4:35 |
| 70-74 | 4:20 | 4:50 |
| 75-79 | 4:35 | 5:05 |
| 80+ | 4:50 | 5:20 |
The Important Dates for the 2019 Boston Marathon Registration
- Monday, September 9, 10:00 a.m. ET – Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or more are able to submit an entry form.
- Wednesday, September 11, 10:00 a.m. ET – Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 10 minutes, 00 or more are able to submit an entry form.
- Friday, September 13, 10:00 a.m. ET – Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 5 minutes, 00 or more are able to submit an entry form.
- Saturday, September 14, 10:00 p.m. ET – Registration closes for Week 1.
- Monday, September 16, 10:00 a.m. ET – If space remains, all qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by any amount of time are able to submit an entry form. The fastest runners among submissions from Week 2 will be accepted until the maximum field size is reached.
- Wednesday, September 18, 5:00 p.m. ET – Registration closes for Week 2.
- Monday, September 23, 10:00 a.m. ET – If space remains after the first two weeks of registration, all qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by any amount of time are able to submit an entry form. During Week 3, submissions will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis until the maximum field size is reached.
What It All Means for You
Remember, registration remains open for the qualified entrants until the field is full. If it is full with those who beat the time by 10 minutes (which it won’t be), then those who beat it by 5 minutes will not be able to enter. For the first two weeks of registration, all entries are not first-come-first-served but are processed by qualifying time. So, if you were to register on September 13 at 10:01AM with a qualifying time +30 seconds clearance, your entry time will not allow you to beat out the individual who had a 80 second clearance time on their qualifying time.
However, if there is still space available, when the registration reopens on September 23, it will be first-come-first-served.
Historically, it has been seen that that final wave of registration dates, Week 3 starting September 23, will not be needed. Last year, it bumped up to a almost 5 minutes clearance! That should not happen this year since the lowered the qualifying times by 5 minutes so my guess is that it will not be that big of a clearance time as in the past.
What You Need for the 2020 Boston Marathon Registration
REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR REGISTRATION
- Your legal full name (if you recently had a name change, please register under the name you qualified under. Upon your acceptance please email the B.A.A. to have your application updated accordingly)
- Birthdate
- Mailing address and phone number
- Email address
- Your qualifying race name, date run, and your qualifying time (please provide your net/chip time)
- Two emergency contact names and phone numbers (must be two different phone numbers)
- Your credit card information (we ONLY accept Visa and Mastercard)
- The registration fee is $205 USD for U.S. residents and $255 USD for internationals residents.
Good luck and enjoy the process. Remember, whether you make it into the 2020 Boston Marathon or not, you are still a Boston Marathon-qualifed runner! Congratulations! Make sure you check back throughout the week to see how you can get your 2020 Boston Marathon travel for (almost) free!
Featured image courtesy of Marcio Jose Bastos Silva via Shutterstock
