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Accepted cut-off by year
How far under the published standard an applicant had to run to be accepted. Zero means the race took every qualifier who applied.
| Race year | Cut-off | Entry outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4:34 | Fastest-first, field filled |
| 2025 | 6:51 | Fastest-first, field filled |
| 2024 | 5:29 | Fastest-first, field filled |
| 2023 | No cut-off | Every qualifier accepted |
| 2022 | No cut-off | Every qualifier accepted |
| 2021 | 7:47 | Fastest-first, field filled |
| 2020 | 1:39 | Fastest-first, field filled |
| 2019 | 4:52 | Fastest-first, field filled |
What changed, and when
The cut-off does not move on its own. These are the decisions behind the numbers above.
- September 2024 · 2026 and 2027 races
Standards tightened by five minutes
The BAA cut every age-group qualifying standard by 5:00. The stated aim was to bring the number of qualified applicants closer to the number of time-qualifier bibs, reducing the size of the accepted cutoff.
- 2023 · 2023 race onward
Non-binary division recognised in registration
Non-binary athletes register as their own division. The women's qualifying standards apply to that division.
- 2022 and 2023 · 2022 and 2023 races
Two years with no cutoff
Both races accepted every applicant who met the standard, so the accepted cutoff was 0:00. Qualifier demand had not yet returned to its pre-2020 level.
- 2019 · 2020 race onward
Standards tightened by five minutes
The BAA lowered every age-group standard by 5:00 after the 2019 race required 4:52 under the standard for acceptance.
How to read this if you are chasing a BQ
Treat the published standard as the entry fee and the cut-off as the actual price. In the 6 of 8 years since 2019 that required a cut-off, the median demand was 5:11 under the standard.
Averaging all years including 2022 and 2023 produces a comfortable-looking 3:54, but those two years cleared a backlog rather than described normal demand. Planning against them is how runners qualify on paper and miss the field.
The working number this site uses everywhere — 5:00 under your standard — is the larger of the most recent cut-off and the five-year average, rounded up to the next whole minute. Build the plan around that time, not the standard.
Frequently asked
What is the Boston Marathon cut-off?
The cut-off is how far under the published qualifying standard you had to run to be accepted, in the years when more qualifiers applied than there were time-qualifier bibs. It is not published in advance — the BAA announces it after registration closes. The most recent figure is 4:34 for the 2026 race.
What was the cut-off last year?
4:34 under the standard for the 2026 Boston Marathon.
How much under my standard should I run?
Based on the accepted cut-offs from 2019 to 2026, target at least 5:00 under your standard. That is the larger of the most recent cut-off and the five-year average, rounded up to the next whole minute.
Has there ever been no cut-off?
Yes. The 2022 and 2023 races accepted every applicant who met the standard, so the cut-off was 0:00 in both years. Those two years are the reason a simple all-time average understates what today's field requires.
Will the cut-off get smaller now that the standards are tighter?
That was the stated intent of the five-minute tightening applied from the 2026 race. The 2026 cut-off of 4:34 was smaller than the 6:51 of the year before, but a smaller cut-off against a harder standard is not an easier race to get into.
Using this page in your own work?
Copy a formatted reference below. If you are quoting a number from this page, please link back to it so readers can check the source and the date it was last reviewed.
Breno Melo, "Boston Marathon cut-off tracker", Breno Melo Endurance Coaching (last reviewed 27 July 2026). https://www.brenoamelo.com/boston-cutoff-tracker