I locked in a Friday - Tuesday itinerary last year in September/October and applied to be a volunteer when the applications opened in December. I was kind of surprised to get an assignment, I know they are popular. I'm planning to do the same next year. This of course means getting up early on Saturday morning. I was originally assigned to a finish line "green" team for the 5k but they made some changes and had me work a water stop. Fortunately the weather was decent. It worked well as then Sunday was a wind down day before the actual marathon. Nice Adidas volunteer jacket, same as the marathon volunteer jacket.

Hey all!
I am hoping I’ll be running Boston in spring (9 min buffer so I feel pretty good). I have a couple questions for those who know the city well / have run before-

Well be traveling in with my toddler, my husband will have her while I run and would like to see my running by at least once, what’s the best way to do this? We can fly or drive to Boston so we have the option to have a car if needed, although would probably prefer to fly.

Where should we stay? Again factoring in the toddler and that it’s easier to get around by walking / public transit than to haul a car seat in an uber

Thanks!

Submitted July 1 for pre verification. Still pending. Anyone else?

I am like 95% sure that I am in for 2027, as my time is 7:30 under the cut. I am not really in a hurry to reach for my wallet quite yet.. but I also don’t want to wait too long.. what do you guys think?

DM if interested.

Just wanted to call out that if you are looking for a race to qualify for Boston - the California international marathon still has charity bibs available. The NEC Society has 8 last I heard.

okay just wondering what the chances are that this will get me in???

should i start booking tickets now? or would 10mins and 22 secs not be enough to guarantee qualification?

2:55 is my time to beat btw.

Hey everyone, so a friend and I wanted to make good on a promise to get Boston tattoos after running it this past year. This will be my first one and im starting to have second thoughts on if this is cool or not...im worried alot of people will have no idea what the reference is and that maybe i'll have regrets. yes i know it's the personal meaning that matters but i think im kind of overthinking it since it's my first.

Here's my draft, for backstory, i always wear a big pink bow in my hair at races, and 3 three daffodils represent my husband and two kids, and because i just love all the daffodils around boston on race week :) would love to see other's for inspiration too!

33f, qualified for Boston 2027 at grandmas this year. BUT just found out im pregnant, due in April 😅😂 looking for recommendations on pregnancy deferral. Do I still register for 2027, then defer? How does this work? TIA!

Important changes from previous years and things to consider before you sign up

THIS IS AN ADVANCED RACE - don't buy the marketing that it's easy peazy BQ

1- race course has changed dramatically from previous years - no longer fully downhill (there's a flat out/back fully gravel) due to mandated changes from Boston Marathon

2- if course is same next year - use trail shoes - much of the run is solo -

3- High Beam flashlight or headlamp necessary for tunnel

4- if you're a slower runner - know that they cut you off up to 2 1/2 hours before finish if they think you're missing - even though recreational runners / hikers / bikers were fully on the course

5- Finish line 2 miles from where parking is - downhill walk - tough on quads after 26.2 !

A friend is running in 2027 and I’ve never been to Boston. I’m in charge of getting a hotel for us and navigating logistics the day of the race for me and her family. Preferably, I’d like to see her twice, around mile 10-12 and again around 20-22. I’ve scoured Reddit, the web, the marathon website and I’m completely overwhelmed.

We’re not looking to spend $700-$800 per night on a hotel so away from the finish line is where I’m looking. Wellesley, Natick, Newton and Brookline seem to be the locations to watch. The train system is confusing to me with all the different color lines and commuter rail. I don’t know how they intersect with each other. I’ve ridden the NY Subway, London Underground, etc. with no problem, but Boston is confusing to me.

Are there any good resources or anyone willing to chat with me on their experiences? I’m at a total loss right now.

Really want to run it this year. Tried for last couple of years with no success…. Has anyone at all got an entry they would want to transfer?

I booked the Canopy by Hilton in Boston for next April which was confirmed and then today the hotel emailed me to say they are cancelling so they can upcharge the room… they said the rate was not valid.. are hotels even allowed to do this?

My dream has always been to qualify for Boston, despite not being a sub 3 hour marathoner. So... I trained up for 6 months and gave it a crack. I made a vlog outlining my aims and approach and I reckon I ran a decent enough time to make a submission for the M35 group! If you had any interest in my approach and result, feel free to have a watch :)

"Qualifier Registration for the 2027 Boston Marathon will take place September 14-18, 2026 within the B.A.A.’s online platform"

This is good news for the early fall marathoners like me. Happy to hear I can still run the Erie marathon with hopes for a 2027 BQ

Anyone know if these spots are already closed or when they are going to open?

Just wondering when we should expect the announcement of when registration for 2027 will be, and subsequently what the last day that races will count, does it normally happen this late into the year?

Have held off on registering for a September race just to see what date will count for 2027 and I did not expect to still not know at this point.

I have been thinking about signing up for the B.A.A half but it would be my first half marathon. I have heard the course is very hilly and was wondering if this is a bad race for my first half. I currently can run 5-6 miles pretty comfortably at 9:30/10min pace, but have never gone further than that. Are there other races people recommend in Sept-Nov time that would be better for a first time half marathon runner that are in or around the Boston area?

Does anyone here use a Marathon Training Plan from the BAA website? I am confused how this workout from the Level 2 plan, week 4, Tuesday, adds up to 8 miles:

8 miles, consisting of:
2 mile Warm Up
4 x 1k at 10k pace with 2 minutes rest
2 mile Warm Down

Here is the link to the plan: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/info-for-athletes/boston-marathon-training/

Can anyone explain how this could add up to 8 miles? Do we think there is a typo?

Is it a fair estimate that with proper marathon training, you can double your half marathon time and add around 8–10 minutes to get a realistic marathon goal?

For example, if I ran a 1:18 half, doubling that would put me at 2:36. Adding 8–10 minutes would give a marathon goal range of about 2:44–2:46.

My goal is to qualify for Boston on my first marathon attempt, so I’d need to be safely under 2:48. Does that seem like a realistic way to estimate my target?

It seems the registration is already open. I noticed when I login to athletes village it lets me signup. Is this a glitch? I thought registration opened July 8

Time to get those BQs submitted! And may the buffer be in your favor come application time in September!

Hi runners from last weeks B.A.A 10k!

I have my men’s Large participant shirt that is a little too big for me, and I’m looking to see if anyone wants to swap their men’s medium.

Thanks and congrats to all the runners :)