September 26, 2011 -- The Boston Athletic Association today notified applicants of their acceptance into the 2012 Boston Marathon. This year and for the first time, the B.A.A. implemented a new registration process for eligible qualifiers whereby the fastest runners in relation to their qualifying times were able to submit their entry on a rolling basis. Acceptance was based on performance rather than on a first come, first served basis. The 116th Boston Marathon is on Patriots’ Day: Monday, April 16, 2012.
- 23,521 applications were received during the two weeks of registration.
- 20,081 applicants have been accepted or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of qualifying performance (14,780 from Week One; 5301 from Week Two).
- 3,228 applicants were unable to be accepted due to the large number of eligible qualifiers who submitted an application for entry combined with field size limitations.
- An additional 277 qualifiers who had run 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons were also accepted.
Those who had a verified qualifying performance of one minute, 14 seconds or faster than the eligible standard for their age group have been accepted into the race.
2012 Men's Qualifying Performances and Accepted Times
| Age Group | Standard eligible to submit an application | Qualification times accepted through and including |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 3hrs 10min | 3hrs 08min 46sec |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 15min | 3hrs 13min 46sec |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 20min | 3hrs 18min 46sec |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 30min | 3hrs 28min 46sec |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 35min | 3hrs 33min 46sec |
| 55-59 | 3hrs 45min | 3hrs 43min 46sec |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 00min | 3hrs 58min 46sec |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 15min | 4hrs 13min 46sec |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 30min | 4hrs 28min 46sec |
| 75-79 | 4hrs 45min | 4hrs 43min 46sec |
| 80 and over | 5hrs 00min | 4hrs 58min 46sec |
2012 Women's Qualifying Performances and Accepted Times
| Age Group | Standard eligible to submit an application | Qualification times accepted through and including |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 3hrs 40min | 3hrs 38min 46sec |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 45min | 3hrs 43min 46sec |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 50min | 3hrs 48min 46sec |
| 45-49 | 4hrs 00min | 3hrs 58min 46sec |
| 50-54 | 4hrs 05min | 4hrs 03min 46sec |
| 55-59 | 4hrs 15min | 4hrs 13min 46sec |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 30min | 4hrs 28min 46sec |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 45min | 4hrs 43min 46sec |
| 70-74 | 5hrs 00min | 4hrs 58min 46sec |
| 75-79 | 5hrs 15min | 5hrs 13min 46sec |
| 80 and over | 5hrs 30min | 5hrs 28min 46sec |
“We are humbled by the desire of so many dedicated athletes to run here in Boston,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. “We will do all we can to be worthy of their interest and make every effort to make running here an experience that runners will continue to enjoy and value.”
As part of a personalized email from the B.A.A. to all of those who were unable to be accepted, the B.A.A. stated: “We appreciate your commitment to your own running, and we encourage you to continue your pursuit of running in a future Boston Marathon.”
Qualifying performances achieved on or after Saturday, September 24, 2011 will be valid for 2013 Boston Marathon registration. The 117th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 15, 2013. However, please note the qualifying standards for the 2013 Boston Marathon have been tightened by five minutes for each age group.