Faster Qualifying Standards

The Boston Athletic Association is sorting through a record number of applications for the 2025 Boston Marathon. Given that the number of applications continues to climb every year and a significant number of people who meet the standard are rejected, they announced that the qualifying standards will be 5 minutes quicker for the 2026 marathon.

It will be more convenient for me to qualify in 2027 as I intend to do. The eligibility criteria have been lowered for all except individuals aged 60 and above. Although I still need to achieve a time of 3:50 or faster to meet the standard, the adjustments made for all age categories will be reduced. This means that qualifying will become more challenging for individuals under 60 and simpler for those aged 60 and above.

The qualifying time for a 60 year old was 15 minutes slower than a 59 year old (3:50 vs. 3:35). Now it is 20 minutes slower (3:50 vs 3:30). It's quite the gift for the senior set. I'm not sure if it's fair, but I'll take it.