Recent Event - Boston Marathon

On April 20, 2009, thousands of runners toed the starting line in Hopkinton as they started their 26.2 mile trek to downtown Boston. To runners, running the Boston Marathon is an honor, largely because to be able to run it, one must qualify by completing another marathon at a specific time that is unique to specific age groups and genders.

The qualifying times can be quite challenging and tend to change frequently. The Boston Qualifier standards (also known as BQ Standards) are a source of controversy for some, others simply accept it and try to beat the time for their age group in order to be able to race in Boston by following specific marathon training plans.

For instance, a man who is 35-39 must run a marathon in 3:15 to qualify for Boston. A woman in the same age group must do it in 3:45. As mentioned above, the times tend to change frequently so it does not make sense to replicate the qualifier table here since it will probably be out of date for next year's race anyway.

For detailed coverage of the 2009 Boston Marathon, click here or here.