Goal 03
Qualifying for Boston
CIM is one of the most popular Boston qualifiers in the country — and its net drop is well within the B.A.A.'s limits, so your time counts as run.
Hitting the standard isn't enough
Boston accepts qualifiers fastest-first until the field is full. For the 2027 race, applicants needed to be 5 minutes 17 seconds under their qualifying standard to get in, and more than 8,000 qualifiers were turned away. The standards themselves were also tightened by five minutes for most age groups starting with the 2026 race.
CIM 2026 falls in the qualifying window for the 2028 Boston Marathon. The B.A.A. has said the 2028 standards are unchanged from this year's.
The practical target: plan to run 6–7 minutes under your standard. Anything closer is a coin flip.
Tool
What's my BQ?
Use your age on Boston race day, not your age at CIM.
| Age group | Men | Women & non-binary |
|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 35–39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 40–44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 45–49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 50–54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55–59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 60–64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65–69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 |
| 70–74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 75–79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 |
| 80+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 |
Always confirm at baa.org before you build your plan.
Running the BQ
- Pick your target, not your standard. Plug your buffer time (standard minus ~7 minutes) into the pace planner.
- Use the pace teams carefully. Groups can surge on downhills and through aid stations. Run with them, not for them.
- Bank effort, not time. Two minutes "banked" in the first 10K usually comes back with interest after mile 20.
- Make your move from 13 to 18. That gentle descent after the rollers is where a BQ is built. Then just get to the bridge at 21.5.