So bib numbers were released for the Boston Marathon yesterday and I was a little surprised. I used a BQ time that was only 3 minutes slower than the time I used for the 2013 race, however my bib number put me almost 2000 spots lower in the field.
According their Facebook page the cut-off time this year between waves 1 and 2 is 3:12:52 and the cut-off between waves 2 and 3 is 3:33:34. I did some digging and those times are 6 and 10 minutes faster than the cut-off times in 2013. Those are big drops.
I decided to do a little sleuthing and it looks like approximately 50% of the first wave is comprised of sub-3 hour qualifying times (over 4600 runners). Wow.
Obviously this year is different and interest levels were much higher than perhaps normal but it does show you that "fast" is always relative. Lots of good marathoners out there in the world today.
For reference, here are past data:
Surprising, because according to many veteran runners I know, today's runners are all fat, slow, don't take their racing seriously and depend on useless modern comforts way too much. You would think that we have regressed as a race based on what they say. 4,500 sub-3:00 runners is more runners than there were in the entire field at Boston for many years, no?
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Surprising, because according to many veteran runners I know, today's runners are all fat, slow, don't take their racing seriously and depend on useless modern comforts way too much.
Okay that was funny!
Nice post Fuzz. For a lot of running vets a sub-3:00 is not a big deal, as they are busy shooting for sub-2:55, 50, and 45 etc.. For many of us hobby joggers however, it is the equivalent of the holy grail!
It is nice to see there are so many of them, maybe some of us will join that club someday.
I think that, as you said, there are more runners interested in doing Boston THIS year. More than in prior years that would have waited and/or decided not to do it. And wow. Nice group of great runners that will be running it this year.
Damaris
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I hope all these fast people stay home next year so that my time is good enough to get in.
Okay that was funny! Nice post Fuzz. For a lot of running vets a sub-3:00 is not a big deal, as they are busy shooting for sub-2:55, 50, and 45 etc.. For many of us hobby joggers however, it is the equivalent of the holy grail! It is nice to see there are so many of them, maybe some of us will join that club someday.
I still think sub-3 is a big deal. At least for those of us who were late in life runners and maybe because I knew my time was limited to achieve it. Hell, when I started running it was to get my ass back in shape and the idea of running a BQ, let alone a sub-3, wasn't even on my radar.
Are we there, yet?
4,500 sub-3:00 runners is more runners than there were in the entire field at Boston for many years, no?
I don't think there were that many marathon finishers in the entire country when I ran my first. There were only about 800 sub-3:00 finishers that year and that included multiple sub-3 finishes by some runners.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
That's interesting. In 1996, the 100th with the largest starting field, I was in corral 13. Don't recall if they had waves back then. BQ was 3:12:23. In 2007 I was in the 11th overall corral, 1st in the 2nd wave. BQ was 3:30:00.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
Labrat
How many colour stations are there at Boston ?
Not that I'll ever get to run it...
I am not surprised this year is a little more competitive to get in. Its the emotional angle for sure.
5K 20:23 (Vdot 48.7) 9/9/17
10K 44:06 (Vdot 46.3) 3/11/17
HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17
FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18
Move to MA. Even us slackers manage to get in. My finish photos will look a tad different than BQ runners though.
#artbydmcbride
There is a kissing station at Wellesley College!
Runners run
Word.
Agreed. For the vast majority of people who know me, my biggest accomplishment was running 50 miles on my 50th birthday. While I enjoyed doing that and it was a wonderful experience, it pales in my mind to the 2:59:42 I ran in November. That sub 3:00 was exponentially more difficult than jog/walking 50 miles.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Maybe last year motivated a lot of runners to turn in hard training over the summer and knock their fall marathons out of the park.
Although, maybe they should have seeded by latitude of residence this year.
But to better suit everyone's training, they would have to install 36,000 treadmills at the starting line.
Dave