Forums >Racing>Boston: When is registration??
Proud Calgarian
Talking to people who like to talk, I get the impression that a BQ-5 is a pretty sure lock. Is that the consensus? Or just wishful thinking because who the hell knows this year.
We'll see - I'm in that category (like 8+ minute cushion) and I was absolutely feeling sick to my stomach....until I heard this increased field announcement today! I think that chances are better than average that all BQ-5 gets in and that there's still a handful of spots open the following Monday for other qualifiers.
(based on nothing but a gut feeling and all of that reading that there have been that many more BQ'ers in 2013 than 2012)
2015 Goals and PRs:
5k - 17:59 (18:05); 10k - 35:59 (36:42); HM - 1:19:19 (1:19:59); FM - 2:49:59 (3:05:46)
I heard Paul Ryan is running. I think he plans on counting it as another 14er or something like that.
I'm in the "commoners" qualifier pool here ... not the "mutant" BQ-20, "freak-a-zoid" BQ-10 or "speedster" BQ-5 qualifier groups ... and I'm planning on not getting registered this year. I actually think it will be very close to full (if not completely full) at the end of the BQ-5 group.
Just running quick numbers from MarathonGuide.com shows about 29,000 qualifying times have been run since 9/22/2012 (only counting the top 30 races). Of course some of those were certainly duplicates by the same person, but when you throw in the charity and 2013 non-finishers I'm thinking that it will be tight.
Train smart ... race smarter.
The timing made my decision easier
When it was mentioned that registration was possibly the 23rd I was thinking about hauling ass out to Rochester NY to try to qualify by knocking 5:16 off my time from this spring.
Now I think I will give up the idea of running 2014, do an actual training cycle (Pfitz 12/70) and run something like Philly in November when I will only need to knock 16 seconds off my PR to qualify for 2015.
We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
I will be very surprised if BQ-5 is not good enough. I really can't see that happening.
I expect that even with the increased interest, it probably will not fill in the initial registration period. But who knows.
Going by that, I don't see how it can fill at all. Everyone with a BQ would have to sign up, and that's not going to happen.
Oh, and 9 of those 29,000 are mine, so you only have to worry about 28,992.
I'm in the "commoners" qualifier pool here ... not the "mutant" BQ-20, "freak-a-zoid" BQ-10 or "speedster" BQ-5 qualifier groups ... and I'm planning on not getting registered this year. I actually think it will be very close to full (if not completely full) at the end of the BQ-5 group. Just running quick numbers from MarathonGuide.com shows about 29,000 qualifying times have been run since 9/22/2012 (only counting the top 30 races). Of course some of those were certainly duplicates by the same person, but when you throw in the charity and 2013 non-finishers I'm thinking that it will be tight.
However, this years race falls on Easter weekend, so I think that will deter some people from running Boston, especially female qualifiers (which I think is now roughly 50% of the field) that have already run it before, as this is a big holiday for those that celebrate it to be with their kids/families. Personally, I will be very suprised if at least all of the -5 qualifiers don't get in.
Ah-ha! so you're one of those nine-plicates I don't need to worry about then... that eases my mind . My bigger concern is the dreaded Chicago-effect of registering taking down their website with me stuck in mid-click limbo.
Given that it's only 5 months between this year's Boston and registration opening for next year - do you (general you, not directed at any specific person) really think that so many people went out in that time span and got their BQ-5 that it will leave little to no room for anyone else? Or is it more that people who had already qualified previously, who weren't planning on running, changed their mind after this year's race?
I think you are citing the page that shows top 30 marathons by highest percentage of Boston qualifying finishers, which really has nothing to do with overall volume of qualifiers. Do you see Chicago, NYCM, or any international races?? I bet the real number of individuals owning a BQ is a multiple of 29K.
I think he added the numbers from that list plus the ones from the 2012 list that happened after 9/22/12 from this page: http://www.marathonguide.com/races/bostonmarathonqualifyingraces.cfm?Year=2012
That would pick up Chicago, Philly, Marine Corps, Twin Cities and a bunch of others...there was no NYCM. And it includes some international races. Canada's still its own country, eh?
Runners run
I will be very surprised if BQ-5 is not good enough. I really can't see that happening. I expect that even with the increased interest, it probably will not fill in the initial registration period. But who knows.
I agree with this. But who knows.
27,000 mentions is something like 1800 RA pages. We're not going to get there unless someone starts an argument about a controversial topic. What should we start with?
Nobody needs to run more than 15 miles a week. It ain't healthy. Also, guns.
I think it would be more the latter. I was probably going to run it having decided not to run it in 2013. The bombing (and FUBAR logistics I experienced during my hometown marathon) made me want to run it in 2014. BQ-21:07 so I'm in.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
Another reason to be thankful I'm childless and my family finds me irritating. A guilt free Boston Marathon!