Forums >Racing>2019 Boston Marathon Thread
Unless you're running 100+ MPW, I don't think that's true. Maybe you decided you couldn't train harder because you have other life commitments, but that's a trade off we all make, i.e. how much are we willing to train. It's hard for an amateur to say they've reached their absolute physical peak unless they put in that kind of work. Also, you may have not known what the time was, but many people do. That's why I think it's somewhere around 50/50. Let's put it this way: there is no way that if they made the qualifying times 5 minutes faster, the race wouldn't fill up within a year of them moving it. They had to change the standards a few years ago for this reason and yet here we are again. I don't think the average runner has gotten 5+ minutes faster over a decade.
Unless you're running 100+ MPW, I don't think that's true. Maybe you decided you couldn't train harder because you have other life commitments, but that's a trade off we all make, i.e. how much are we willing to train. It's hard for an amateur to say they've reached their absolute physical peak unless they put in that kind of work. Also, you may have not known what the time was, but many people do. That's why I think it's somewhere around 50/50.
Let's put it this way: there is no way that if they made the qualifying times 5 minutes faster, the race wouldn't fill up within a year of them moving it. They had to change the standards a few years ago for this reason and yet here we are again. I don't think the average runner has gotten 5+ minutes faster over a decade.
Well for me, I couldn't train harder because my body would have broken into a million pieces. But I get your point. I'm sure there are plenty of people last year who paced themselves thinking BQ-3 was safe, but could have done better if they knew what they needed.
Dave
Nobody paying attention should think BQ-3 was safe.
You know BQ time used to be a flat 2:50 for everyone. That didn't make everyone able to run 2:50. Tightening the times another 5 minutes (LONG overdue) might mean it would still fill quickly... but it would be good enough for them to go back to first-come first-serve with entries. Once it fills within a day of opening, time to move them again. No one should ever run a "BQ time" and not be able to get in if they are there and try to register early enough.
If I had my way the BQ times would be set so that it didn't fill before at least February. I ran my first Boston the spring after my first marathon, in October. You can't do that anymore.
I meant for people applying last year - it seemed like the 3:23 was a big shock at that time.
UM 45 Ohio 23
Just got my confirmation! I'm in after 3 tries.
I was -6 minutes. This will be my first Boston, assuming I actually run it. But have to think I will even if I end up walking!
I assume I should get busy booking a hotel? Any suggestions on where/how? I saw there is a BAA travel agent but not sure if that's the best way to go or not. Apologies for asking already as I have not searched the forum yet...
Just got my confirmation! I'm in after 3 tries. I was -6 minutes. This will be my first Boston, assuming I actually run it. But have to think I will even if I end up walking! I assume I should get busy booking a hotel? Any suggestions on where/how? I saw there is a BAA travel agent but not sure if that's the best way to go or not. Apologies for asking already as I have not searched the forum yet...
WTG!!
For a hotel, I would check out MarathonTours.com. I booked through them when they opened up back in May, lol. They have a fairly reasonable cancellation policy.
Question to NorthNorthwest and wolvmar - did your race auto-verify (i.e. did the race name populate in the field where you entered it)?
Yes, mine auto-verified and my race came up when I typed it in. I assume that helps speed things along, all else equal. The email receipt also said that my time was verified. It also had an optional entry for the "Overall place" in the race, which I filled in. Not sure if that helped with the verification.
mine auto populated as well
delicate flower
Dave, get your shit together with that acceptance confirmation already.
<3
WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?
Half Fanatic 12680
I'm in! This will be my 4th official Boston Marathon, not counting my first time in 1979 (my first marathon) when I ran as a bandit. (It was very different then and there were lots of people running after the registered runners took off. Everyone was completely open about it and no one tried to stop us.) I turn 65 on April 14, 2019, so this is how I'm celebrating my 65th birthday!
Awesome!
I am in for my first Boston marathon (which will also be my 3rd marathon ever). I only ran one marathon to qualify (-12:20) but I had to get reasonably good in half marathons before I was going to even try. For the record I am not fast, just old enough.
My only other marathon was 25+ years ago and I did well so I told everyone I did not need to do it again. That was when it was 2:50 to qualify and I was 5+ minutes slower than that
I only started running again 3 years ago. However, I decided I wanted to run Boston(at least once) and after some decent training last spring entered an October marathon. I was able to qualify (I did not have a backup plan but the weather was good and I was healthy).
DavePNW,
To update your list... yes, my first Boston. It'll be my 16th marathon, but only the last 7 were true Boston Qualifying attempts, so we can say 7th try. 3 of those were successful attempts, but I missed the cutoff last 2 years as a 40-44 yo (3:12:59 and 3:14:17). Finally, as a 45 yo, with a 13+ minute cushion (3:11:52), got my ticket!!!!! The missed ones will make this one all that much sweeter.
Facebook is taunting me. It just informed me that my "most liked photo of 2017" was when I posted a copy of the email from the 2018 Boston Marathon that my application had been received. Well played, Mr. Zuckerberg.