2018 Boston Marathon Thread (Read 554 times)

This registration circus is the main reason I decided to break my streak in 2015. The BAA was just pissing me off too much. Just tighten the damn standards so that a BQ means you can run, and let registration last until the spring, like it used to, so you don't have to wait a year and a half after a fall qualifier. Oh and by the way so that pace groups for standard BQ times actually mean something.

 

But no, we have to set BQ times so that there are not enough slots, and have staggered registration. All to create more drama. And incidentally to get all that registration $$$ in the coffers much earlier.

 

It's true that none of that affects me directly. But for me the tone of the race has changed quite a bit since I started running it. Of course all the extra security stuff doesn't help either. It's just not the same.

 

Rant off...

It's been a loooong time since I ran my first Boston and mailed in my entry 2 weeks before the race.

Whoa cutoff at 3:23 under qualifying time.  Maybe it is time to tighten the standard 5 minutes.

To gain entry into the 2018 Boston Marathon, runners must have run 3 minutes, 23 seconds under their respective age group qualifying standard. Holy shit. I thought I was in. Time for spring 5k training em-effers!

 

This totally bums me out.

Same here! Damn.

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Missed it by 12 seconds.

 

The good news is that I get 10 more minutes (3:55 BQ) this year at the Chicago Marathon in 11 days due to my old agehood. Forecast is high of 76, low of 60. Do I go for PR or BQ-5 ??

 

I am totally for real about 5k training.

You don't know exactly what the weather will be yet.  Have it in your mind to race what you trained for.

I got an unsurprising email from the BAA this morning... Pending Verification.

Some of you know it took 4 months for the BAA to verify my November 2016 qualifier after I submitted it to improve my seed for this year's race. I had to push them multiple times and get the RD from my BQ race involved. One of the initial responses I got from them said the time won't improve my seed much so no need to process it. I had to push back because I didn't submit it to move up one corral this Spring. I submitted it to make sure they recognized the race so I'd not need to run another qualifier for 2018 if I didn't requalify at Boston. I didn't and had no interest in running another marathon.

I've got a written assurance that I may use the time for 2018 and now I have to hope the BAA is efficient in doing their administrative job.

I'm hoping for the best but ready for anything. From my experience they respond to less than a fifth of the emails you send. Sadly you have to annoy them to provoke a response so you stop annoying them. What an operation!

------------------

Pending Verification (2018 Boston Marathon)

Dear Chris,

We have received your registration submission for the 2018 Boston Marathon. Prior to acceptance, the information which you submitted must be validated against your qualifying performance. While we have held a place for you within next year's field of entrants, the data that you submitted has yet to be fully validated. This could be for a variety of reasons. Your acceptance has not yet been confirmed but no further action is required from you at this time. Given the range of possibilities as to why your acceptance has not yet been confirmed, we are unable to place a timetable on your notification but we are actively working to process all entry submissions.

After we confirm your qualifying performance and the associated data, then you will be accepted into the 2018 Boston Marathon.

While we continue to review submitted entries, we ask that you do not contact the B.A.A. Registration Office unless you are requested to do so by a member of our team. If more information is needed from you, we will be in contact via e-mail. Whether you are ultimately accepted or not, you will receive notification from us by e-mail.

We thank you for your cooperation and patience during registration, and appreciate your interest in running the 2018 Boston Marathon.

Sincerely,

The Boston Athletic Association

Yep, I'm out.  Enjoy Boston, folks.  Congrats on getting in.

Damn. I'm surprised. I thought the post-2013 surge of interest was subsiding. Sorry, Joann and Baboon.

Yes, BQ-5 has been the thing to aim for for a while now. But it's becoming ridiculous. I'm going to write a letter to the BAA, for all the good that will do.

I'm going to write a letter to the BAA, for all the good that will do.

Lol, lol. Good luck with that.