Boston Marathon Important Facts
The Boston Marathon is open to all runners, male and female from any nation, but they must meet certain qualifying standards.
To qualify for the race the participant must first complete a standard marathon course certified by a national governing body affiliated with the International Association of Athletics Federations within a certain period of time before the date of the marathon usually within 18 months prior to the race.
Potential runners in the age range of 18-34 must run a time of no more than 3:10:00 if male (approx. 7:15 per mile), or 3:40:00 if female (approx. 8:24 per mile); the qualifying time is adjusted upward as age increases. The official starting point is in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
As part of the race tradition, the kick off time is at noon, the wheelchair race at 11:25am and the elite women at 11:31am.
In 2006 the race course ran through 26.2 miles (42.195 km) of winding roads, following Route 16 and Route 30 and the official finish line is located at Copley Square just outside the Boston Public Library.
The Boston Marathon is considered to be one of the more difficult marathon courses because of the infamous Newton Hills, which culminate in Heartbreak Hill near Boston College. In 1947 the record time then was 2:25:39 by Yun Bok Suh of South Korea. In 1975, the women's world record was set in Boston at 2:42:24.
Local Massachusetts residents gladly welcome the Marathon participants with open arms and they do their best to provide a supportive, encouraging, friendly atmosphere during the time of the entire race. Along the entire 42.195 km - 26.2 mile of the race, thousands of fans and crowds are even more encouraging for the amateur runners and neophytes taking part in the Marathon for the first time.
Field Size Limit: 20,000 athletes*
Eligibility and Qualifying
- Seeding is based on qualifying times, which are subject to review and verification
- Age group on the day of the qualifying race may differ.
- Athletes must be 18-years or older April 2006
The B.A.A. reserves the right to reject any entry, issue special invitations, cancel the race, expand or further limit the field, or adjust the entry procedures.
Qualifying Standards - Age Group Men Women
18-34 3hrs 10min 3hrs 40min
35-39 3hrs 15min 3hrs 45min
40-44 3hrs 20min 3hrs 50min
45-49 3hrs 30min 4hrs 00min
50-54 3hrs 35min 4hrs 05min
55-59 3hrs 45min 4hrs 15min
60-64 4hrs 00min 4hrs 30min
65-69 4hrs 15min 4hrs 45min
70-74 4hrs 30min 5hrs 00min
75-79 4hrs 45min 5hrs 15min
80 and older 5hrs 00min 5hrs 30min
Elite Women’s Start
The 2006 Boston Marathon will conduct a separate start for top female competitors. The Elite Women's Start will begin before mid day and the performances will be scored separately from women.
Wave Start
The 2006 Boston Marathon featured approximately 10,000 runners along with the elite men’s field. Then at 12:30 p.m. another 10,000 runners proceeded.
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