For the latest on the possible outcomes for the cutoff time, check out the May Update on the 2027 Boston Cutoff. There are relatively few results remaining, so the projection won’t change much. But two key factors point to the actual cutoff being at least slightly higher than the final projection. The Tableau dashboard below … Read more
I usually reserve these deep dives for the Majors and a handful of other really big races. While Grandma’s Marathon is a big race, it’s not that big. But there were a few things that made this year’s race particularly interesting. It’s the 50th anniversary of the race, and it sold out in less than … Read more
The Boston Marathon Cutoff Time Tracker tracks the net change in Boston qualifiers from year to year and that is the main variable used to determine the projected cutoff time. But not all BQ’s are necessarily equal. Only some of those runners will actually apply to run Boston – and that conversion rate of qualifier … Read more
The Presidential Fitness Test is a core memory for many Americans, especially if you’re a millenial or Gen X. For decades, we participated in an annual ritual that included, among other things, a mile run. The standardized test was phased out in the 2010’s, but it’s been back in the news since the president announced … Read more
You hear anecdotes here and there. Maybe you noticed your local marathon sell out earlier than usual. But it’s easy to lose the forest for the trees. Is this part of a broader trend where marathons are selling out faster than ever? Yes. Yes, it is. I first noticed this last year with a few … Read more
This is another project that’s been on my to do list for too long. Back in early 2024, I built an age grade calculator that calculated actual age grades for marathon performances along with a runner’s position (percentile) within the distribution of all finish times for their age group. I updated that calculator in early … Read more
A couple years back, I wrote an article about how finish times across different race distances can highlight a runner’s strengths and weaknesses. I used a particular runner’s post on Reddit as an example to highlight how with a relatively weak half marathon time – compared to predictions based on shorter events – would also … Read more
Feature image by David Lisnard on Wikimedia Commons – CC BY SA-4.0 When I started collecting and analyzing data on marathons a couple years ago, Paris was not on my radar at all. I mostly paid attention to American races, along with the international races that were part of the Majors. But Paris is a … Read more
This morning, I ran the Jersey City Marathon – for the fourth time. I ran the inaugural race in 2023, and it’s become my go to spring race. It’s close to home, so it doesn’t require significant travel. That also means there are lots of friends and acquaintances who either run, spectate, or volunteer. And … Read more
Are you the kind of person who likes a good challenge? Do you finish all the side quests in games and try to earn all of the achievements? Well if you’re a runner, there’s a similar way to incorporate this obsessive tendency into your running: run every street in town. I’d seen people talk about … Read more
When I was younger, I’ll admit that I was a fair weather runner. I often picked things up in the spring and tapered off in the late fall. This minimized my discomfort – and also severely limited my long term development as a runner. In the spring of 2020, I got back into running. I … Read more