When everything clicks on marathon morning, there’s no better feeling than crossing the finish line knowing that you left it all out there. But not every race is like that, and lots of things can derail your performance – the weather, a poorly timed illness, random life issues, or a federal shutdown that cancels your … Read more
Feature image by generalising on Flickr – CC BY SA 2.0 Earlier this month, the Chicago Marathon announced new qualifying times for the 2026 Chicago Marathon. This is the second year in a row that they’ve changed the qualifying standards. Just last year, they overhauled the qualifying standards they used for guaranteed entry. I previously … Read more
Feature image by mlt2005 on Flickr – CC BY 2.0 If you were on the fence about running the Twin Cities Marathon this year, then I’ve got bad news. It’s officially sold out. Last week, I saw someone on Reddit asking about if and when the Twin Cities Marathon usually sells out. TCM had posted … Read more
The 2026 Boston Marathon registration period likely open on September 8, 2025. That means the weekend of September 6-7 will be your last opportunity to run a qualifying time if you’re hoping to run the 2026 race. The Boston Marathon Cutoff Time Tracker is currently projecting a cutoff time of 5:46, and when the dust … Read more
Are you bummed that you didn’t make it into the Chicago or New York City Marathons? Well, you’re not alone. New York City had 200,000 applicants for its lottery, and only 2-3% got in. There were ‘only’ 160,000 applicants for Chicago’s lottery, so your odds there might have been a bit better. But far more … Read more
The Chicago Marathon has announced that it will be implementing new qualifying times for guaranteed entry, starting with the 2025 Chicago Marathon. As I began to dig into this data, I was curious about the history of these times. When did they start? Have they changed previously? I was a little surprised to find out … Read more
Recently, the Chicago Marathon announced that it was changing the qualifying times for guaranteed entry beginning with the 2025 Chicago Marathon. The qualifying times have been reduced across the board, but the magnitude of the change varies with age group. The age groups have also changed. Previously, qualifying times applied by decade (i.e. 20-29, 30-39, … Read more
Are you looking for a marathon to run in 2025 – and considering the Santa Rosa Marathon? The Santa Rosa Marathon is a late summer race in northern California. It’s a moderate size, and the scenic course leaves downtown to meander through the vineyards. Whether you’re a first time or a veteran looking to notch … Read more