Coaches Reveal the Signs They Look For That You Could Run a Boston Qualifying Time

The goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon is as popular as ever. This year, the Boston Athletic Association is implementing adjustments for qualifying times run on courses with significant elevation loss. They will also add a drawing in which 1,000 qualifiers who missed the cutoff will get selected at random to run the 2027 race.Even so, race officials expect cutoff times to get even faster under the existing age-graded qualifying standards, as they have for the last few years. And while that might cause frustration among many recreational runners, it certainly hasn't discouraged the majority from actively pursuing a BQ, or at least having it as an eventual bucket list goal.One thing most runners can agree on, however, is that achieving a Boston qualifying time isn’t easy, which may lead you to question whether you’re ready to chase it based on your current training and fitness level. Natalie Mitchell, an RRCA-certified running coach in Los Angeles, is mindful about sitting down with her athletes to assess whether they’re ready to take the leap."My first question for my athletes is simply their 'why'—why do they want to achieve a BQ, and how patient are they willing to be? Is it something that they expect to happen in one training cycle, for example,” Mitchell, a 13-time Boston qualifier who has run the race three times, tells Runner's World. "Coaches can teach and guide athletes, write appropriate workouts, and help them stay out of their own way so they won't end up doing too much, but we are not magicians."While there’s no magic formula to determine if someone is ready to pursue a BQ, there are several benchmarks you should consider to determine if you’re ready to go for it. We asked three coaches to break down examples that they typically outline for their athletes.You Have a Solid Training HistoryAs you might expect, one of the first metrics a coach will look at is your current personal best and how far off it is from your qualifying standard, but equally as important is how recently you ran that time, Mitchell says. She will also look at other recent results, such as your most recent half marathon time, and if you've been training consistently to maintain a base rather than essentially starting from scratch."Volume is not everything, but for a beginner athlete who hasn't been consistent in building their mileage and is injury-prone, it will take a lot more time and patience than it would for someone who has been consistent with their mileage and has done some workouts and long runs over a longer period of time," Mitchell says.Alissa Kolarik, an RRCA- and VDOT-certified run coach in the Cleveland, Ohio, area and a 13-time Boston qualifier who has run the race four times, similarly takes her athletes' recent race times and plugs them into the VDOT Running Calculator to predict a realistic race equivalent."I think this race predictor tends to be very accurate, so if an athlete has the equivalent half marathon time, or within five minutes of that, for their BQ time goal, I think that's a great sign," Kolarik tells Runner's World.Additionally, while it's not unheard of for athletes to shave off a big chunk of time from their PR to nail their BQ time, Kolarik and Mitchell agree that chipping away at marathon finish times is usually a more sustainable approach if you have a long way to go."If an athlete is working to increase their weekly mileage and maintain consistency, this is where it's better to take your time with it," Mitchell says. "Additionally, if they are struggling in their long runs and working to run a quicker half marathon, 5K, or 10K, these are also reasons to be patient, chip away, and lean into the journey."You’re Nailing Race-Specific WorkoutsNo matter the race distance, hitting longer efforts at your goal paces is critical for predicting if you’ll be able to replicate it on the big day, not only from a physical standpoint, but from a mental one as well. For Mitchell, that means being able to run controlled marathon-pace work without turning every workout into a race where you feel gassed and quickly fizzle out.“If an athlete can handle long runs with quality late into them to callus their legs, that will help us create a realistic plan for race day,” Mitchell says.Kolarik has a specific three-hour workout she has her athletes do to help predict what they’re ready to execute in the marathon, and to get in the right mindset before heading into their taper.“With this workout, we’ll alternate 30 minutes easy and 30 minutes at marathon pace [three times to reach three hours], ending with 30 minutes at that goal race pace, and if they can nail that one, it’s usually a good indicator that they’re ready,” Kolarik says. “It’s also a really good one to do for a late fall race where you’re realizing your summer fitness gains when you get some cooler days leading up to the marathon.”Another go-to workout for Kolarik’s athletes is 10 miles easy and then finishing with six miles at marathon pace. “This is a good one for trying to hit marathon pace on tired legs at the end of a long run,” she says.Your Fueling Is Dialed InEven with athletes who are experienced marathoners who have successfully chipped away at their race times, Kolarik often finds that their pre- and midrace fueling is often the missing piece that’s hindering them from hitting their next big breakthrough. In these cases, she’ll direct them toward resources from nutrition professionals like a registered dietitian.“I’ve often sent my athletes Meghann Featherstun’s carb-loading guide, which I’ve found has made a really big difference for a lot of people, including myself,” Kolarik says. “This is something that will help you feel good for those last six miles of the race.”Mitchell has also worked with athletes who have faced roadblocks in their fueling because they have a history with GI distress on long runs and races. Rather than writing off their goal, she encourages them to work with a professional to solve this issue and avoid it in the future.“Being able to take in the fuel they need during training and racing is a big factor in putting together a BQ race,” Mitchell says. “If an athlete isn’t able to do this, I encourage them to look at what they’ve been taking, make changes to see if something different works better, and see a gastroenterologist if necessary.”You’ve Chosen an Optimal Race Course, But Still Challenged Yourself in TrainingWhen it comes to setting themselves up for success, most runners know they’re more likely to run their best performance at a race that’s known to offer a flat and fast course, as well as favorable weather conditions.“If we’re going for a big PR and BQ attempt, then we want to choose a really great course that gives that opportunity, whether that’s flat and fast or maybe a downhill one that meets the new guidelines,” adds Becky Croft, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based RRCA-certified run coach who ran the 2024 Boston Marathon.While most athletes approach a training cycle with a race in mind that they’ve already signed up for, Mitchell and Kolarik also offer guidance to their athletes who haven’t settled on a specific race. Mitchell won’t try to deter her athletes from pursuing a BQ on a more challenging course either—in fact, she’ll have them doing hill training regardless of whether they’ll be racing on a flat course or one with rolling hills so that they’re still building strength and improving running mechanics.“Uphill running naturally increases the demand on the glutes, calves, and posterior chain, while also encouraging good posture, knee drive, and an efficient stride to develop the strength and power that will allow them to run more efficiently even when the course is flat,” Mitchell says. “That translates extremely well to the marathon, where the ability to hold pace when fatigue sets in is often more important than raw speed.”You’re Prepared to Shoot for Several Minutes Under Your BQ StandardAs running has grown in popularity, qualifying for Boston and running fast enough to be accepted into the race has only gotten more competitive and challenging. But that hasn’t deterred most people from rising to the challenge. That’s why Kolarik and Mitchell make sure they and their athletes are on the same page about the paces they’ll need to hit to give themselves the best chance of actually getting into the race.“My philosophy is to set my athletes up for success, so we’ll always have a candid conversation about what it really takes to get into the race, which means aiming for at least five to 10 minutes under their qualifying standard,” Mitchell says. “So many runners end up heartbroken when they run a BQ and then don’t get accepted into the race, so while I’ll support them in every way, I’ll make sure they’re aware of those parameters as well.”You’re Recovered and Not Burned Out From Your Last RaceRegardless of their ability level, many athletes have faced the scenario where they’ve arrived at a starting line ready to execute, and then the race doesn’t go their way due to unseasonable weather, sickness, or their bodies just couldn't handle the effort on the day for whatever reason.In those cases, Mitchell and Kolarik will assess how much the race took out of the athlete in terms of how fatigued they’re feeling in the days and weeks afterward, as well as how soon they could run their Plan B race.“After every race, I encourage runners to take two weeks to recover mentally and physically, and most of the time, they realize running another marathon so soon is not the best idea,” Mitchell says. “If they do decide to go for it, their times usually either stay the same or get slower as a result of running too many marathons in a year without enough time to recover. The body can only perform so much in one year, especially if you are attempting a BQ, not just finishing a race.”On the flip side, leaning hard into recovery can end up leading to a bigger breakthrough if you’re patient with the timing, Kolarik says.“I had an athlete who went from a 4:05 marathon to a 3:35 and was bummed that she didn’t hit her BQ even though it was a huge PR,” Kolarik says. “It took a lot out of her, so I encouraged her to do a half marathon block rather than another marathon in a month. We did her next marathon block a year later, and she ended up running 3:18.”Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Runner's World, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Women's Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle, among other publications. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler.