Boston Marathon 2011 Registration

plodder

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Sold out.

Holy crap :eek: So much for my backup plan for not getting London. That's unbelievable.

Peckham

Last year, registration for the Boston Marathon filled in just over two months. This year, it took just a day.

:eek: That's very odd. Fair enough it sells out much quicker than last year, but selling out over 60 times faster than last year?

TFBubendorfer

Peckham wrote: »

:eek: That's very odd. Fair enough it sells out much quicker than last year, but selling out over 60 times faster than last year?

That's because the thousands that did not get in last year signed up at the first opportunity this year.

For 2008 and earlier it sold out close to the race or not at all
For 2009 it sold out in January
For 2010 it sold out in November
For 2011 it sold out in October, taking just one day.

It's been going that direction for a while. I think it might be time to adjust the qualification times again ...

plodder

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I think it might be time to adjust the qualification times again ...

That's what I'm afraid of. I may have blown my only chance of doing it

--amadeus--

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

It's been going that direction for a while. I think it might be time to adjust the qualification times again ...

I was thinking that the other day actually, in comparison Boston used to be a lot easier to get into than London or NYC but London have really loosened up the GFA times (from 3:00 to 3:10, I think, for males under 40) to bring them more into line with Boston, which is the opposite of what I expected.

NYC is still tough though, 2:55 to guarantee an entry. I'd be very surprised if Boston don't adjust to that sort of level over the next couple of years.

pgmcpq

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Sold out.

Bloody hell - I was worried it might close before Dublin but really .... How much of this is the "ash" effect - folks who ended up not being able to travel last year ... and how much is self-fulfilling prophesy because of the fear about the early closure. Oh well - no real pressure in Dublin now ....

Cork boie

Sold out in a day !!! Must be a record ....so did anyone else get in ? Or is it down to me and killerz to fly de boards flag ?

pgmcpq

--amadeus-- wrote: »

NYC is still tough though, 2:55 to guarantee an entry.

But NY has a HM qualifying time as well that is (intended or not ) a lot more generous - at least allows multiple attempts in a the year.

Killerz

Its unreal.... Its not just like a concert or sports event selling out... You need to run a (usually at least one) marathon to qualify; you need to pay $175 to participate; you're likely going to have to pay for accommodation and transport; there's 25,000+ slots, and yet it still sells out in a day! wow!

I'm not counting my chickens etc until I get that confirmation though!

It's a real shame for those who had been hoping to use Dublin as the BQ....

I agree they'll likely change the qualification standards soon.

TFBubendorfer

plodder wrote: »

That's what I'm afraid of. I may have blown my only chance of doing it

I don't think so. The qualifying window for 2012 is already open with unchanged times. Unless they change the qualification criteria in the middle of the qualifying window (unlikely), any updates will not take effect until the 2013 race.

plodder

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I don't think so. The qualifying window for 2012 is already open with unchanged times. Unless they change the qualification criteria in the middle of the qualifying window (unlikely), any updates will not take effect until the 2013 race.

Ah right. I misread the info on the qualification page. The qualifying time for the 2011 race had to be set on or after Sept 20, 2009. So, unless that changes for 2012, this year's DCM should be good for 2012. That makes Dublin quite a handy qualifier for Boston (from a timing pov).

Peckham

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I don't think so. The qualifying window for 2012 is already open with unchanged times. Unless they change the qualification criteria in the middle of the qualifying window (unlikely), any updates will not take effect until the 2013 race.

I'm not sure it is. According to baa.org:

The qualification window for the 2012 Boston Marathon is currently under review. Any marathon run on a certified course within this window is eligible for application into the 2012 Boston Marathon.

There is a lot of talk on the Runners World forum about the qualifying times being made tougher for 2012.

I'm just praying that my Berlin 2010 time (on Sept 25th) will stand for qualification for Boston 2012. If they push the qualifying window out a bit to start in October 2010 or something, then I'm scuppered.

EDIT: This is not intended to alarm those going for BQ at Dublin on Monday, it's just to make you aware that nothing is confirmed yet for Boston 2012. In fact, I don't think the qualifying details for Boston 2011 was confirmed this time last year, so it could well be that nothing changes for Boston 2012.

pgmcpq

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I don't think so. The qualifying window for 2012 is already open with unchanged times. Unless they change the qualification criteria in the middle of the qualifying window (unlikely), any updates will not take effect until the 2013 race.

Check out :

http://www.baa.org/news-and-press/news-listing/2010/october/a-statement-from-baa-executive-director-guy-morse.aspx

At about 3.30 in he talks about "looking at" tightening the qualifying times. He prefaces it by talking about 2012 so I think QT changes are likely to change especially as he talks about "quality" not "quantity". The only question is whether existing QT would be grandfather in.... but I would not bet on it. There's a great deal of heat on this topic now and given how many people were shut out this year next year might see an even shorter closing time as people are determined not to get shut out.

Cork boie

hey folks... being optimistic that my registration will be accepted, im looking for a Boston specific traing plan....i had alook at Hal Higdon Boston plan which is only 13 weeks long, http://www.halhigdon.com/boston/bostonbound.htm... what do ye think ?
Any recommendations for training plans ?

im hoping to do it in circa 3.15 so will train hard.....:)

As an aside can ye tell me why im only now getting calf injuries? I got one before Berlin , rested for 5 weeks, ran race withour any problems, back training 10 days after race and calf went again without warning... never had any problems with my calves before ....so frustrating:mad:
oh yeah ,just to clarify for mods, not looking for med advice just reasons behind such injuries.... many thanks ..

Speedy44

Cork boie wrote: »

hey folks... being optimistic that my registration will be accepted, im looking for a Boston specific traing plan....i had alook at Hal Higdon Boston plan which is only 13 weeks long, http://www.halhigdon.com/boston/bostonbound.htm... what do ye think ?
Any recommendations for training plans ?

im hoping to do it in circa 3.15 so will train hard.....:)

As an aside can ye tell me why im only now getting calf injuries? I got one before Berlin , rested for 5 weeks, ran race withour any problems, back training 10 days after race and calf went again without warning... never had any problems with my calves before ....so frustrating:mad:
oh yeah ,just to clarify for mods, not looking for med advice just reasons behind such injuries.... many thanks ..

without getting into any specific training plans, the only thing I will say is to do lots of hills, up & down. Been from Cork, that shouldn't be a problem

Killerz

I'm still waiting for my confirmation from BAA, as is my friend that qualified from the same Toronto Marathon - he got 3:10:59.... which was the max allowable for our age group! Hopefully it comes soon. Has anyone booked flights/ hotels without getting the official conf? I got my receipt etc, but worried about flights going up in price.

We booked dorm accom in Boston downtown - wonder how thats gonna pan out!

Cork boie

getting close to boston kick off !!! training going well, except for niggly injuries but hey, bring it on . Anyone here know nearest t station to the boston common shuttle buses to start ? I am staying with friends way out in Revere but near the T at wonderland station. Any tips on morning of race, how long is trip to start ? is it usually cold that time of year ? might have to wear wollies and gloves :cool:
Any other boardies signed up since last post ?

Speedy44

Cork boie wrote: »

getting close to boston kick off !!! training going well, except for niggly injuries but hey, bring it on . Anyone here know nearest t station to the boston common shuttle buses to start ? I am staying with friends way out in Revere but near the T at wonderland station. Any tips on morning of race, how long is trip to start ? is it usually cold that time of year ? might have to wear wollies and gloves :cool:
Any other boardies signed up since last post ?

The BLUE line will take you from Wonderland to Goverment Center, then hop the GREEN line for 1 stop to Park Street. The next stop is Boylston, both of these are on the Common.

You used to have to take the buses from Copley Place where the finish is, that another 2 stops on.

Keep an eye on the weather leading up to it. One year I ran it and it was 72 F, another year they had snow. Either way, expect to be hanging around for hours in Hopkinton, so bring lots of clothes, maybe a book or some music you can just leave in your bag.

Best of luck, and enjoy the experience.

TFBubendorfer

As he said, the buses are lining up on the road between Park Street and Boylston stations, if memory serves me correctly.

Two tips:

1) Be there early. There will be 20000 people looking for transport to Hopkinton. The queue is absolutely mental. Also, it is a 1 mile walk from Hopkinton High School (where everyone gathers) to the start line. It all takes more time than you think.

2) Whatever you do, go to the toilet before boarding the bus. You will be there for over an hour and since most people are sipping drinks in the morning, it can get rather desperate.

Cork boie

thanks lads for the advice and help..... will have to watch the weather forecasts closely........will bring de hang sangwiches and tae for the wait at start.:D:D

RAL3

3 Wave start this year;

Wave 1 - 10:00
Wave 2 - 10:20
Wave 3 - 10:40

4 weeks from next Monday.................