If you’ve been working toward that Boston qualifying (BQ) time, you’ve probably already done your share of research on which marathons will help get you there. Many runners are surprised to learn, however, that racing a marathon during a short and specific window, which changes slightly each year, will gain you a spot for two consecutive years of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.
Yes, that’s correct, running a qualifying marathon in early September is your ticket to making that BQ last twice as long.
Take the 2025 Boston Marathon, for instance. Registration took place for this April’s race between September 9 and September 13 of 2024.
In order to register, applicants had to submit a valid BQ run between September 1, 2023 and the end of registration, 5 p.m. on September 13, 2024.
According to the BAA, the qualification window for the 2026 race opened on September 1, 2024.
So race results during that two-week period—between September 1 and September 13, 2024, when the qualifying periods overlap—counted for the next two Bostons (2025 and 2026, unless the race changes its timelines).
Because most races are held on weekends, this narrows down the double-dipping possibilities to races held either the first or second weekend in September. If the pattern continues in 2025 as it has in past years, qualifying races run on September 6 or 7, 2025, or September 13 or 14, 2025, could serve as BQs for both the 2026 and the 2027 races.
If you’re choosing a race in hopes of securing a qualifying time that’s good for two Bostons, remember to double check that the race is USATF certified, or, for an international event, AIMS certified.
It’s no guarantee that running a qualifying time for your age and gender will get you into the race (and we can’t help you determine what the cutoff will be for the 2026 event). But here are a few domestic races that fall on those September days and, if you’re fast enough, might help you get to the starting line in Hopkinton on two consecutive years.
Sackets Harbor Marathon
Where: Sackets Harbor, New York
When: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Scouting Report: Runners will start and finish in the scenic village of Sackets Harbor and enjoy views of Lake Ontario. The course is described as having gentle elevation gains, but ending with downhills to help you secure that BQ.
Last Chance BQ.2
Where: Geneva, Illinois
When: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Scouting report: The race is designed to get people into Boston. To that end, you have to already be close to the qualifying standard for your age group and gender by showing an “almost” result at a different marathon or a comparable half marathon time.
Appletree Marathon
Where: Vancouver, Washington
When: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Scouting report: This two loop marathon is billed as a fast and flat course with scenic views of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood. It’s also said to be spectator friendly, which always helps in those final miles.
Last Chance BQ.2
Where: Grand Rapids, Michigan
When: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Scouting report: It’s the same idea as the Chicagoland race: flat, fast, pacers for every group. But it’s run by a different organization with a different registration platform.
Holland Haven Marathon
Where: Holland, Michigan
When: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Scouting report: The point-to-point course along Lake Michigan is shady and flat. The race offers some unusual treats at aid stations: blueberries at mile 20, for instance, and candy and watermelon at mile 24.
Erie Marathon
Where: Erie, Pennsylvania
When: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Scouting report: A two-loop course is flat, shaded, and has support every mile for runners. In 2024, 39 percent of the field qualified for Boston.
Tunnel Light Marathon
Where: North Bend, Washington
When: Sunday, September 14, 2025
Scouting report: The course says it’s “over 20 miles of steady downhill,” including a two-mile run through a tunnel. The race also has dates on the same course in June and August, but those won’t give you an opportunity for double-dipping.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
