BOSTON (AP) - Running a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon wasn’t enough again this year.
Runners hoping to enter the 2016 race had to beat the qualifying time by 2 minutes, 28 seconds to earn their bib.
The nation’s most prestigious 26.2-mile race announced Wednesday that 24,032 applicants will be accepted. Another 4,562 runners who met the qualifying time didn’t get into the field, which has been capped at 30,000 runners.
After the 2011 race filled up in eight hours, organizers developed a rolling admission that allows the fastest runners to apply first. This year, those who beat the qualifying time by at least 2:28 made it in. Last year, it took a time that was 1:02 faster than the qualifying standard.
The 120th Boston Marathon will be on April 18, 2016.
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