A Record 215 Charities Will Carry Runners Into the 2027 Boston Marathon

September 16, 2026

The Boston Athletic Association named 215 nonprofit organizations to the Boston Marathon’s official charity program for 2027 on Tuesday, the most it has ever accepted, publishing the list in the middle of qualifier registration week, when the runners who need it are paying attention.

Applications from qualifiers for the April 19, 2027 race opened Monday and close at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and hitting the standard has never been the same thing as getting in. Of the 33,249 runners who applied for the 2026 race, 24,362 were accepted, leaving 8,887 who had run the time their age group demanded and got nothing for it. MARATHON HANDBOOK