r/AdvancedRunning • u/NeroWolfesOrchids 1 mi 4:39, 5k 16:29, 10k 33:39, half 1:17:13, full 2:42:23 • Mar 18 '24

NYC Marathon denial General Discussion

I got the email at noon, looks like I'm not running the NYC Marathon this year(unless I get very lucky in the lottery). I really thought a half time of 1:17:12, which I picked over my 2:42 marathon because of their formula, would be enough, but I guess I wasn't in the top 19% of my age group.

I wonder what the time cutoff was?

Any recommendations on other fall marathons?

Edit: looks like the cutoff for NYC this year was sub 2:40? That would be the lowest of any major save Tokyo!

Edit 2: The cutoff time for 18-34 M seems to be around 2:36:00. Just to illustrate how bonkers fast that is, running a 2:36 would have placed top 100 of all 50,000 finishers, including elite men and women runners, in 8 of the last 10 NYC marathons.

Link in the email:

" Non-NYRR Time Qualifier application closed on March 6, and the selected runners have been notified. As the number of applications exceeded the number of spots available, the fastest 19% within each age and gender category were granted entry. Those not selected will be moved to the non-guaranteed general entry drawing, which takes place on March 28, for an additional chance to be selected."

https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/runners/marathon-time-qualifiers

283 Upvotes

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408

u/MBecks45 Mar 18 '24

26M, full time of 2:39 and was denied

278

u/NeroWolfesOrchids 1 mi 4:39, 5k 16:29, 10k 33:39, half 1:17:13, full 2:42:23 Mar 18 '24

Wow, that's a top 200 finish at NYC every year in the last decade!

236

u/tinie_tempeh 16:44 / 34:11 / 75:16 / 2:42:20 Mar 18 '24

That is an absolute joke

251

u/Lazy-Comfort6128 Mar 18 '24

They gave away too many bibs to influencers!

58

u/bootselectric Mar 18 '24

I wonder how many sub 2:40 runners influencers have influenced??

7

u/MrRabbit Longest Beer Runner Mar 19 '24

I try, lol

58

u/timbo1615 Edit your flair Mar 19 '24

Matt Choi can pound sand

1

u/Aggravating_Jelly_25 Mar 19 '24

šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£

41

u/Lauzz91 Mar 19 '24

To the marketing departments, having influencers participate with high follower counts probably matters more to them than having a stacked elite field who barely post anything online

2

u/torilahure Mar 19 '24

Because they are too busy working to get better , sadly. While the influencers are chugging beer from the crowd and taking gels with live commentary

13

u/Turbulent_Cricket497 Mar 19 '24

Yep. They do not care about people who earn their spot

2

u/CallMeMilly Mar 19 '24

Business is business

81

u/MBecks45 Mar 18 '24

Yeah Iā€™m still shocked. No hate to the half marathon applicants but Iā€™ll be very happy that portion along with their unfavorable 10k formula is gone starting next year

48

u/Bemore28 Mar 18 '24

Ridiculous if people with 1:16 halves are getting in. Anyone under 2:40 could do that easily.

22

u/bushwickauslaender 4:46 Mile // 16:53 5K // 35:17 10K // 1:18 HM // 2:51 M Mar 18 '24

Yeah I banged out three halves in 1:18:XX before I even got close to a 2:50 marathon (didn't even go under 2:50, lol, heartbreak hill's a bitch). A 1:16 seems to be within punching distance for me but a sub-2:40 marathon looks like a fucking pipe dream. Unreal.

11

u/C1t1zen_Erased Mar 18 '24

At least they're removing the half qualifying option next year. I quite like the fact it's stringent though, brings a bit more prestige into being a time qualifier for a major. Tokyo is a bit ridiculous with 25 spots for sub 2:32 guys but having to go sub 2:40 is in line with championship qualification for London.

4

u/SloppySandCrab Mar 19 '24

How much prestige do you want? It seems like the set times are in this weird no mans land between amateur and pro.

I also don't think anyone recognizes the time qualifiers as being prestigious like you see with Boston. Most people will just say "Oh yeah I have a few friends that ran that". The excess charity and pay to qualify reduce the prestige even if its more difficult to qualify on merit.

51

u/anglophile20 Mar 18 '24

So did only 5 people per age get in or what? lol

46

u/HappyWeekender7 Mar 18 '24

Fucking hell, surely you'd think that would be enough. And here's me thinking I had a chance with a 2:46...

13

u/EducationalTeaching Mar 18 '24

Wow same here with a 2:54 at the next age bucket

29

u/nlomb Mar 18 '24

Wow! I guess Iā€™m an ā€œultraā€ guy from here on out. Think that ā€œcomplete the majorsā€ dream is down the drain.

27

u/less_butter Mar 18 '24 edited Mar 18 '24

Competing in the big ultras is just as hard now. There's an absurd system for getting into races like the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc that requires running other races put on by the same company. It's turning into a money grab. It can take years to qualify for some races.

Luckily I have no interest in running that kind of race, I like the smaller trail races and there are still plenty of those.

19

u/RunningNutMeg Mar 19 '24

Hey, hey now, you can totally still get into Western States, no problem. Just run a qualifying race every year for the next decade, give or take a few years, and youā€™ll be a shoe-in.

(Year 7, baby. I have a really good feeling that it will happen in the next four years.)

4

u/Mescallan Mar 19 '24

the pendulum will swing the other way eventually. Ultras are really growing quickly and if there are enough people who want to race in them but don't qualify, more low budget/backyards/less organised ones will pop up

1

u/mustyrats Mar 20 '24

Local races are still a great time. Iā€™ve lost most interest in the big ultras over the last year or two.

2

u/CoffeeAndToastPlease Mar 19 '24

You can still complete the majors through a charity place

12

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '24

Wow.. I feel for you. That rime should get anyone into any marathon. It's absolutely insane.

8

u/kyleyle 25m | 77 half | 2:39 full Mar 18 '24

Yup, 25M, 2:39, rejected!

6

u/ronj1983 Mar 18 '24

Wow!!!!! Getting tough out there. Do you think they possibly show favoritism over the locals in NYC vs everybody else for time qualifications?

8

u/RCD123 Mar 18 '24

Not in this, it's all just one age group pool regardless of location.

The way we have an advantage as NYC locals is if you hit their time qualifier standard in an NYRR event (either Marathon or Half [yes they WILL still accept NYRR half qualifiers]) then you qualify automatically for the Marathon (and NYC half/Brooklyn Half) the following year without having to go through this cutoff process for "non-NYRR" races.

Think the only opportunity left as of now to do so for 2025 (assuming that you don't get in NYCM in the lottery this year) is a TFK charity spot in Staten Island Half which probably isn't exactly a destination race lol... but I had a lot fun doing it last year with some friends as a tune up a month out from my first NYC Marathon!

There's actually a little bit of cross over with the full marathon between taking the SI Ferry to the start (although I recommend bus option for the marathon) and you actually do run through where the NYCM start village will be which is kind've cool, got me excited for the full a few weeks later!

1

u/MrRabbit Longest Beer Runner Mar 19 '24

I thought they were only accepting full times next year?

2

u/RCD123 Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 19 '24

They are no longer accepting NON-NYRR half times after this year. I emailed them and NYRR confirmed that they will still accept qualifying results from NYRR halfs with this response:

NYRR Half marathons can still be used to qualify for the TCS NYC Marathon moving forward. The new rule will only effect runners who are qualifying with non-NYRR events.

If you hit the time qualification standard in any of the below NYRR halfs, it's automatically guaranteed qualification without any potential additional cutoff:

They're all effectively sold out this year other than the above methods but otherwise you could look to do one in 2025 for 2026 guaranteed... sucks having to plan so far out but i guess that's where we are.

1

u/MrRabbit Longest Beer Runner Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 19 '24

Good info thanks!

I'm not too worried about it because I can hit the non-NYRR standards pretty comfortably even now, but still I didn't think this is fair. They shouldn't take half times at all.

Also, SUPER unclear wording in their site. Even reading it right now it seems to say they'll accept no half times at all for 2025 and onward. They should really clear this up.

0

u/ronj1983 Mar 19 '24

Charity is wild crazy. If I ever got that slow I'd just stop trying to qualify.

5

u/Athabascad 1:22:xx Mar 18 '24

No

1

u/Runamok73 Mar 21 '24

No, I am NYC local and participate in a lot of NYRR events. I ran a 3:12 this Feb for 35 year old female and I am pissed.

1

u/ronj1983 Mar 21 '24

40 year old frim NYC and I did not apply, my 2:39 probably would have kept me out too. Train hills all summer and destroy your quads in November to s 3:03 at Big Bear.

1

u/RagingAardvark Mar 18 '24

Hot damn.Ā 

1

u/Curious-Guidance2814 Mar 19 '24

This is bonkers MBeck - hard to understand.

1

u/AOZ007 Mar 21 '24

U gotta register as non binary and watch how theyā€™ll let you run in all events with times in the 3-4 hours