Thirteen athletes who completed the Edmonton Marathon last month have been denied qualification times for the Boston Marathon after organisers admitted the racecourse was nearly 675 metres longer than it should have been.
Race director Tom Keogh confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the Boston Athletics Association will accept finishing times from 92 Edmonton competitors but will not recognise the 13 who crossed the line outside the qualifying window — even after accounting for the extra distance they were forced to run.
A Course Measured Wrong
The full marathon held on August 16 covered approximately 42.875 kilometres rather than the regulation 42.2 kilometres, while the half marathon was similarly over distance. Runners first flagged the discrepancy during and after the race, noting that their personal GPS devices consistently logged more than the standard marathon distance.
Organisers initially stood by their calculations, insisting the course had been measured correctly. A subsequent internal review found otherwise. According to Keogh, the miscalculation stemmed from a mapped detour that was not properly accounted for in the final certification.
“It is evident the community that gathers through this event is resilient, passionate, kind and deserving of nothing less than our very best,” Keogh said in the statement. “We commit that this distance miscalculation does not happen again.”
Boston’s Decision
The Boston Marathon, regarded by many competitive runners as the most prestigious mass-participation marathon in the world, had previously indicated it would accept Edmonton finishers who still met the qualifying standard despite running the longer course.
However, the Boston Athletics Association drew a firm line at adjusted times. Any finish that had been recalculated to compensate for the extra 674.7 metres would not be honoured. That policy left 13 runners — whose actual finishing times exceeded Boston’s strict qualifying cut-offs, even if their pace over a properly measured course would have been fast enough — out in the cold.
For those athletes, the news is a bitter blow. Boston qualification represents years of structured training, race selection and personal sacrifice, and the opportunity to line up alongside the world’s best amateur marathoners.
Records Fall Despite the Error
It was not all disappointment on the day. Despite the extended course, the Edmonton Marathon reported that two course records fell — one in the men’s marathon and one in the women’s. Among the women, Kristen Spady, 36, finished third overall, a result captured in handout photography from the event.
What Happens Next
Keogh said organisers will be reaching out personally to the 13 affected runners and will work with Athletics Canada to review the entire course certification process ahead of next year’s event. The miscalculation has prompted questions about how a measured, certified marathon route could pass inspection while carrying such a significant error.
For the runners whose Boston dreams are on hold, the conversation now turns to whether any further accommodation will be offered — and whether Edmonton’s next edition can restore confidence in a course that has, until now, been a reliable late-summer fixture on the Canadian road racing calendar.
Why it Matters
For competitive marathoners, qualifying for Boston is the pinnacle of amateur achievement, and a course error of this magnitude strikes at the heart of trust between race organisers and athletes. Beyond the 13 runners directly affected, the incident raises broader questions about course measurement standards across Canada and whether governing bodies need stricter oversight to prevent similar miscalculations. Edmonton’s organisers now face the harder task not of issuing an apology, but of proving — through a transparent review and a clean 2026 race — that the mistake will not be repeated.