Lloydminster runner

Craig Blythe finds himself one of 11,039 runners who thought they qualified for the 2024 Boston Marathon, but won’t be let into the race.

It turns out runners had to go five minutes and 29 seconds faster than the qualifying time for their age and gender to gain entry into next year’s marathon.

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) announced on Sept. 28, the cutoff is 5:29 quicker due a record number of applications and a race limit of 30,000 entries, the same as the 2022 and 2023 race.

The 36 year-old Blythe beat the initial qualifying time of 3:05 in his 35-39 age group by clocking a 3:01:31 at the Edmonton Marathon in the summer.

He says it turns out he would have had to run 2:59.31 to officially qualify.

“Every other year in the race’s history, except 2021 and 2023, my 3:01:31 time would have qualified, so it’s very disappointing news,” said Blythe who teaches Grade 4 students and coaches runners at Winston Churchill School.

He says the news is also motivating.

“Next year, I will try to run a 2:58 to make sure I get in,” he affirmed.

The qualifying period for the 2024 Boston Marathon opened on Sept. 1, 2022, and ran until Sept. 15, 2023.

The BAA states in part, “achieving one’s qualifying standard does not guarantee entry into the event, but simply the opportunity to submit a registration application.”

The previous record for applications was 30,458 in 2018 for the 2019 race. That number of applicants resulted in a cutoff of 4:52.

The 2021 race, which was held in October that year, had a cutoff of 7:47, because the field size was much smaller—only 20,000 runners—following the pandemic. The 2020 Boston Marathon was cancelled.

The 2024 race will take place on April 15 with Blythe on the sidelines.

“I’ll just keep on running and see what happens next year,” he said.

“We save that day to have the local teams play each other and be a part of the community together to see what it’s all about. It also acts as a fundraiser for the association.”

Fundraising came in the form of a silent auction as well as a concession.

“We’re also very grateful to Holy Rosary High School for allowing us to use their field for the event; the kids love playing under the lights.”

The sidelines at HRHS were packed with fans and family throughout the day, and during the Bantam game, the Source had the opportunity to chat with some Peewee players after their game.

Ten-year-old Domenic a wide receiver for the Colts, said despite the day’s loss, he still had a blast.

“The whole game overall was my favourite part of the day,” he said, adding this is his first year playing football. “

Twelve-year-old Cole, who’s in his second year playing, said being able to tackle everyone was his favourite part of the day, noting he plays on the defensive line as well as centre on offense.

Jayce, an 11-year-old linebacker and running back in his second year, said his favourite part of the day was the “whole day in general.”

All three youngsters knew the meaning of the day and collectively agreed they had a great time in Kirby’s honour.

The LMFA season starts in mid-August and runs until midNovember, and with the weather on the cooler side for the day’s later game, players got a taste of what it’s like playing in the fall.

“It was definitely a little chilly for spectators during the later game, but the kids like it like that,” said Payne. “They like it to be around 12 or 18 degrees because they’re running around … so the weather was almost perfect on the day.”

A Lloydminster native herself, Payne explained she’s seen a lot of growth over the years regarding local football, especially when it comes to inclusivity.

“I grew up in Lloyd, and Football Day used to be geared towards high school kids, and now it’s moved into the Bantam and Peewee divisions as well, so it’s much more inclusive.”