Boston Marathon Deferral: Cancellation, Refunds, and Exceptions

Earning entry to the Boston Marathon requires beating a strict qualifying cutoff or committing to an official charity fundraising team. If an injury, illness, or life event prevents you from racing down Boylston Street, understanding your options can save you money and protect your future eligibility.

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) maintains strict withdrawal rules in its official participant agreement. Here is what happens if you cannot run, how refunds and Registration Protection operate, and the exact steps required for pregnancy and postpartum deferrals.

Can you defer your Boston Marathon entry to a future year?

Under standard policies, no. Boston Marathon entries are strictly non-deferrable and non-refundable. If you develop a running injury, fall ill, or face travel conflicts, the B.A.A. does not offer general medical deferrals or carry over your starting spot to the following year.

The only official exception that allows an entry to be deferred to a future race is the B.A.A.'s pregnancy and postpartum deferral policy. Without an approved pregnancy deferral, withdrawing from the race forfeits your spot, and you must requalify or reapply through standard entry methods for future editions.

How does the pregnancy and postpartum deferral policy work?

The B.A.A. provides entry deferrals for registered participants across all its races, including the Boston Marathon, who are pregnant or postpartum prior to race day. For the purposes of this policy, the B.A.A. defines postpartum as 24 weeks following the birth of a child.

Eligible athletes receive guaranteed entry into one of the next two subsequent Boston Marathons after the deferred race. Key terms of the policy include:

• Request window: Entrants must submit their deferral request through the official online form after receiving race acceptance, and no later than 14 days before race day.
• Medical proof: Runners must provide written documentation confirming pregnancy or postpartum status signed by a physician, registered midwife, or licensed medical professional.
• Entry fees: A pregnancy deferral preserves your entry right, not your initial payment. All deferred entrants must pay the standard entry fee when registering for their chosen future race.
• Consecutive deferrals: If an athlete becomes pregnant again during the deferral window, they can request a second consecutive deferral, granting entry into one of the two subsequent races. The B.A.A. allows a maximum of two consecutive deferrals before the guaranteed entry is waived.
• Charity and invitational places: If you hold a charity or invitational bib, your underlying agreement and fundraising commitments with the supporting organization remain active, and you must notify that organization directly.

Can you get a refund if you withdraw?

The B.A.A. maintains a strict no-refund policy for standard race entries. However, entrants who elect to add the optional Registration Protection program during checkout may qualify for a full reimbursement of race entry fees through the program administrator, Protecht.

Registration Protection covers unforeseen disruptions, including serious personal injury or illness, family medical emergencies, pregnancy complications, military leave revocation, job loss, traffic accidents, vehicle breakdowns within 48 hours of race day, and severe weather. The program does not cover cancellations caused by the B.A.A. due to conditions outside its control. Athletes have 14 days from their acceptance and protection confirmation emails to cancel the protection purchase for a refund.

If you hold Registration Protection and experience pregnancy complications, submit your claim to the protection administrator to recover entry fees while submitting your deferral documentation to preserve your future bib.

Can you transfer your bib to another runner?

No. Boston Marathon bibs are strictly non-transferable. You cannot sell, trade, or gift your entry, bib number, or timing device to another runner, charity auction, or lottery. Bib pickup requires an official government-issued photo ID matching the registered name.

Running under someone else's bib or allowing another person to run with yours violates B.A.A. competition rules. Violators face immediate disqualification, nullified race results, and potential bans from future B.A.A. events.

To review registration windows, qualification buffers, and field policies, explore our Boston Marathon page.

Sources: B.A.A. Boston Marathon Rules and Policies, B.A.A. Info for Athletes