Qualifying times / Qualifying times
San Francisco Marathon qualifying times 2026
The entry standard for the San Francisco Marathon on 26 Jul 2026, by gender and age on race day: from 2:35:00 for men to 3:05:00 for women.
Qualifying times · Marathon time
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | 3:05:00 | 2:35:00 |
The fine print
Window and rules
- Qualifying window
- Times run from 2026-01-01.
- Age
- Your age on race day (26 Jul 2026), unless a note below says otherwise.
- Source
- thesfmarathon.com/abbott-wanda-world-qualifier
Last checked 2026-11-04. Organizers revise standards; theirs is the final word.
Read this first
A time isn't a place
Running under the standard makes you eligible to apply. When more qualifiers apply than there are places, some races take the fastest runners relative to their standard, so the time that gets in can be minutes quicker than the published one. Boston has worked this way for years.
The time has to be run on a course and at a race the organizer accepts, inside the window. Check their rules before you plan a season around it, and look at the other ways in: ballots, charity places and tour operators.
Questions
Common questions
- What's the San Francisco Marathon qualifying time for a 40-year-old woman?
- 3:05:00 for a marathon (the 2026 standard for women, by age on race day).
- What's the San Francisco Marathon qualifying time for a 50-year-old man?
- 2:35:00 for a marathon (the 2026 standard for men, by age on race day).
- When must a qualifying time for the San Francisco Marathon be run?
- On or after 2026-01-01, as the organizer publishes it. Check the organizer's page for when the window closes.
- Does running the San Francisco Marathon qualifying time guarantee a place?
- Not always. Meeting the standard makes you eligible to apply. When more qualifiers apply than there are places, some races take the fastest relative to their standard, so the time that gets in can be minutes quicker than the published one. Check the organizer's rules before you plan around it.