Guidelines

1. The number of Boston Marathon “Invitational Numbers” (Numbers) granted each year to the Shamrock Running Club (SRC) is determined by the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). The BAA does not guarantee distribution of any Numbers to local running clubs, including the SRC, and the quantity of Numbers issued by the BAA varies each year. All Numbers received by the SRC from the BAA will be distributed.
2. SRC members cannot receive and register for a SRC Invitational Number more than once in four years. (For example, if you received and registered for a SRC invitational number for Boston 2024, you will be eligible for a NUMBER again for Boston 2028). 
3. NUMBERS are non-transferable and must be used by the recipient. Once an invitational number is assigned and the participant has registered, the BAA does not allow the transfer of that number to another participant for any reason.  
4. Winners of the SRC Numbers are required to wear SRC apparel (e.g., Shamrock singlet, top, shirt) at the Boston Marathon.
5. Winners of the SRC Numbers will pay the full cost of their Number to the BAA at the time of registration. The SRC will then reimburse the winners for the difference between the cost of the Number and the Boston Marathon race fee for qualified runners.
6. The Number eligibility year runs from September 1 to August 31. Eligibility year differs from Club membership, which runs From January 1 to December 31

Eligibility Requirements

1. BAA rules state that recipients of these Invitational Numbers “must live in the same geographic location in which the club is based. There will be no exceptions.” 
2. You must be a paid member of the SRC for at least one (1) eligibility year (September 1 to August 31) at the time of the initial lottery drawing. You must maintain your paid membership through the eligibility year and the marathon year when you register with the BAA.
   • Example: The eligibility year for Boston Marathon 2028 is 9/1/2026 – 8/31/2027. Therefore, to be eligible, you must be a paid member of the SRC on or before 9/1/2026 and renew your membership on or before 1/1/2027. If you win a number, you must renew your membership on or before 1/1/2028 in order to register the Number with the BAA.
3. You must have completed a half-marathon or longer within the eligibility year*.
4. You must have participated in at least six (6) official SRC activities within the eligibility year*. 

• A minimum of three (3) activities must be approved volunteer activities, one (1) of which MUST be an official BAA volunteer event with the SRC. 
• The other three activities may either be additional approved volunteer activities OR participating in races as part of either the Shamrock Grand Prix or the Lucky Shamrock Race Series (all three activities need not be in the SAME series).**
• The approved volunteer activities are:
• At least one (1) official BAA volunteer event with the SRC (required):
  • BAA Half Marathon Shamrock water stop (October)
  • BAA Boston Marathon Expo Bib Distribution Shamrock Shift (April)
  • BAA 10K Shamrock water stop (June)

• Mill Cities Relay water stop (December)
• SRC New Year’s Day Race (Run Your Hangover Off)
• Kick in for Kids (May)
• SRC Feeney 5K (July)
• Other events which may arise during the eligibility year, as defined by the SRC Board of Directors
• Be a member of the SRC Board of Directors throughout the eligibility year
• Contribute to SRC operations in one of the following leadership roles involving 20+ hours/ year of additional work:
  • Hold an Executive Office (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary)
  • Newsletter Author
  • Mill Cities Club Representative
  • BAA Representative  
  • Social Media Manager

**Please note: Volunteering does not automatically preclude running in an event. However, running in the event does not count as volunteering. Double-dipping is not allowed: if you choose to volunteer at and run in the same event, that event only counts as 1 official activity (you can choose whether that counts toward your volunteer or your participation activity).

From time to time, the Board or our members may advertise or request support for local events. However, volunteering at events NOT listed here will NOT count for eligibility for SRC Invitational Numbers unless explicitly noted by the Board.

In the process of determining eligibility for Numbers, the Board may at its discretion make exceptions to the above guidelines.

*Eligibility year: The Invitational Number eligibility year runs from September 1 to August 31. Eligibility year differs from Club membership, which runs From January 1 to December 31.

Lottery process for NUMBER distribution

1. In September, all Club members who are interested in receiving an Invitational Number for the next Boston Marathon will be asked to submit their name to the lottery. Interested Club members must demonstrate that they have met all eligibility requirements, and eligibility will be verified by the SRC Board of Directors. 
2. At the SRC fall cookout, the Board of Directors will draw at random four (4) finalists for an SRC Invitational Number. Being selected as a finalist in this lottery does not guarantee receipt of an SRC Invitational Number.  
3. When the actual Numbers are received from the BAA, the SRC Board distributes the Numbers to the finalists in the order in which names were drawn in the lottery, until all NUMBERS are assigned (example, if SRC receives four numbers, all four finalists will receive a NUMBER. If SRC receives two numbers, the first two names drawn in this final lottery will receive numbers).

FAQs

1)     I am an SRC member and interested in running the Boston Marathon. What should I do?

If you meet the eligibility requirements for the eligibility year (September 1 to August 31), you will have the opportunity to submit your name into the Invitational Number lottery held at our fall cookout. All SRC members will receive a communication from the Board in early September when the submission period opens.

Please be aware that meeting the eligibility requirements takes significant advance planning. We encourage you to proactively let the SRC Board of Directors [shamrockrunclub@gmail.com] know of your interest at any time, so we can provide inputs/guidance on how to meet the eligibility requirements throughout the year, and ensure that you receive pertinent communications.

2)     How many Boston Marathon invitational numbers are issued by the BAA every year?

We cannot predict with any certainty how many Numbers we will receive from the BAA each year. The BAA does not guarantee the distribution of any Numbers to the SRC and the quantity varies each year.

For example, we received two (2) NUMBERS for Boston 2022, four (4) NUMBERS for Boston 2023, and two (2) NUMBERS for Boston 2024. 

3)     I could not volunteer for enough events to meet the eligibility requirements. Are there additional volunteer opportunities that could help me qualify?

Only individuals who meet all eligibility requirements during the eligibility year (September 1 to August 31) will be allowed to submit their name into the lottery drawing at the SRC fall cookout. The Board of Directors may determine an alternate process if and only if there are less than four (4) individuals who meet all requirements.

4) Why are there so many requirements for eligibility?

The Shamrock Running Club is entirely a volunteer-run organization. Therefore, we reserve our Boston Marathon Invitational Numbers for members of our Club who have shown an active interest in and engagement with our Club and who have supported the operation of Club activities throughout the year. 

5)     How does SRC select recipients if multiple SRC members are eligible and interested?

The SRC distributed its Invitational Numbers based on a lottery system. 

Everyone who is interested in a NUMBER and has met the eligibility criteria for that year may submit their name for a random lottery drawing at our fall cookout. We will use a random drawing to select four (4) finalists. Being selected as a finalist does not guarantee receipt of a Number.

Once the SRC receives the Numbers from the BAA, we will distribute the Numbers to the lottery winners in the order in which their names were drawn during the lottery. If we receive four numbers, all four finalists will be awarded a number. However, if we receive less than 4 Numbers, Numbers will be awarded in the order in which finalists were randomly drawn until all Numbers have been awarded.

6)     If I am a recipient and my plans change, can I transfer my number to someone else within SRC?

Once you register for the Boston Marathon with the SRC Invitational Number, you cannot transfer your number to another individual.

If you are selected for a Number in the initial lottery but decide NOT to register with the BAA, you may return your Number to the Board of Directors, who will determine a process to reassign the number to another eligible member. You may not transfer that Number to a member of your choosing. 

7)     Is there any info session I can join to get more details?

If you’d like more information, please email the SRC Board of Directors at shamrockrunclub@gmail.com. You may also attend any Board meeting (held once per month throughout the year) to ask questions. 

8)     Will I get reimbursed for the race fee?

The BAA Invitational Number fee is typically more than a standard qualified Boston Marathon application fee for a qualified runner. At the time of registration, you will be required to pay the full amount to the BAA for a BAA Invitational Number. However, the SRC will reimburse you the difference between the BAA Invitational Number and a standard qualified Boston Marathon application fee.

9)     Can you recommend any marathon training plans?

SRC members that have paid their dues have access to training plans on our website.

Year	Recipient
2026	Christine Boermeester
2026	Sarah Schwartz
2026	Maura Grey
2026	Ada Hong
2025	Jess Holt-Carr
2025	Chandi Kodthiwada
2025	Sylvia Kartika
2025	Sarah Aloisi
2024	Elizabeth Hastings
2024	Michelle Murphy
2023	Ada Hoang
2023	Chas Hodgdon
2023	Kailey Sumner
2023	Sarah Schwartz
2022	Jaye Morgan
2022	Nick Farfaras
2021	Elizabeth Hastings
2021	Randy Strauch
2019	Anne Craig
2019	Jake Aquino
2019	Rob Haig
2019	Maria Gonzalez
2018	Bob Pollok
2018	Porfirio Claudio
2018	Caroline Ritchie
2018	Peggy Kelley
2017	Siobhan Curran
2017	Elizabeth Hastings
2017	Nick Farfaras
2017	Ram Satyaprasad
2011	Elizabeth Hastings
2011	Jennifer Lavoie Belanger
2011	Randy Strauch
2011	Emmett Murphy