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Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Billerica girls romp and Reading boys turn on afterburners to top the field at MSTCA Division 3 relays
'We initially had a top-five goal,' said Reading coach Scott Price. 'This morning we talked about exceeding that.' Advertisement The Reading boys' track team rallied late to beat Billerica for the MSTCA Division 3 state relay title. Aiden Barker The distance events were a strong suit for the Rockets, who won the 4x800 and took second in the 4x1600. Price credits his team's depth for the distance event success. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The distance kids have really stepped it up,' said Price. 'They've been key for us this season.' For Price, there are further accomplishments on his mind. 'We won the Division 2 state meet [in 2016] too, so maybe it will be a similar year,' he said. Clad in green, the Billerica girls captured the MSTCA Division 3 state relays crown. Aiden Barker On the girls' side, Billerica blew out the competition, taking home the trophy with 87.5 points. North Attleborough (55) and Oliver Ames (49) followed. The Indians enjoyed top-three finishes in six running events and three field events. Their A (12:45.42) and B teams (12:52.92) in the 4000 distance medley relay placed second and third, respectively. Advertisement 'We have a pretty young team so it's really kind of rewarding to see these kids, it's their first time at a state-level meet, and do really well,' said Billerica girls' coach Cullen Hagan. 'To come in and do really well, I think is a good confidence piece for the remainder of the season.' Athletes prepare ahead of the MSTCA Division 3 state relays at Silver Lake. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff The Billerica boys also enjoyed an impressive outing, as the trio of Ben Pena, Gryffin Bordeau, and Dhaethmy Dorival placed in the top three in three events (1,600 shuttle medley relay, 4x100, and 4x200). The 1600 SMR was their most impressive, setting a new meet record (3:30.67). 'When you're running you're running for your team,' said Bordeau. 'That's why I think we're such a good relay school. It's not just 'this is what I want,' it's important that we trust each other.' Mansfield's Chloe Guthrie soars to a top-10 finish in the girl's long jump competition. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Mansfield's Vishnu Keertan Pithani launches his shot put. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Milton's Adrian Pena out-sprints Milford to win the 4x100 relay. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Masconomet runners pin their numbers on their shorts before placing sixth as a team. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Aiden Barker can be reached at
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Once again, the Boston Marathon field is incredibly fast. Here's what you had to run to get a bib.
But it's not just about qualifying anymore. For the 2025 race, Boston Athletic Association rejected a record number of applicants for the second consecutive year. The BAA received 36,393 applications, and 12,324 qualified applicants were rejected — more than 1,000 more than the 2024 race. To earn admission to the 2025 Boston Marathon, runners had to finish at least six minutes and 51 seconds faster than their qualifying standard for their age and gender, according to the BAA. As an example: Men aged 18-34, for whom the standard has been set at 3 hours for the last few years, needed to run faster than 2:53:09 to punch their ticket. The 6:51 cut-off time is the second-highest since 2014. See the historical cut-off times here: Advertisement 'Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots' Day, ready to race towards the finish in Boston,' said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the BAA in a statement. 'The sport of marathoning is reaching record levels from both a participation and speed standpoint. Unfortunately, we're unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognize, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event.' Advertisement The accepted field for the 129th Boston Marathon includes residents of all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and other US territories as well as citizens of 118 countries. The strict cutoff time, a jump from last year's 5-minute-29-second cutoff, will likely stand as a record for some time, with the BAA set to lower its qualifying standards for the 2026 race by five minutes for each age and gender group. The 2025 Boston Marathon is set for Monday. Previous Globe reporting was used in this story. Aiden Barker can be reached at
