In 2007, the Lottery Selection Process for the Mount Marathon Race abandoned the age-old process of accepting paper registrations and drawing names out of a hat and began using a computerized program for registration and to select lottery winners.
In 2014, a weighted formula was added to the lottery selection process to increase the odds of winning a spot for those who were unsuccessful in gaining entry after applying for several consecutive years.
Lottery hopefuls may only enter ONE TIME per person.

Lottery winners are randomly selected from the pool of valid lottery applicants in each race in early April by a specially designed computer program. Your odds of winning a lottery spot are based on a number of variables, some of which are not known until registration closes on March 31:

• Total number of Priority Registrations per race
• Total number of available lottery spots per race
• Total number of valid lottery applicants per race
• Your total number of consecutive unsuccessful annual applicants
• Total number of lottery applicants with the same, or a higher weight

Applicants with consecutive unsuccessful lottery applications have an increased chance of selection. Accumulated lottery weights reset to ZERO when an registrant gains entry to the race, or misses a registration year.

Lottery applicants will be notified by email in early April whether they have won or lost the lottery, and a preliminary 2023 roster will be published by April 10.

The Top 50 Percent Age Group Rule implemented in 2021 was created in part to increase lottery odds and to allow more new racers to gain entry. It is also intended to allow those who have lost their spot a better chance of regaining it.

The lottery odds in 2022 were:

Women – 43.8 percent (118/269)
Men – 22.8 percent (109/478)
Girls – 100 percent (57/57)
Boys – 78.2 percent (54/69)