Pregnancy Deferral

Mount Marathon eliminated its general medical deferral option in 2024 and the skip-a-year in 2026.
Therefore, deferrals for pregnancy and childbirth are the only remaining deferral option.

The Pregnancy Entry Deferral request period for the 2026 race is March 1-July 31, 2026.

Racers who are unable to run the Mount Marathon Race due to pregnancy or childbirth may request a race deferral in order to retain their Priority Registration status for the next year. This deferral is not available to the partner of someone who is pregnant.

Who Is Eligible to Use the Pregnancy Entry Deferral?

  • BETWEEN MARCH 1-31 — A person who has a pregnancy or recent childbirth-related reason to defer and has priority status from the previous year simply needs to fill out the Pregnancy Deferral Form, which will be posted below on March 1. Those with priority status are NOT required to also register for the race and can ignore the priority registration link they received. No registration or payment is required because they are not claiming a roster spot so it can instead go to a lottery winner.
  • AFTER APRIL 1 — A person who has a pregnancy or recent childbirth-related reason to defer and has registered for the race — regardless if the entry was obtained via priority, lottery, earned entry, sponsor bib, etc. — simply needs to fill out the Pregnancy Deferral Form before July 31. Because they claimed a roster spot (and the spot thereby cannot be redistributed through the lottery), their deferral will be approved but no refund of entry fees is possible.

To obtain a Pregnancy Entry Deferral, a race entrant must:

  • Submit a Pregnancy Deferral Request Form below by July 31 AND upload a written confirmation of the pregnancy or proof of child’s birth that is signed by a medical professional.

NOTE: Approved deferrals will receive a priority invitation to register on March 1 of the following year and can register from March 1-31 using the normal registration process; they must still pay the entry fee for the following year.

APPLY EARLY IF POSSIBLE: If you are aware of your pregnancy in March, please submit your pregnancy deferral form by March 31. That way your priority status is retained for the following year, you do not need to register and pay for the race, and your spot can be made available through the lottery for another woman to race in the current year.
If you apply after April 1 AND have registered for the race, your pregnancy deferral will be approved but your spot will go unused for that year’s race so no entry fee refund is possible.

NOTE: If you have priority status but request a deferral after April 1 and DID NOT REGISTER for the race, your request will be DECLINED because the lottery has been conducted and the roster has been determined.