CMS Boston Marathon 2027 Invitational Bib Lottery
Earning a CMS Boston Marathon Invitational Bib is definitely within reach — it just takes some steady involvement and volunteering throughout the year!
Every time you pitch in at one of our races, help with timing, or take on a leadership role, you’re earning points that translate into entries for the bib lottery. The more you volunteer, the more chances you’ll have! Even small contributions, like helping at Saturday 5Ks or handing out bibs at Sneakerama, add up over the year.
If you’re not sure whether something qualifies for points, just check in with the CMS President at president@cmsrun.org before the November Executive Board meeting. Most importantly, remember to keep track of your volunteer activities so your efforts count — it’s all about giving back to the club and our awesome running community while working toward a big reward on Marathon Monday.
Want To Apply? This Is How It Works:
The lottery for available CMS Boston Marathon 2027 Invitational Bibs will be held at the December 2026 Executive Board Meeting.
Application Deadline: All applications to participate in the lottery must be submitted by midnight on November 30, 2026 to the following link: https://forms.gle/TmzFsdQ5kDVC5TEc8
Late applications will be excluded from the lottery and may only be considered after all successful, on-time applications, at the discretion of the board.
Eligibility Restrictions:
- Any member who successfully registered for the Boston Marathon with a CMS Invitational Bib in the previous year is not eligible to participate in the following year’s lottery.
CMS Membership Requirement
An active CMS membership is required to receive a Boston Marathon Invitational Bib.
Only volunteer points earned while holding an active CMS membership (in most cases, this involves paying a membership fee) will count toward the lottery. Membership must be active as of December 1, 2026 to be entered. Applications from expired members or non-members will be excluded and may only be considered after all active members, at the discretion of the board and only when membership is renewed or activated.
Volunteer Points System
For every 10 volunteer points earned between December 1, 2025, and November 30, 2026, a CMS member will receive one (1) entry into the lottery.
Points are awarded as follows:
TEN (10) POINTS – per position, assuming one year of service:
- CMS Race Director, Event Coordinator, or Summer Series Coordinator
- CMS Executive Board Member (new board members receive 5 points for a half year of service) including roles like Webmaster, Newsletter, Clothing Coordinator, etc.
- CMS Timing Coordinator
- Racing Team Captain
- Team Coach (serving at least one training season during the year)
- Saturday 5K Race Director (10 points for every 6 months served)
FIVE (5) POINTS – per race:
- CMS Timing Crew Chief
- B.A.A. Volunteer (10K, Half Marathon, or Marathon) with a CMS Team
- Boston Marathon Bus Volunteer
- CMS Major Race or Series Volunteer Coordinator
TWO (2) POINTS – per race:
- Volunteer at a Major CMS Race (Freezer 5, Whitin 5, Wachusett Mountain)
- CMS Timing Race Volunteer
- Volunteer with CMS at Local Partner Races (Celtic 5K, Worcester Firefighters, etc.)
- Summer Series Volunteer (WB Rail Trail, Lake Park, Newton Hill)
ONE (1) POINT – per race:
- Saturday 5K Volunteer
- Sneakerama Packet Pick-Up Shift
- Volunteer and run at any of the events listed above
Additional Volunteering:
Other volunteer activities may be awarded points at the discretion of the Board, but the applicant must contact the CMS President prior to the November Board Meeting for those points to be considered or approved.
Member Responsibility:
Applicants are ultimately responsible for signing in at all events and for tracking and reporting their volunteer points accurately on their application. Any disputed attendance or points may not be resolved in the member’s favor if they wait until December to confirm their point total, and the lottery results will stand.
Don’t Want to Run Boston?
Instead of applying for the lottery, you can redeem your volunteer points for Free CMS Races, Free CMS Memberships, or Free CMS Merchandise. (If you do use your points to receive a Boston Marathon invitation bib, all of your points from that year are considered “used” and cannot be redeemed for other items.)