Increased 2014 Boston Marathon field will have 500 more qualifier spots

With 9,000 extra entries in next year’s Boston Marathon, why are only 500 more going to qualifiers? The Boston Athletic Association got to 500 this way:

Take last year’s 27,000 entries and add 9,000 runners to make 36,000.

Take 4,500 off the top to accommodate the runners who couldn’t finish in 2013, leaving 31,500.

Split that number: 70 percent (about 22,000) to qualifiers, 30 percent to charities, runners with 10 or more consecutive finishes, cities and towns, sponsors, and various other obligations.

Last year, the spilt was 80/20, so 21,500 entries (only 500 fewer) were allocated to qualifiers.