New National Women’s Soccer League Franchise Coming to Boston
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is expanding with a new team in Boston beginning in 2026.
The new team is the 15th expansion club in the NWSL and will be known as BOS Nation FC. A press release states the team will wear “Championship Green,” and the accent colors will be “Relentless Raspberry, Loyal Charcoal, Daring Pink, Rise Yellow and Orange Press, which speak to the rich diversity of Boston’s neighborhoods and the team’s values and signal a new era in the city’s sports landscape.”
The ownership group for BOS Nation FC consists of two prominent Massachusetts natives: Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and actress/director Elizabeth Banks.
Banks said in a statement, “I am thrilled to join this female-led ownership group, each of whom has made a remarkable impact in Boston. The inspiring team of investors, along with their mission-driven vision for the stadium, will leave a lasting legacy on future generations of women’s athletes and fans.”
Boston Athletic Association Making Changes to Qualifying Standards for 2026 Boston Marathon
In other Boston sports news: The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) received a record number of qualifier entry applications for the 2025 Boston Marathon that they are already making changes to the qualifying standards for the 2026 Boston Marathon.
In a press release, the B.A.A. said they received 36,406 qualifier entry applications for the 2025 race, which breaks the previous record set for the 2024 race, which was 33,058. As a result, the B.A.A. has made necessary adjustments to its qualifying standards for the 2026 Boston Marathon, based on many years of data. These qualifying standards changes will impact runners 18-59. The new qualifying time standards are below.
| AGE GROUP | MEN’S STANDARD | WOMEN’S STANDARD | NON-BINARY STANDARD |
| 18-34 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 35-39 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:50:00 | 4:20:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65-69 | 4:05:00 | 4:35:00 | 4:35:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:20:00 | 4:50:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 75-79 | 4:35:00 | 5:05:00 | 5:05:00 |
| 80 and older | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 | 5:20:00 |
Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the B.A.A., said in a statement, “As we have witnessed in recent years, the sport of marathoning is growing and athletes continue to get faster. At the same time, demand to participate in the Boston Marathon has steadily grown as well, and unfortunately in recent years we’ve had to turn away thousands of runners who’ve achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times.”
Fleming added, “Every time the B.A.A. has adjusted qualifying standards – most recently in 2019 – we’ve seen athletes continue to raise the bar and elevate to new levels. In recent years we’ve turned away athletes in this age range (18-59) at the highest rate, and the adjustment reflects both the depth of participation and speed at which athletes are running”
