USATF Rejects Baystate Marathon Olympic Qualifying Times

Runners Spencer Friske and Caitlin McGinley must repeat efforts after race organizers failed to secure required sanctioning.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Running

Expressive editorial sports illustration of runners in motion on an urban street, rendered with visible brush strokes and high-contrast color. — Runners Spencer Friske and Caitlin McGinley face Olympic qualifying disqualification after the USATF rejected times from the unsanctioned Baystate Marathon. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Runners Spencer Friske and Caitlin McGinley face disqualification from the Olympic Marathon Trials after their times at the Baystate Marathon were rejected by the USATF. The organizing body ruled the times invalid because the Lowell-based event lacked necessary USATF sanctioning.

Why it matters

The USATF requires events to be sanctioned for times to count toward Olympic qualification, a procedural detail missed by race leadership. This oversight forces elite athletes to repeat grueling race efforts to secure their spots for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials.

Spencer Friske finished in 2:15:04 and Caitlin McGinley crossed the line in 2:36:08 during the 2026 event. Despite approximately 2,385 finishers, the race failed to pay the roughly $2,000 fee required for USATF sanctioning.

The players

Spencer Friske

He is an elite marathoner whose qualifying performance was invalidated due to procedural errors.

Caitlin McGinley

She is an elite marathoner who faces the loss of her Olympic Trials qualifying status.

Glenn Stewart

He is the race director of the Baystate Marathon who accepted responsibility for the oversight.

USATF

This national governing body for track and field, long-distance running, and race walking establishes the rules for Olympic qualification.

The details

Race director Glenn Stewart took responsibility for the administrative failure that left the Baystate Marathon without USATF status from 2021 through 2026. This administrative lapse follows a similar 2025 incident involving Tessa Barrett, whose qualifying time was also invalidated after she competed in an unsanctioned event.

The Baystate Marathon maintained USATF sanctioning from 2017 through 2020.
Spencer Friske and Caitlin McGinley ran their finish times on October 18, 2026.
The 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials are scheduled to take place in St. Louis.

Season Trajectory

The invalidation of these times creates significant disruption in the Olympic Trials qualification cycle, forcing elite athletes to adjust their training schedules. This decision impacts the field of competitors eligible for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis.

For competitive runners, this ruling confirms that finishing within qualifying windows is insufficient without verified USATF sanctioning. Athletes must confirm the certification status of any event well in advance to ensure their performance metrics are eligible for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials.

The takeaway

Administrative oversight can undermine even the most impressive athletic achievements. Runners should verify the certification status of any marathon well before race day to ensure their performance counts toward eligibility requirements.