Any time there is that kind of money being tossed around, there are bound to be problems. For the most part, there have been relatively few. One concern is the fitness of the runners being awarded numbers. Most of the bigger charities have training programs organized by a qualified coach, but some do not, leaving it up to the runner to ascertain their readiness to cover the tough 26 miles of the Boston route. Another problem is that sometimes the runner does not receive what is promised.
Some charities demand the runner make up the difference out of their own pocket to cover the cost.
One charity, which will go unnamed, had an overzealous coach promise numbers to runners when none were actually available. Thus, many runners trained for months thinking they would receive a number, when in actuality they will not. It means the Boston Marathon is big business these days, not only to the BAA and its sponsors, but to its affiliated charities as well. It also means the Boston Marathon cannot be everything to everyone. Some would like it to be for qualified runners only.