Quest for BQ Race 2025

I’m going for a BQ time in 2025 to race the 2026 Boston Marathon. Whether or not I get it below the threshold to actually qualify will be a race day decision for the Run Gods. I’m in 30-34 AG and need to be at minimum 6 minutes below the 2:55 cutoff to have a chance.

Neither here nor there, I want to go for it. I know a lot of people will say to get a coach if I want to be serious and truly intentional. But what does a run coach cost typically? I know from triathlons that they run $200+++ depending on how much you want to spend.

My Background: I have 4 years of solid running with some triathlons mixed in. PR for marathon is 3:40 in 2024 at Disney completing my 2nd Dopey Challenge. I have 4 marathons, 6 HMs with a PR of 1:35:48 and 3 HIM (all sub 6hrs) and a Full IM in September of this year.

The more cost effective question: between Daniels, Fitzgerald, and Pfitzinger where do people tend to sway in terms of training methodologies? I’ve done a lot with Fitzgerald and 80/20 endurance. I also have played around with Daniels and the V.02 app. Not necessarily looking for anything overly driven by AI (bad experiences with TriDot/RunDot this year has me a little gun shy).

Any discussion regarding training is open and welcome. I want to hear the success, the downfalls, and anything in between. I’m planning a spring marathon in May 2025 and then a fall marathon in September.

Thank you all in advance!

EDIT: updated with some training history. Changed times from old qualifying standard to new ones. And also clarified that it would be Boston 2026 I would be qualifying for.