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Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers for 2026

Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers

It's here! Our annual list of the year's
best marathons to help you qualify for the Boston Marathon.

2026 IS HERE!


Marathon Pace Bands

Marathon Pace Bands

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Top Downhill Marathons

Ranked by Net Downhill (start to finish elevation loss). Use this guide to find courses with downhill profiles, view Boston Qualifier (BQ%) trends, and prepare for the 2027 Boston Marathon course adjustments.

Net Downhill

The total elevation difference between the start and finish lines. A higher number generally indicates a steeper descent, which can lead to faster times but may incur time penalties for Boston Marathon qualifying.

2027 Boston Adjustments

Red: 10-minute BQ time adjustment
Blue: 5-minute BQ time adjustment
*Adjustments based on the new Boston Downhill Index.
Note Races may plan to alter courses to minimize or avoid these time penalties. We recommend checking with race directors before registering if your primary goal is a 2027/2028 BQ.
 

Downhill Marathon Courses

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Race Name Net Downhill BQ % Course High/Low
51 Buckeye Marathon
Buckeye, AZ
01/10/2026 		538'
17.92%
1666'
1007'
52 Redding Marathon
Redding, CA
01/17/2027 		510'
1.67%
1084'
486'
53 Whistlestop Marathon
Ashland, WI
10/10/2026 		510'
10.50%
1182'
614'
54 Vernonia Marathon
Banks, OR
04/12/2026 		509'
18.08%
963'
200'
55 Lost Dutchman Marathon
Apache Junction, AZ
01/17/2027 		487'
6.27%
2297'
1702'
56 Sevier Valley Marathon
Richfield, UT
06/06/2026 		476'
4.35%
5802'
5274'
57 Boston Marathon
Boston, MA
04/19/2027 		453'
53.50%
470'
10'
58 Clarence DeMar Marathon
Keene, NH
09/27/2026 		440'
14.29%
928'
495'
59 SoCal Marathon
Huntington Beach, CA
02/27/2027 		354'
3.00%
383'
5'
60 Yakima River Canyon Marathon
Ellensburg, WA
04/03/2027 		321'
10.53%
1499'
1174'
61 Toronto Marathon
Toronto, ON
05/03/2026 		312'
12.27%
597'
246'
62 California International Marathon
Sacramento, CA
12/06/2026 		305'
30.22%
359'
19'
63 Napa Valley Marathon
Napa, CA
03/07/2027 		302'
12.46%
395'
56'
64 Greenbrier River Trail Marathon
Cass, WV
10/04/2026 		299'
4.82%
2485'
2126'
65 Mississauga Marathon
Mississauga, ON
04/25/2027 		262'
10.73%
530'
246'
66 Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon
Albany, NY
10/11/2026 		230'
14.83%
399'
9'
67 Wineglass Marathon
Corning, NY
10/04/2026 		210'
12.63%
1156'
917'
68 La Crosse Marathon
La Crosse, WI
05/02/2026 		167'
12.56%
803'
631'