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Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers

Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers

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

Fastest Marathon Courses in September

This list ranks the fastest marathons in based on the race's Course Score. The Course Score for each marathon is created from an algorithm derived from research on how grade and elevation affect marathon running performance (race time weather is not factored in). For more detailed information, please visit the FAQ.

The BQ % is the percentage of runners who qualified for the Boston Marathon according to the latest race results. Although it is not always indicative of a fast or slow course, the percent of Boston Marathon qualifiers can provide insight into the quality of the field and/or the speed of the course.

To see a ranking of marathons based on the weather factors, in addition to the course characteristics, visit the Fastest Marathons page.

Other Links you might like:

Best Boston Qualifying Races for 2025
Number of Qualifiers for the 2026 Boston Marathon

The list only includes certified marathon courses. Keep in mind that Course Scores and ranking assume very good course management and pacing - especially for the extremely downhill races.

Fastest Marathon Courses in September

	Race Name	Course Score	BQ %	Elevation
1	Tunnel Light Marathon North Bend, WA 09/14/2025	104.88	33.69%	Downhill Course
2	Huntsville Marathon Huntsville, UT 09/13/2025	104.22	11.15%	Downhill Course
3	REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon Murray, UT 09/13/2025	103.76	11.30%	Downhill Course
4	Cascade Express Marathon North Bend, WA 09/06/2025	103.73	25.86%	Downhill Course
5	Sundance to Spearfish Marathon Spearfish, SD 09/07/2025	103.03	33.78%	Downhill Course
6	Jack and Jills Downhill (PA) Marathon Jim Thorpe, PA 09/13/2025	101.04	26.38%	Downhill Course
7	Erie Marathon Erie, PA 09/08/2024	99.91	38.85%	Very Flat Course
8	Runtastic NEBO Marathon Payson, UT 09/06/2025	99.83	20.96%	Downhill Course
9	Skagit Flats Marathon Burlington, WA 09/08/2024	99.79	20.41%	Very Flat Course
10	Loch Ness Marathon Inverness, UK 09/28/2025	99.74		Rolling Course
11	Pacific Northwest Marathon Harrisburg, OR 09/21/2024	99.73	14.29%	Very Flat Course
12	Queen City Marathon Regina, SK 09/07/2025	99.61	5.19%	Very Flat Course
13	Mill Race Marathon Columbus, IN 09/27/2025	99.59	6.67%	Mostly Flat Course
14	Berlin Marathon Berlin, GR 09/21/2025	99.56		Mostly Flat Course
15	Georgina Marathon Georgina, ON 09/07/2025	99.55	41.67%	Mostly Flat Course
16	Abebe Bikila Day International Peace Marathon Washington, DC 09/06/2025	99.53	6.67%	Mostly Flat Course
17	Boston or Bust Marathon Huntsville, AL 09/07/2025	99.45	26.12%	Mostly Flat Course
18	Clarence DeMar Marathon Keene, NH 09/28/2025	99.43	11.29%	Downhill Course
19	Heartland Marathon Omaha, NE 09/28/2025	99.41	4.41%	Mostly Flat Course
20	Surfers Point Marathon Ventura, CA 09/07/2025	99.34	8.60%	Mostly Flat Course
21	Last Chance BQ.2 Marathon Geneva, IL 09/06/2025	99.30	70.75%	Very Flat Course
22	Appletree Marathon Vancouver, WA 09/07/2025	99.27	15.52%	Mostly Flat Course
23	Hamptons Marathon East Hampton, NY 09/27/2025	99.24	3.49%	Mostly Flat Course
24	Fox Valley Marathon St. Charles, IL 09/21/2025	99.22	2.44%	Mostly Flat Course
25	Fox Cities Marathon Appleton, WI 09/21/2025	99.16	4.71%	Rolling Course
26	County Marathon Picton, ON 09/29/2024	99.14	3.33%	Mostly Flat Course
27	Last Chance BQ.2 (Grand Rapids) Marathon Grand Rapids, MI 09/07/2025	99.14	67.22%	Mostly Flat Course
28	Bismarck Marathon Bismarck, ND 09/21/2025	99.02	6.99%	Mostly Flat Course
29	Kenai River Marathon Kenai, AK 09/28/2024	98.94		Rolling Course
30	United States Air Force Marathon Dayton, OH 09/20/2025	98.91	1.46%	Mostly Flat Course
31	Holland Haven Marathon Holland, MI 09/07/2025	98.87	12.78%	Rolling Course
32	DoLittle Marathon Waukesha, WI 09/14/2024	98.84	6.45%	Rolling Course
33	Wabash Trace Nature Trail Marathon Shenandoah, IA 09/13/2025	98.82	3.17%	Rolling Course
34	Quad Cities Marathon Moline, IL 09/28/2025	98.80	4.97%	Mostly Flat Course
35	Sackets Harbor Marathon Sackets Harbor, NY 09/07/2025	98.76	12.00%	Rolling Course
36	Sioux Falls Marathon Sioux Falls, SD 09/21/2025	98.66	10.11%	Mostly Flat Course
37	Beantown Marathon Hingham, MA 09/07/2025	98.66	35.27%	Rolling Course
38	Belleville Main Street Marathon Belleville, IL 09/27/2025	98.65	5.42%	Rolling Course
39	Boring Marathon Gresham, OR 09/14/2025	98.61	6.56%	Rolling Course
40	Jailbreak Marathon Wautoma, WI 09/27/2025	98.57	11.36%	Rolling Course
41	Bellingham Bay Marathon Bellingham, WA 09/21/2025	98.48	4.55%	Rolling Course
42	Montreal Marathon Montreal, QC 09/21/2025	98.46	2.84%	Rolling Course
43	Salmon Marathon Salmon, ID 09/06/2025	98.44		Downhill Course
44	Monument Marathon Gering, NE 09/27/2025	98.33	3.80%	Downhill Course
45	Elroy Apple Dumpling Day Marathon Elroy, WI 09/06/2025	97.99	14.12%	Mostly Flat Course
46	Akron Marathon Akron, OH 09/27/2025	97.67	5.84%	Rolling Course
47	Yonkers Marathon Yonkers, NY 09/15/2024	97.36	1.23%	Rolling Course
48	Ann Arbor Marathon Ann Arbor, MI 09/28/2025	97.36	5.41%	Rolling Course
49	Three Sisters Marathon Danville, VA 09/06/2025	97.33		Rolling Course
50	Adirondack Marathon Schroon Lake, NY 09/28/2025	97.07	2.53%	Hilly Course
51	Ely Marathon Ely, MN 09/20/2025	96.92	2.20%	Rolling Course
52	Cedar Creek Marathon Columbia Falls, MT 09/21/2024	96.79	6.38%	Hilly Course
53	Heart of America Marathon Columbia, MO 09/02/2024	96.56	5.22%	Hilly Course
54	St. Joseph Missouri Marathon St. Joseph, MO 09/27/2025	95.82	1.25%	Rolling Course
55	Top of Utah Logan, UT 09/20/2025	95.34	7.80%	Mostly Flat Course
56	Boulderthon - Boulder Marathon Boulder, CO 09/28/2025	91.81	0.30%	Hilly Course
57	Jackson Hole Marathon Jackson Hole, WY 09/27/2025	90.99	3.45%	Rolling Course