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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

Run the Right Pace in Your Next Marathon

Nearly 500 marathon courses.
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Fastest Marathon Courses

This list ranks the fastest marathon course 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:

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

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	Race Name	Course Score	BQ %	Elevation
151	North Central Rail Trail Marathon Sparks, MD	99.41	12.20%	Mostly Flat Course
152	Rehoboth Beach Marathon Rehoboth Beach, DE	99.41	12.55%	Mostly Flat Course
153	Coastal Delaware Running Festival Marathon Rehoboth Beach, DE	99.41	8.60%	Mostly Flat Course
154	Corpus Christi Marathon Corpus Christi , TX	99.41	0.97%	Very Flat Course
155	Springfield Marathon Springfield, IL	99.40	8.60%	Mostly Flat Course
156	Barcelona Marathon Barcelona, ES	99.40		Rolling Course
157	Buzz Sawyer Western Maryland Marathon Hancock, MD	99.40	20.93%	Mostly Flat Course
158	Great Woods Marathon Mansfield, MA	99.40	17.59%	Very Flat Course
159	MV Spring Classic Marathon Marthas Vineyard, MA	99.40	9.46%	Mostly Flat Course
160	Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon Albany, NY	99.39	14.83%	Downhill Course
161	Newport Marathon (OR) Newport, OR	99.38	12.05%	Mostly Flat Course
162	London Marathon London, UK	99.38	11.25%	Mostly Flat Course
163	Toronto Waterfront Marathon Toronto, ON	99.37	6.06%	Mostly Flat Course
164	Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Indianapolis, IN	99.37	18.77%	Mostly Flat Course
165	Snohomish River Run Marathon Snohomish, WA	99.37	13.71%	Rolling Course
166	Long Island Marathon East Meadow, NY	99.36	5.91%	Mostly Flat Course
167	King Salmon Marathon Cordova, AK	99.36	3.85%	Mostly Flat Course
168	London OH Marathon London, OH	99.36	25.76%	Mostly Flat Course
169	We Run this Beach Marathon Gulf Shores, AL	99.36	9.66%	Mostly Flat Course
170	Redding Marathon Redding, CA	99.35	1.67%	Downhill Course
171	Maritime Marathon Manitowoc, WI	99.35	13.42%	Mostly Flat Course
172	Copenhagen Marathon Copenhagen, DK	99.35		Mostly Flat Course
173	Harrisburg Marathon Harrisburg, PA	99.34	14.10%	Mostly Flat Course
174	USA Fit Marathon Sugar Land, TX	99.34	2.31%	Very Flat Course
175	Woodlands Marathon The Woodlands, TX	99.34	8.19%	Mostly Flat Course
176	Surfers Point Marathon Ventura, CA	99.34	15.80%	Mostly Flat Course
177	Newport News One City Marathon Newport News, VA	99.34	14.76%	Very Flat Course
178	Seaside Marathon Ventura, CA	99.34	10.00%	Mostly Flat Course
179	Shoreline Marathon Ventura, CA	99.34	8.51%	Mostly Flat Course
180	Love Chocolate Marathon Savannah, GA	99.34	12.20%	Very Flat Course
181	Two Cities Marathon Fresno, CA	99.32	7.75%	Mostly Flat Course
182	Central Florida Legends Marathon DeBary, FL	99.32	3.59%	Mostly Flat Course
183	White River Marathon Cotter, AR	99.31	10.88%	Mostly Flat Course
184	Mississauga Marathon Mississauga, ON	99.31	9.98%	Downhill Course
185	New Years (Eve) Double Marathon Allen, TX	99.31		Mostly Flat Course
186	New Years (Day) Double Marathon Allen, TX	99.31		Mostly Flat Course
187	Laredo Marathon Laredo, TX	99.31	5.41%	Rolling Course
188	Cork City Marathon Cork, IE	99.31		Mostly Flat Course
189	Niagara Falls International Marathon Niagara Falls, ON	99.30	5.39%	Mostly Flat Course
190	Last Chance BQ.2 Marathon Geneva, IL	99.30	68.50%	Very Flat Course
191	Big Beach Marathon Gulf Shores, AL	99.30	3.39%	Mostly Flat Course
192	Spring Chance BQ.2 Marathon Geneva, IL	99.30	40.32%	Very Flat Course
193	MISH Waterfront Marathon Gladstone, MI	99.30	10.75%	Mostly Flat Course
194	Pine Tree Marathon Portland, ME	99.29	0.10%	Mostly Flat Course
195	Salisbury Marathon Salisbury, MD	99.29	5.02%	Rolling Course
196	Museum of Aviation Marathon Warner Robins, GA	99.28	11.86%	Mostly Flat Course
197	Martian Marathon Dearborn, MI	99.28	12.93%	Mostly Flat Course
198	St. Lawrence Marathon Cornwall, ON	99.28	21.86%	Mostly Flat Course
199	Garmin Toledo Marathon Toledo, OH	99.28	5.23%	Mostly Flat Course
200	Marshall University Marathon Huntington, WV	99.27	13.46%	Mostly Flat Course