2027 Boston Marathon Cut-Off Prediction Contest

2027 Boston Marathon Cut-Off: 5:17

25,630 accepted • 8,019 BQ applicants not accepted

10 Main Contest and 6 Second Chance entries correctly predicted 5:17 with the average of all predictions at 5:06.

Contest Results & Details

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

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Fastest Marathons in May

This list ranks the fastest marathons in May based on the race's Personal Record (PR) Score. The PR Score for each marathon is created from an algorithm derived from research on how grade, elevation, and wet bulb temperature and ambient temperature affect marathon running performance. 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 only on the course (no weather impact), visit the Fastest Marathon Courses page.

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

Fastest Marathons in May

	Race Name	PR Score	BQ %	Elevation
1	Mud Mountain Dam (Spring) Marathon Enumclaw, WA	102.46	25.00%	Downhill Course
2	Sugarloaf Marathon Kingfield, ME	100.10	14.29%	Downhill Course
3	La Crosse Marathon La Crosse, WI	99.77	12.56%	Downhill Course
4	Windermere Marathon Spokane, WA	99.63	8.97%	Mostly Flat Course
5	Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon St. Joseph, MN	99.63	18.41%	Mostly Flat Course
6	Toronto Marathon Toronto, ON	99.60	0.00%	Downhill Course
7	Charles River Marathon Boston, MA	99.55	27.72%	Very Flat Course
8	Georgina Spring Fling Marathon Georgina, ON	99.55	21.49%	Mostly Flat Course
9	Fargo Marathon Fargo, ND	99.44	5.55%	Very Flat Course
10	Long Island Marathon East Meadow, NY	99.36	0.00%	Mostly Flat Course
11	Pine Tree Marathon Portland, ME	99.29	2.33%	Mostly Flat Course
12	Bayshore Marathon Traverse City, MI	99.24	19.98%	Mostly Flat Course
13	Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Ohiopyle, PA	99.13	5.66%	Rolling Course
14	Chicagoland Spring Marathon Schaumburg, IL	99.06	9.18%	Mostly Flat Course
15	Ogden Marathon Ogden, UT	99.03	8.44%	Downhill Course
16	Famous Idaho Potato Marathon Boise, ID	99.02	12.88%	Mostly Flat Course
17	Walter Childs Memorial Race of Champions Marathon Holyoke, MA	98.96	0.10%	Mostly Flat Course
18	Hudson Valley Marathon at the Walkway Over the Hudson Highland, NY	98.92	11.82%	Rolling Course
19	Fredericton Marathon Fredericton, NB	98.91	0.00%	Mostly Flat Course
20	Lincoln Marathon Lincoln, NE	98.86	8.68%	Rolling Course
21	Potomac River Run Marathon Washington, DC	98.84	15.64%	Mostly Flat Course
22	Epic Marathon Green Bay, WI	98.82	8.18%	Rolling Course
23	Red Island Marathon Warwick, RI	98.81	2.04%	Mostly Flat Course
24	Colorado Marathon Fort Collins, CO	98.77	6.28%	Downhill Course
25	Northwoods Escape Marathon Minocqua, WI	98.76	0.00%	Mostly Flat Course
26	Eau Claire Marathon Eau Claire, WI	98.71	6.81%	Rolling Course
27	Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon Nisswa, MN	98.67	8.77%	Mostly Flat Course
28	Copenhagen Marathon Copenhagen, DK	98.66	0.00%	Mostly Flat Course
29	Med City Marathon Rochester, MN	98.65	8.39%	Mostly Flat Course
30	York Marathon York, PA	98.65	11.91%	Rolling Course
31	Granite State Marathon Nashua, NH	98.61	0.10%	Rolling Course
32	Cleveland Marathon Cleveland, OH	98.57	4.27%	Rolling Course
33	OC Marathon Costa Mesa, CA	98.55	3.62%	Mostly Flat Course
34	Vancouver Marathon Vancouver, BC	98.50	0.00%	Rolling Course
35	Tacoma City Marathon Tacoma, WA	98.49	3.08%	Hilly Course
36	Avenue of the Giants Marathon Weott, CA	98.41	6.79%	Hilly Course
37	Steel Rail Marathon Pittsfield, MA	98.32	8.33%	Mostly Flat Course
38	Course des Pompiers Marathon Laval, QC	98.30	0.00%	Rolling Course
39	Providence Rhode Races Marathon Providence, RI	98.27	12.15%	Rolling Course
40	Buffalo Marathon Buffalo, NY	98.25	9.88%	Mostly Flat Course
41	Ottawa Marathon Ottawa, ON	98.24	0.00%	Rolling Course
42	Maine Coast Marathon Wells, ME	98.24	9.05%	Mostly Flat Course
43	Coeur d Alene Marathon Coeur d' Alene, ID	98.17	4.02%	Rolling Course
44	Pittsburgh Marathon Pittsburgh, PA	98.15	4.46%	Rolling Course
45	Three Days at the Fair Marathon (Spring) Augusta, NJ	98.00	0.10%	Mostly Flat Course
46	Stockholm Marathon Stockholm, SE	98.00	0.00%	Rolling Course
47	Madeline Island Marathon La Pointe, WI	97.85	7.69%	Rolling Course
48	Vermont City Marathon Burlington, VT	97.75	13.93%	Rolling Course
49	Flying Pig Marathon Cincinnati, OH	97.70	4.61%	Hilly Course
50	Blue Nose Marathon Halifax, NS	97.28	0.00%	Hilly Course
51	Capital City Marathon Olympia, WA	97.26	4.88%	Rolling Course
52	Calgary Marathon Calgary, AB	97.19	0.00%	Rolling Course
53	Nutmeg State Marathon Hartford, CT	97.13	6.25%	Rolling Course
54	Cape Town Marathon Cape Town, ZA	97.12	0.00%	Rolling Course
55	Garmin Durham Marathon Durham, NC	96.94	6.59%	Rolling Course
56	New River Marathon Fleetwood, NC	96.38	2.75%	Hilly Course
57	Whitefish Marathon Whitefish, MT	96.12	5.84%	Hilly Course
58	Maple Leaf Marathon Fairlee, VT	95.50	0.10%	Rolling Course
59	Prince of Wales Island Marathon Craig, AK	94.46	0.00%	Very Hilly Course
60	Colfax Marathon Denver, CO	92.77	2.50%	Rolling Course
61	Shiprock Marathon Shiprock, NM	92.48	0.53%	Hilly Course