Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers

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

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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	REVEL White Mountains Marathon Conway, NH	104.18	25.61%	Downhill Course
2	Sugarloaf Marathon Kingfield, ME	100.10	33.52%	Downhill Course
3	La Crosse Marathon La Crosse, WI	99.77	15.26%	Downhill Course
4	Windermere Marathon Spokane, WA	99.63	6.34%	Mostly Flat Course
5	Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon St. Joseph, MN	99.63	26.14%	Mostly Flat Course
6	Toronto Marathon Toronto, ON	99.60	12.27%	Downhill Course
7	Charles River Marathon Boston, MA	99.55	55.17%	Very Flat Course
8	Georgina Spring Fling Marathon Georgina, ON	99.55	29.19%	Mostly Flat Course
9	Fargo Marathon Fargo, ND	99.48	9.67%	Very Flat Course
10	Long Island Marathon East Meadow, NY	99.36	16.99%	Mostly Flat Course
11	Bayshore Marathon Traverse City, MI	99.35	19.42%	Mostly Flat Course
12	Pine Tree Marathon Portland, ME	99.29	0.10%	Mostly Flat Course
13	Wisconsin Marathon Kenosha, WI	99.22	12.96%	Mostly Flat Course
14	Chicagoland Spring Marathon Schaumburg, IL	99.21	9.00%	Mostly Flat Course
15	Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Ohiopyle, PA	99.13	4.55%	Rolling Course
16	Marthas Vineyard Marathon Marthas Vineyard, MA	99.07	9.38%	Mostly Flat Course
17	Ogden Marathon Ogden, UT	99.03	10.25%	Downhill Course
18	Walter Childs Memorial Race of Champions Marathon Holyoke, MA	98.96	12.90%	Mostly Flat Course
19	Famous Idaho Potato Marathon Boise, ID	98.92	14.29%	Rolling Course
20	Hudson Valley Marathon at the Walkway Over the Hudson Highland, NY	98.92	26.79%	Rolling Course
21	Fredericton Marathon Fredericton, NB	98.91	27.03%	Mostly Flat Course
22	Lincoln Marathon Lincoln, NE	98.86	13.73%	Rolling Course
23	Potomac River Run Marathon Washington, DC	98.84	10.26%	Mostly Flat Course
24	Red Island Marathon Warwick, RI	98.81	0.10%	Mostly Flat Course
25	Steel Rail Marathon Pittsfield, MA	98.75	16.78%	Mostly Flat Course
26	Vancouver Marathon Vancouver, BC	98.71	8.04%	Rolling Course
27	Colorado Marathon Fort Collins, CO	98.69	12.27%	Downhill Course
28	Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon Nisswa, MN	98.67	10.71%	Mostly Flat Course
29	Copenhagen Marathon Copenhagen, DK	98.66		Mostly Flat Course
30	York Marathon York, PA	98.65	17.09%	Rolling Course
31	Med City Marathon Rochester, MN	98.63	7.62%	Mostly Flat Course
32	Granite State Marathon Nashua, NH	98.61	0.10%	Rolling Course
33	OC Marathon Costa Mesa, CA	98.55	6.20%	Mostly Flat Course
34	Tacoma City Marathon Tacoma, WA	98.49	4.86%	Hilly Course
35	Ottawa Marathon Ottawa, ON	98.37	10.88%	Rolling Course
36	Providence Marathon Providence, RI	98.37	6.21%	Rolling Course
37	Buffalo Marathon Buffalo, NY	98.27	10.32%	Mostly Flat Course
38	Maine Coast Marathon Wells, ME	98.24	11.07%	Mostly Flat Course
39	Kalamazoo Marathon Kalamazoo, MI	98.18	9.84%	Rolling Course
40	Coeur d Alene Marathon Coeur d' Alene, ID	98.17	5.57%	Rolling Course
41	Pittsburgh Marathon Pittsburgh, PA	98.15	6.41%	Rolling Course
42	Three Days at the Fair Marathon (Spring) Augusta, NJ	98.00	8.51%	Mostly Flat Course
43	Seaside Marathon Ventura, CA	97.99	15.56%	Mostly Flat Course
44	Madeline Island Marathon La Pointe, WI	97.85	8.60%	Rolling Course
45	Vermont City Marathon Burlington, VT	97.75	11.24%	Rolling Course
46	Flying Pig Marathon Cincinnati, OH	97.68	4.54%	Hilly Course
47	Blue Nose Marathon Halifax, NS	97.28	4.06%	Hilly Course
48	Capital City Marathon Olympia, WA	97.26	10.47%	Rolling Course
49	Calgary Marathon Calgary, AB	97.19	8.86%	Rolling Course
50	Nutmeg State Marathon Hartford, CT	97.13	8.00%	Rolling Course
51	Muddy River Marathon Cape Girardeau, MO	96.46	6.67%	Rolling Course
52	Stockholm Marathon Stockholm, SE	96.41		Rolling Course
53	Whitefish Marathon Whitefish, MT	96.12	5.62%	Hilly Course
54	New River Marathon Fleetwood, NC	95.94	4.15%	Hilly Course
55	Avenue of the Giants Marathon Weott, CA	95.78	8.35%	Hilly Course
56	Maple Leaf Marathon Fairlee, VT	95.50	0.10%	Rolling Course
57	Prince of Wales Island Marathon Craig, AK	94.46	13.33%	Very Hilly Course
58	Race the Lake Marathon Cooperstown, NY	93.72	2.80%	Rolling Course
59	Cleveland Marathon Cleveland, OH	93.32	6.91%	Rolling Course
60	Colfax Marathon Denver, CO	92.77	3.19%	Rolling Course
61	Shiprock Marathon Shiprock, NM	92.48	6.02%	Hilly Course