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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 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	19.02%	Downhill Course
2	Sugarloaf Marathon Kingfield, ME	100.10	33.52%	Downhill Course
3	La Crosse Marathon La Crosse, WI	99.77	15.09%	Downhill Course
4	Windermere Marathon Spokane, WA	99.63	6.34%	Mostly Flat Course
5	Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon St. Joseph, MN	99.63	17.01%	Mostly Flat Course
6	Toronto Marathon Toronto, ON	99.60	12.27%	Downhill Course
7	Charles River Marathon Boston, MA	99.55	21.34%	Very Flat Course
8	Georgina Spring Fling Marathon Georgina, ON	99.55	25.42%	Mostly Flat Course
9	Fargo Marathon Fargo, ND	99.48	9.67%	Very Flat Course
10	Long Island Marathon East Meadow, NY	99.36	5.91%	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	Chicagoland Spring Marathon Schaumburg, IL	99.21	8.40%	Mostly Flat Course
14	Wisconsin Marathon Kenosha, WI	99.14	8.05%	Mostly Flat Course
15	Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Ohiopyle, PA	99.13	7.14%	Rolling Course
16	Ogden Marathon Ogden, UT	99.03	10.25%	Downhill Course
17	Walter Childs Memorial Race of Champions Marathon Holyoke, MA	98.96	15.00%	Mostly Flat Course
18	Famous Idaho Potato Marathon Boise, ID	98.92	14.29%	Mostly Flat Course
19	Hudson Valley Marathon at the Walkway Over the Hudson Highland, NY	98.92	7.89%	Rolling Course
20	Fredericton Marathon Fredericton, NB	98.91	27.03%	Mostly Flat Course
21	Lincoln Marathon Lincoln, NE	98.86	16.23%	Rolling Course
22	Potomac River Run Marathon Washington, DC	98.84	4.65%	Mostly Flat Course
23	Red Island Marathon Warwick, RI	98.81	0.10%	Mostly Flat Course
24	Steel Rail Marathon Pittsfield, MA	98.75	16.78%	Mostly Flat Course
25	Vancouver Marathon Vancouver, BC	98.71	6.46%	Rolling Course
26	Eau Claire Marathon Eau Claire, WI	98.71	6.48%	Rolling Course
27	Colorado Marathon Fort Collins, CO	98.69	8.88%	Downhill Course
28	Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon Nisswa, MN	98.67	6.98%	Mostly Flat Course
29	Copenhagen Marathon Copenhagen, DK	98.66		Mostly Flat Course
30	York Marathon York, PA	98.65	12.31%	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	4.57%	Mostly Flat Course
34	Tacoma City Marathon Tacoma, WA	98.49	4.74%	Hilly Course
35	Buffalo Marathon Buffalo, NY	98.27	10.32%	Mostly Flat Course
36	Ottawa Marathon Ottawa, ON	98.24	10.88%	Rolling Course
37	Maine Coast Marathon Wells, ME	98.24	7.67%	Mostly Flat Course
38	Coeur d Alene Marathon Coeur d' Alene, ID	98.17	5.57%	Rolling Course
39	Pittsburgh Marathon Pittsburgh, PA	98.15	4.44%	Rolling Course
40	Three Days at the Fair Marathon (Spring) Augusta, NJ	98.00	8.51%	Mostly Flat Course
41	Madeline Island Marathon La Pointe, WI	97.85	8.60%	Rolling Course
42	Vermont City Marathon Burlington, VT	97.75	11.24%	Rolling Course
43	Flying Pig Marathon Cincinnati, OH	97.68	5.35%	Hilly Course
44	Blue Nose Marathon Halifax, NS	97.28	4.06%	Hilly Course
45	Capital City Marathon Olympia, WA	97.26	10.47%	Rolling Course
46	Calgary Marathon Calgary, AB	97.19	8.86%	Rolling Course
47	Nutmeg State Marathon Hartford, CT	97.13	8.00%	Rolling Course
48	Muddy River Marathon Cape Girardeau, MO	96.46	2.90%	Rolling Course
49	Stockholm Marathon Stockholm, SE	96.41		Rolling Course
50	Whitefish Marathon Whitefish, MT	96.12	5.62%	Hilly Course
51	New River Marathon Fleetwood, NC	95.94	4.15%	Hilly Course
52	Avenue of the Giants Marathon Weott, CA	95.78	4.54%	Hilly Course
53	Maple Leaf Marathon Fairlee, VT	95.50	0.10%	Rolling Course
54	Prince of Wales Island Marathon Craig, AK	94.46	13.33%	Very Hilly Course
55	Race the Lake Marathon Cooperstown, NY	93.72	2.80%	Rolling Course
56	Cleveland Marathon Cleveland, OH	93.32	6.91%	Rolling Course
57	Colfax Marathon Denver, CO	92.77	3.19%	Rolling Course
58	Shiprock Marathon Shiprock, NM	92.48	2.44%	Hilly Course