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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!



Coast Guard Marathon

Elizabeth City, NC
Sunday, April 4, 2027


  4.5 Stars from 4 Reviews

Course Description
The extremely flat Coast Guard Marathon course starts downtown, runs along the Pasquotank riverfront, loops through the U.S. Coast Guard Base and Air Station, and finally returns to the historic downtown district via Elizabeth City State University, a historically black college and the only four-year collegiate aviation education program in North Carolina. The mid-point of the race route takes runners around one of the last standing WWII airship hangars, a 20-story tall, dome-shaped structure on the waterfront.

April Other Marathons in April Other Marathons in North Carolina Marathons near Elizabeth City, NC



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Race Information

Race Dates

2027: Sunday, April 4, 2027
2026: Sunday, April 12, 2026

Course Information

Profile: Very Flat
Type: Loop
Surface: Road/Pavement

Boston Qualifier?: Yes
World Marathon Major Qualifier?: No

Race Day Weather

Mean Temp.: 48°F (8°C)
Average High: 60°F (15°C)
Average Low: 36° F (2°C)




PR Score & Course Score

PR Score: 99.83
Course Score: 99.83

Race Size

2026: 964 Finishers
2025: 486 Finishers
2024: 478 Finishers
2023: 311 Finishers
2022: 288 Finishers
2021: No Results

BQ Percentages

2026: 2.8%
2025: 6.8%
2024: 9%
2023: 3.9%
2022: 6.9%
2021: N/A

Miscellaneous Information

Pace Groups?: Yes

Weather Averages for Last 4 Years


Race Day Temperatures

High: 64°F  (18°C)
Low: 46°F  (8°C)

Race Start Conditions

53°F  (12°C)
Humidity: 63%

Clear
E 9 mph

PR Score

99.32

Course Score

99.83






Coast Guard Marathon Rankings, Course Speed & Boston Qualifier Statistics

The Coast Guard Marathon was the 140th largest marathon in the U.S. in 2025 based on the number of finishers. In 2024, it ranked as the 137th largest marathon in the U.S..

In 2026, 2.8% of Coast Guard Marathon finishers have achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times. In 2025, 6.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Based on its percentage of Boston Qualifiers (BQs), the Coast Guard Marathon ranked 216th among marathons in the U.S. in 2025 and currently ranks 174th so far in 2026. In North Carolina, it ranked 5th in 2025 and 7th so far in 2026. These rankings provide a useful benchmark for comparing the Coast Guard Marathon with other Boston Marathon qualifying races.

The Coast Guard Marathon has a Course Score of 99.83, ranking it as the 44th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 1st fastest marathon course in North Carolina.

Typical race-time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. Combined with the course profile, this gives the Coast Guard Marathon a PR Score of 99.83. The PR Score ranks the Coast Guard Marathon as the 38th best marathon in the U.S. for running a Personal Record (PR) and the 1st best marathon for a PR in North Carolina.

Together, these rankings provide a quick snapshot of how the Coast Guard Marathon compares with other marathons in the U.S. and North Carolina for speed, PR potential, Boston Marathon qualifying success, and overall participation.

Coast Guard Marathon Marathon Rankings Summary
Course Speed44th fastest marathon course in the U.S.
Ranked 1st fastest marathon course in North Carolina
Top 10% Nationally#1 of 16 in North Carolina
PR Potential38th best marathon for a Personal Record in the U.S.
Ranked 1st best marathon for a PR in North Carolina
Top 9% Nationally#1 of 16 in North Carolina
Boston Qualifier Rate216th highest BQ percentage in the U.S.
Ranked 5th highest BQ percentage in North Carolina
Based on 2025 Boston Marathon qualifying results
Top 46% Nationally#5 of 13 in North Carolina
Race Size140th largest marathon in the U.S.
Ranked 6th largest marathon in North Carolina
Based on 2025 results
Top 24% Nationally#6 of 16 in North Carolina

Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.



Elevation Chart


Max Elevation: 10 feet (3m)
Min Elevation: 1 feet (0m)

Elevation Gain: 88 feet (26m)
Elevation Loss: 88 feet (26m)


Coast

Course updated 02/20/2025




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Compare the Coast Guard Marathon to other Marathons

Use tools below to compare races and convert times across courses.

Do you want to see how the Coast Guard Marathon stacks up against other marathons?

Compare the details of the Coast Guard Marathon side-by-side with other marathons with our Comparison Tool.


Comparison Tool

If you ran the Coast Guard Marathon in 4:32:00, what would your time in other marathons be?

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Race Reviews


4.5
Based on 4 reviews
Write Your Own Review

For your PR, 50 states, or Armed Forces Series Challenge

Full Review:

I used this race to tick off the NC state as well as it being one of the AFSC races. If I didn't care about those, and wasn't going for a PR/BQ, then I would skip this race. The race logistics were fine and easy, but the course was mostly long barren stretches of running between things. You run through the CG base, which was kind of interesting running down the airstrip. Then you run a long way to get to the blimp hangar... which is also cool, for a while. And then, you basically run around more residential areas to head back to the base and then back to the downtown. It feels like they had to manufacture a course to cram in filler miles. And for the most part, unless you love wide open fields, there isn't much to look out. Aid were excellent, but don't expect much in the way of spectators. This may be the first race I've ever done where I didn't see a kid holding a "touch here for power up" sign.

This is also a fairly small race. I suspect many runners instead gravitate to the nearby Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach around the same time.

Race Tips:

It's very flat and with favorable weather would be good for a PR attempt. There are a lot of turns, but nothing crazy. The full and half start at the same time, and the half course peels away around mile 7 or so. After that, it gets pretty lonely.

Many of the roads are not closed to traffic. Be very aware to run within the cones when marked. On the more rural roads, I often saw runners unaware that vehicles were trying to go around them. Don't use headphones where you can't hear the world.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

I stayed in VA and drove the hour down to Elizabeth City the morning of. Public parking was easy (arriving 75 minutes before the race), with a short walk to the start/finish area.

I noticed a lot of people were still in line for the portos before the race start. There were not really enough of them. Go early.

For 2025, the race day fell on the switchover to daylight saving time, but the Saturday events were still in standard time.
Reviewed by GC About 2025

Great Race!

Full Review:

The Coast Guard Marathon is a great race and very well organized for a relatively small race. The course is pancake flat the whole way and even though it does not have big city crowds, the whole town comes out to cheer people on! Running through the base is very cool! The last 4 miles are a little quiet, but at that point it does not matter that much, because you're just happy to be heading to the finish line. Not a lot of shade on the course, so if the temperatures were higher than what I had this year, 2024, it would have been tough. I was lucky it started out relatively cool and only got to about 60. There were some head winds, and I think being on the coast this could be a problem, but it was nothing like what people said happened last year. Very cool to be a part of a military marathon and the medals are great! I would definitely recommend the race!
Reviewed by NJK About 2024

Small but great for a PR or BQ

Full Review:

This was a great, flat course that had pretty good weather except for some headwind for the last half this year (2024). It was well-organized and well-supported for a small town race. The medals and age group awards are pretty unique, and the after-party was nice. Definitely recommend for those going for a faster time!

Race Tips:

It was very flat throughout with a brief hill in the first mile. Definitely pay attention to wind speed and direction as it may affect pace or effort for a good portion of the race.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

We stayed at a great Air BNB on Witherspoon Street that was perfect for getting to the expo and start/finish line.
Reviewed by KM About 2024

Nice and flat!

Full Review:

My fourth official full marathon. Pretty flat except for an short uphill onto a small bridge at the beginning, and the speed humps on the air base.

Part of the course is on the coast guard air base. You run right next to the runway, and will see C-130s taking off and landing beside you!

Way out on a country road around miles 16-20. Pretty open, so have sunscreen.

Awesome medal!
Reviewed by jap About 2022