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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!



Eugene Marathon

Eugene, OR
Sunday, April 25, 2027


  4.6 Stars from 25 Reviews
Top 50 Best Boston Qualifying Marathon for 2026

Course Description

The Eugene Marathon is a premier Boston-qualifying road race in Oregon, recognized for its flat and fast topography. Built for speed and performance, the course is a favorite for runners seeking a Personal Record (PR) or a Boston qualifying time. The event is characterized by its flat elevation profile and a historic finish on the track at Hayward Field.

Course Layout and Terrain

The 2026 marathon is a loop that begins on Agate Street in the shadow of Hayward Field. The terrain is 100% paved road and asphalt. The first 10 miles are shared with the half marathon, navigating University neighborhoods and heading south toward Frank Kinney Park. The second half of the race is primarily run on the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System, a dedicated pedestrian path network along the Willamette River that offers a car-free environment for the latter stages of the race.

Elevation and Notable Sections

The elevation profile is predominantly flat, with a total elevation gain of approximately 586 feet. The course is designed to highlight Eugene's running heritage while minimizing technical difficulty.

  • University & Amazon (Miles 1–9): This section features wide boulevards and residential streets with mild undulations. Runners head south on E Amazon and return toward the University via Amazon Parkway.
  • The River Paths (Miles 10–25): After splitting from the half marathon at the Knickerbocker Footbridge, marathoners join the riverbank trail system. While level, these paths involve gentle curves and underpasses that require maintaining focus on pacing.
  • Bridge Crossings: The route utilizes several footbridges to cross the Willamette River, providing brief changes in grade.
  • The Hayward Finish: The final stretch takes runners into the iconic Hayward Field for a finish on the track, providing a world-class synthetic surface for the closing meters.

The Eugene Marathon offers exceptional PR potential due to its lack of significant hills and flat elevation. It is best suited for runners who can maintain a their pace on both open city roads and winding park paths. PR attempts usually succeed for those who stay patient during the early city miles and capitalize on the sheltered, flat nature of the river paths in the second half. It is a top-tier choice for athletes looking for a Boston Marathon qualifier with a legendary atmosphere.


April Other Marathons in April Other Marathons in Oregon Marathons near Eugene, OR



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Race Information

Race Dates

2027: Sunday, April 25, 2027
2026: Sunday, April 26, 2026

Course Information

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

Boston Qualifier?: Yes
World Marathon Major Qualifier?: Yes

Race Day Weather

Mean Temp.: 53°F (11°C)
Average High: 64°F (17°C)
Average Low: 41° F (5°C)




PR Score & Course Score

PR Score: 98.70
Course Score: 98.70

Race Size

2026: 4,536 Finishers
2025: 3,791 Finishers
2024: 3,002 Finishers
2023: 2,084 Finishers
2022: 2,039 Finishers
2021: No Results

BQ Percentages

2026: 17.9%
2025: 16.8%
2024: 26.1%
2023: 22.5%
2022: 26.2%
2021: N/A

Miscellaneous Information

Pace Groups?: Yes

Weather Averages for Last 15 Years


Race Day Temperatures

High: 66°F  (19°C)
Low: 43°F  (6°C)

Race Start Conditions

47°F  (8°C)
Humidity: 84%

Overcast
N 3 mph

PR Score

98.74

Course Score

98.91






How does the Eugene Marathon Rank?

The Eugene Marathon was the 24th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 27th largest in 2024.

This year 17.9% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 16.8% of runners qualified for Boston in 2025.

This gives the Eugene Marathon the 56th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 19th highest percentage so far in 2026.

Its Course Score of 98.70 ranks it as the 272nd fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 6th fastest course in Oregon.

The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Eugene Marathon a PR Score of 98.70. This PR Score ranks it as the 210th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 5th fastest in Oregon.

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



Elevation Chart


Max Elevation: 537 feet (163m)
Min Elevation: 393 feet (119m)

Elevation Gain: 586 feet (178m)
Elevation Loss: 583 feet (177m)


Eugene

Course updated 12/23/2025




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Race Reviews


4.6
Based on 25 reviews
Write Your Own Review

Mid-sized race that punches above its weight

Full Review:

Without a doubt my favorite race I've run, I had an amazing experience from start to finish

- Unmatched finish line experience on the track at Hayward Field
- Very fast field makes it great for chasing a PR in a pack: my 2:44 placed me 130th.
- Awesome course & good chance for great running weather. A couple hills in the first 9 miles and then mostly flat from there. Some beautiful scenery along the river.
- Not huge crowds of supporters, but consistent crowds throughout and you can tell the locals know running and care about running.
- Great value: Nicest medal I've ever gotten, free tote, free bottle, free shirt, and free beer & pancakes at the finish.

Race Tips:

Start area is pretty chill–I jogged over and got right into my corral about 20 minutes before the gun.

Long steady hill around mile 4.5. Steep, shorter hill around mile 9. Small bridge incline at mile 20 that broke a lot of people. Tip: restrain yourself through mile 9, find your groove through HM, then try to negative split on the flat/slight downhill second half.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

- Some great AirBnB's available within walking distance to Hayward Field and some good restaurants.
- We chose to fly into Eugene which is a tiny airport and fly home out of Portland.
- Oregon spring football game is typically the day before the race–it's free and fun, good activity that doesn't involve being on your feet.
Reviewed by Mac About 2026

Extremely well put on and beautiful scenery

Full Review:

Really enjoyed the pacers/pace groups, very scenic course. It was extremely well organized with a large number of volunteers, aid stations, reusable water bottles at the finish and water stations. It had a large number of porta-potties so there was a never a long line. The track finish is incredible. We had great weather that was cool.

Race Tips:

Even effort

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Book early - accommodations are very pricey. Make use of the shuttle.
Reviewed by Jessica About 2026

Gorgeous course with very easy logistics in a great town

Full Review:

Beautiful course! Well executed logistics. Plenty of quick folk for a marathon of this size.

Race Tips:

Course is not hard. Hills are very minor! No real issues.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Logistics were super easy. Arrived
Reviewed by HS About 2024

Eugene Rocks!

Full Review:

Course is beautiful, cheer sections are outstanding, college campus, running on bike paths near water plus finishing on Hayward Field is epic!!!!

Race Tips:

Pace groups are really helpful!!

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Reserve Hotel early for best deals
Reviewed by LM About 2024

Hayward finish!

Full Review:

There's nothing quite like a Hayward finish! This course is flat, fast, and the atmosphere is unbelievable. I'm going back for my 4th time this year. Highly recommend!
Reviewed by SH About 2024

Fantastic Course.. Amazing race organization.. Great Finish

Full Review:

Everything about this marathon is simple and awesome. I could easily get dropped off by a friend at the same place shuttles ended up.. and walk a few steps to the gear check, stadium, start line etc.

Course support is great and course scenery is beautiful. Few minor things - nuun cups were filled to 1/5th of the cup.. barely got few drops in.. gels could be handed over instead of letting runners pick it from table

Race Tips:

Even pacing just works.. Very short rolling hills ensures even pacing just works.. its a flat course.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Stayed at Express Inn and Suites.. they allowed us a generous 2pm late checkout so we could finish, have a shower, rest for a while.. Had microwave and refrigerator as well.. Fantastic hotel.
Reviewed by Anand About 2023

Fantastic mid-sized Marathon

Full Review:

Highlights: very well organized, ideal weather conditions, great aid stations / course support, and FINISHING ON THE TRACK AT HAYWARD FIELD!

Other positives: cool medals, race shirt is pretty good, plenty of portable toilets (and also flushable ones on the concourse of Hayward Field!), great Expo for this size of event, and the course is a really nice tour of Eugene (this is my hometown, so the course was also very familiar, but I would rate it high compared with the other Marathons I’ve run).

Downsides: no t-shirt exchange option at the Expo or post-race, and the first few miles are pretty crowded now that the event is growing, which is overall a great thing!

Race Tips:

Most of the hills are in the first 9 miles of the course, so if you pace it well and save energy, that definitely will pay off in the last 2/3 of the race. Eugene is beautiful this time of year, so you will enjoy lots of greenery and blossoms! The Full course splits from the half at mile 11, and the last 15 miles of the course has less support, but enough runners to keep it interesting - and especially if you’re from out of town, it is really beautiful running!

* Half Marathon: also a great race, but I would definitely say it is more of a “rolling hills” course as it doesn’t end up feeling too flat. Also an awesome event though, and there is more fan support during the Half.

Typically really ideal weather: 2023 was overcast with a light mist off/on the first couple hours, then sun just barely starting to break out in the later miles, but still cool, at 55 F.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Recommend arriving to the start area by at least 6:00 for the 7:00 start, earlier if you need much of a warm-up.
Reviewed by Kimberly About 2023

Lovely race with a few hiccups.

Full Review:

I came across the country for this run. A little disappointed that despite its lovely marketing (all things Eugene), it seems to be a local race. The course is great, weather cooperative, the volunteers were helpful. Very few close places to stay ($600 per night Fairfield Inn. Looking at you). The expo was small with little merchandise (trucker hat and visor). This marathon could use a boost on volunteers. Water tables were over-run trying to keep up and a couple stations were out of hydration completely.

Race Tips:

Be prepared to make up time after mile 1. It was crowded winding along local roads for a while. There are a couple hills, but nothing to worry about and back half is flat. Even pacing would work just fine. Ending at field was spectacular. The course was almost completely closed to vehicles which is a HUGE bonus and felt very guided and safe.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Book your hotel early and be prepared for sticker shock. Parking was hard to come by at packet pickup, so give yourself some time and patience. Start was well organized and timely, plenty of porta potties (don’t say that often!)
Reviewed by SB About 2023

Loved This Race

Full Review:

This was a very fun and well organized race. The energy of the participants and crowd was great, and I loved the course. Most of the hills are small, with the exception being one large hill around mile 9.

Traffic control was great, and I felt very safe over the entire course. The aid stations were well run, and finishing on the track at Hayward field was amazing.

I live in Portland, and own a travel trailer, so I made this into a camping trip, which was thoroughly enjoyable. I will definitely be returning next year.

Race Tips:

Negative splitting might be a good strategy, as most of the elevation gain is in the first half.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Shuttles can take longer than expected so shoot for 15-20 minutes earlier than you think.
Reviewed by Mike M About 2023

Full Review:

I ran the Eugene Marathon 2022. I was placed in the wrong corral. I was supposed to be in Coral A but was placed in X Coral B. I had to make up 15 mins. of time. Also, they did not keep track of a gun time and a chip time. From the race organizers: "Chip time is utilized at the Eugene Marathon."

Race Tips:

They should track a track chip time and gun time. From the race organizers: "Chip time is utilized at the Eugene Marathon."
Reviewed by Kevin Hahn About 2022

Race director unwilling to communicate.

Full Review:

Race director never returned e-mail after I was injured and asked to have credit for next year. I emailed the race more than 2 months prior.
Reviewed by rice About 2018

Perfect first race

Full Review:

I wanted to finish off my senior year at the University of Oregon with a bang, and this was the perfect way to do so. The course was lovely, and the environment of everyone around was amazing.

Race Tips:

The path is mostly paved, so train on pavement. It'll definitely leave you with sore joints the next day due to the impact.
Reviewed by Annemarie About 2018

Great Marathon

Full Review:

Great choice for a BQ time: Cool temps (mostly cloudy in 2018), relatively flat course, very well organized, manageable size (1,500), and a pleasure to finish in historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon

Race Tips:

Best to run an even effort pace strategy (in my opinion) - a pacing wrist band set accordingly was very handy

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Hotels close to shuttle pick-up and post-race drop-off recommended
Reviewed by Davic Christmas About 2018

Full Review:

Perfect running weather, flat course, beautiful scenery. Great place to BQ.

Race Tips:

I ordered a pacing band and beat my goal by 2 minutes. It was very well calculated.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

The week leading up to the race was rainy, so you don't know what you're going to get in Oregon. Regardless, it was well-run and very fun to finish on Hayward Field.
Reviewed by MES About 2017

Amazing scenic run!

Full Review:

for 2018, use code EMAMBMM18 for $10 off the half or full.

Race Tips:

Great course and scenic spots! Get there early to become familiar with the area
Reviewed by MM About 2017

My first marathon done right!

Full Review:

After training for Chicago in Chicago in 2016 I had to drop due to injury. I was looking for a Spring marathon straight out of physical therapy with a smaller feel and a fairly fast course. Eugene certainly delivered. Although it's a smaller event than many, the crowd is fantastic and it's obvious that Eugene knows what they are doing when it comes to running a world class running event. We finished at Heyward Field and were awarded out medals by members of the armed forces. That was special. Seeing myself on the jumbotron after 26 miles was a bit scary but also very cool.

Race Tips:

The course has a few deceptive hills in the early stages. Don't go out too fast. The later stages are on flat trails that feel like the ones that I train on back home. That really helped me relax even as my time goals slipped away! (I did mention that I was coming off of an injury and finally running my first marathon) Going out a touch conservative and running the hills by effort instead of time is a good plan in the beginning as the course allows for you to settle into a steady pace for the last 16 when you really would like to set the cruise control.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

There are a lot of hotels. We found one a bit further down the road at a lower price. Compared to Chicago, they are all cheap! There are shuttles at the main hotels that drop runners off right at the gathering area. There is a large area of port-o-lets by the starting line that somehow people didn't know about. Which is a bit amusing as it seemed like a little blue village designed by people that really knew what they were doing! Instead, most people lined up for the ones by the finish line. Lesson learned. Don't forget to take in the history and enjoy the magic of it all.
Reviewed by MB About 2017

Full Review:

Reviewed by William Fletcher About 2016

Full Review:

Excellent course. Almost completely flat and scenic.
Reviewed by HG About 2016

Full Review:

This is a good race. The course is very flat, with one noticeable hill about mile 8. The last several miles winds along the Willamette River on a paved bike path. The one negative was that the trail was open to non-runners during the race, which added some frustration at a time when runners don't want to have to think about anything but getting to the finish. The final 200 meters is on the track at famed Hayward Field and the post-race runner's area is very nice on the infield. I didn't set out to PR on this course in 2015, but I did. The weather was ideal, which aided in this accomplishment.

Race Tips:

Being conservative early is always a good strategy. After the hill at mile 8, the course is pretty easy. There were plenty of port-a-johns at the starting line, more than enough to handle the crowd. The half-marathon split clears the running path nicely.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Eugene is not a large enough town to create traffic problems. Staying at one of the downtown hotels is probably best, but you could probably stay outside town and drive in and park. Shuttles from the designated areas were very convenient and took only 5-10 minutes to get to and from Hayward Field.
Reviewed by TK About 2015

Full Review:

Best Marathon on the West Coast!

Race Tips:

Ranked in the top 20 out of 1000 marathons with over 20% of our finishers qualifying for Boston.
Reviewed by JMM About 2015

Full Review:

Reviewed by dsc About 2015

Full Review:

So glad this race moved back to May for 2015, temps will be more favorable.

Race Tips:

Expect lots of energy, be expecting a PR! I only ran the Half, but I had a 6 min. personal best.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Park at Valley River Center and ride the shuttle bus, loved it! No wait, No hassle :-)
Reviewed by Lark Weidenhaft About 2014

Full Review:

Loved running the end on Historic Hayward field. Second half is more scenic than first half (most races are the other way around so Halfers can enjoy it too). Pretty flat course so one can PR if ready. Not enough Port a potties at race start and no corral system makes early miles too congested.

Race Tips:

Weather in pacific northwest this time of year is usually cool and overcast- perfect running weather.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

They have a shuttle system which leaves from a downtown hotel because there is no parking on the campus. Try and get a final run on "Pre's Trail" or check out Pre's rock at the sight of his fatal car crash.
Reviewed by EMR About 2012

Full Review:

There is nothing quite like running in Track Town USA, home of the late Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, site of the award winning University of Oregon track program and training ground for many running greats, including Steve Prefontaine, Mary Decker Slaney, Maria Mutola, Joaquim Cruz and SO many others. And, to end the race at historic Hayward Field just epic!
Reviewed by ML About 2012

Full Review:

Course lined with people. Finishing on historic Hayward Field and awesome race organization!!

Race Tips:

Flat course. First through university area then into Springfield then the last 10 are along the Willamette River. Moderate hill around mile 8ish.
Reviewed by LM About 2012