NEW! Pace Bands on Your Phone. LEARN MORE...

Marathon Pace Bands

Marathon Pace Bands

Run the Right Pace in Your Next Marathon

Nearly 500 marathon courses.
Ships same or Next Day

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!



Galveston Marathon

Galveston, TX
Sunday, February 21, 2027


  4 Stars from 2 Reviews

Course Description
The Galveston Marathon course is a double out and back of the half marathon course and is nearly completely flat - less than 100 feet of elevation gain over the entire course. The start and finish are at East Beach.

February Other Marathons in February Other Marathons in Texas Marathons near Galveston, TX



Marathon Pace Bands

Want to run your best Galveston Marathon?

Don't waste months of training only to run the wrong pace.


Galveston Marathon Pace Bands are adjusted for the specific terrain of the course, your goal time and pacing strategies.



Only $9.99




Race Information

Race Dates

2027: Sunday, February 21, 2027
2026: Sunday, February 1, 2026

Course Information

Profile: Very Flat
Type: Multiple Out and Backs
Surface: Road/Pavement

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

Race Day Weather

Mean Temp.: 56°F (13°C)
Average High: 62°F (16°C)
Average Low: 49° F (9°C)




PR Score & Course Score

PR Score: 99.66
Course Score: 99.82

Race Size

2026: 131 Finishers
2025: 116 Finishers
2024: 122 Finishers
2023: 86 Finishers
2022: 101 Finishers
2021: 53 Finishers

BQ Percentages

2026: 0.8%
2025: 1.7%
2024: 4.9%
2023: 5.8%
2022: 4%
2021: 3.8%

Miscellaneous Information

Pace Groups?: No

Weather Averages for Last 13 Years


Race Day Temperatures

High: 67°F  (19°C)
Low: 56°F  (13°C)

Race Start Conditions

59°F  (15°C)
Humidity: 90%

Overcast
SSE 8 mph

PR Score

96.85

Course Score

99.81






Galveston Marathon Rankings, Course Speed & Boston Qualifier Statistics

The Galveston Marathon was the 342nd largest marathon in the U.S. in 2025 based on the number of finishers. In 2024, it ranked as the 332nd largest marathon in the U.S..

In 2026, 0.8% of Galveston Marathon finishers have achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times. In 2025, 1.7% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Based on its percentage of Boston Qualifiers (BQs), the Galveston Marathon ranked 418th among marathons in the U.S. in 2025 and currently ranks 209th so far in 2026. In Texas, it ranked 19th in 2025 and 12th so far in 2026. These rankings provide a useful benchmark for comparing the Galveston Marathon with other Boston Marathon qualifying races.

The Galveston Marathon has a Course Score of 99.82, ranking it as the 45th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 1st fastest marathon course in Texas.

Typical race-time temperature and humidity levels are slightly above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. Combined with the course profile, this gives the Galveston Marathon a PR Score of 99.66. The PR Score ranks the Galveston Marathon as the 56th best marathon in the U.S. for running a Personal Record (PR) and the 1st best marathon for a PR in Texas.

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

Galveston Marathon Marathon Rankings Summary
Course Speed45th fastest marathon course in the U.S.
Ranked 1st fastest marathon course in Texas
Top 10% Nationally#1 of 26 in Texas
PR Potential56th best marathon for a Personal Record in the U.S.
Ranked 1st best marathon for a PR in Texas
Top 13% Nationally#1 of 26 in Texas
Boston Qualifier Rate418th highest BQ percentage in the U.S.
Ranked 19th highest BQ percentage in Texas
Based on 2025 Boston Marathon qualifying results
Top 88% Nationally#19 of 29 in Texas
Race Size342nd largest marathon in the U.S.
Ranked 19th largest marathon in Texas
Based on 2025 results
Top 58% Nationally#19 of 37 in Texas

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



Elevation Chart


Max Elevation: 15 feet (4m)
Min Elevation: 1 feet (0m)

Elevation Gain: 91 feet (27m)
Elevation Loss: 91 feet (27m)


Galveston

Course updated 12/09/2024




Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the Galveston Marathon

View available accomodations around the Galveston Marathon Finish Line and Course. Book your Reservation now before the best places are sold out.

For a better mobile or desktop experience:






Compare the Galveston Marathon to other Marathons

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

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

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


Comparison Tool

If you ran the Galveston Marathon in 5:42:00, what would your time in other marathons be?

See how your finish time would compare on other marathon courses with our Time Conversion Tool.


Time Converter Tool

Race Reviews


4.0
Based on 2 reviews
Write Your Own Review

More geared to the half marathon

Full Review:

On the positive side this is a pretty and flat course with friendly staffing. It’s a double loop with kind of “loop within loop” structure at the top end and at the bottom it runs down to past the piers. It had a kind of trail race vibe at the start/finish line. It was hotter than I expected but compared to Florida where I came from it was fine. The first loop is shared with the half marathoners and although its a relatively small race it was easy to be running with a group no matter your pace. Things changed after the half though. I was on my own and the crowd support thinned out a lot. The worse thing however was that the aid stations just seemed to give up after the half. At the points I needed it most - miles 19 and 23 the first was abandoned with no water and the second was only pickle juice no water. Overall I enjoyed the experience despite bonking but it could have been so much better

Race Tips:

Parking at the start/finish is easy. Its also easy for friends/family to see you at multiple stops with just a little walking on their part.. review the course map and you can see them 6 or 7 times. Definitely bring your own nutrition and water and be prepared for a totally different experience first and second halfs.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Hotels fill up that time of year so make sure you get sorted in advance.
Reviewed by David About 2024

Well organized race with nice scenery

Full Review:

It's a completely flat race along the seawall, with nice scenery. Well organized, and have a nice small town feeling as people come out to watch the race. I was surprised how many spectators were on the course. The weather in 2019 was a little warm (69 at start), but cooled down to 60 later. Two loops (out and back) on a half marathon course, so it's perfect for friends, and family to cheer you on, because they'll see you passing several times. Water stations in every 1.5 miles, volunteers were awesome. I had a very good time, and a BQ :) The free food, beer, yogurt, and massage at the finish were also really nice.

Race Tips:

There's always high chance it's gonna be windy, and humid, so be ready for that, and if you're running the full, you can end up running alone on the second loop. It's really flat flat, which makes the pacing easy, so one less thing to worry about. If the porta potty line is too long, check the restrooms in that big building at Stewart Beach, they were open this year with no lines.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

There is free parking at the start/finish (Stewart Beach), on the sand, right next to the starting line, very convenient. (The race course is all paved, so no running on sand).
Reviewed by Aniko About 2019