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

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!


Marathon Pace Bands

Marathon Pace Bands

Run the Right Pace in Your Next Marathon

Nearly 500 marathon courses.
Ships same or Next Day


Marathon 2 Marathon

Marathon, TX
Saturday, October 24, 2026


  4.7 Stars from 3 Reviews

Course Description
This is the biggest event this little town of 420 people puts on and the whole town comes out to support the racers. Runners from 20 states and 6 other countries have run this race. 100% of all the proceeds go to our new Health Center. It is SO much more than just a race and an international bucket list race. The hardest part is getting here as we are in the desert 40 miles from the entrance to Big Bend National Park. We are a Boston Marathon Qualifier and can have 450-500 racers. Run a marathon, half marathon, 10k or 5k. No walkers on the marathon, need to complete in under six hours.

October Other Marathons in October Other Marathons in Texas Marathons near Marathon, TX



Marathon Pace Bands

Want to run your best Marathon 2 Marathon?

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


Marathon 2 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

2026: Saturday, October 24, 2026
2025: Saturday, October 25, 2025

Course Information

Profile: Hilly
Type: Point to Point
Surface: Road/Pavement

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

Race Day Weather

Mean Temp.: 57°F (13°C)
Average High: 71°F (21°C)
Average Low: 42° F (5°C)




PR Score & Course Score

PR Score: 96.31
Course Score: 96.31

Race Size

2025: 103 Finishers
2024: 73 Finishers
2023: 88 Finishers
2022: 79 Finishers
2021: 68 Finishers
2020: No Results

BQ Percentages

2025: 1%
2024: 2.7%
2023: 6.8%
2022: 7.6%
2021: 4.4%
2020: N/A

Miscellaneous Information

Pace Groups?: No

Weather Averages for Last 3 Years


Race Day Temperatures

High: 80°F  (27°C)
Low: 53°F  (12°C)

Race Start Conditions

54°F  (12°C)
Humidity: 46%

Clear
SW 7 mph

PR Score

96.23

Course Score

96.31






Marathon 2 Marathon Rankings, Course Speed & Boston Qualifier Statistics

The Marathon 2 Marathon was the 365th largest marathon in the U.S. in 2025 based on the number of finishers. In 2024, it ranked as the 404th largest marathon in the U.S..

In 2025, 1% of Marathon 2 Marathon finishers achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times. In 2024, 2.7% of finishers qualified for Boston.

Based on its percentage of Boston Qualifiers (BQs), the Marathon 2 Marathon ranked 436th among marathons in the U.S. in 2025 and 379th in 2024. In Texas, it ranked 22nd in 2025 and 21st in 2024. These rankings provide a useful benchmark for runners comparing Boston Marathon qualifying potential across different races.

The Marathon 2 Marathon has a Course Score of 96.31, ranking it as the 419th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 25th fastest marathon course in Texas.

Typical race-time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. Combined with the course profile, this gives the Marathon 2 Marathon a PR Score of 96.31. The PR Score ranks the Marathon 2 Marathon as the 390th best marathon in the U.S. for running a Personal Record (PR) and the 24th best marathon for a PR in Texas.

Together, these rankings provide a quick snapshot of how the Marathon 2 Marathon compares with other marathons in the U.S. and Texas for speed, PR potential, Boston Marathon qualifying success, and overall participation.

Marathon 2 Marathon Marathon Rankings Summary
Course Speed419th fastest marathon course in the U.S.
Ranked 25th fastest marathon course in Texas
Top 91% Nationally#25 of 26 in Texas
PR Potential390th best marathon for a Personal Record in the U.S.
Ranked 24th best marathon for a PR in Texas
Top 85% Nationally#24 of 26 in Texas
Boston Qualifier Rate436th highest BQ percentage in the U.S.
Ranked 22nd highest BQ percentage in Texas
Based on 2025 Boston Marathon qualifying results
Top 92% Nationally#22 of 29 in Texas
Race Size365th largest marathon in the U.S.
Ranked 21st largest marathon in Texas
Based on 2025 results
Top 62% Nationally#21 of 37 in Texas

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



Elevation Chart


Max Elevation: 4569 feet (1392m)
Min Elevation: 4048 feet (1234m)

Elevation Gain: 444 feet (135m)
Elevation Loss: 802 feet (244m)


Marathon

Course updated 02/26/2024




Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the Marathon 2 Marathon

View available accomodations around the Marathon 2 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 Marathon 2 Marathon to other Marathons

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

Do you want to see how the Marathon 2 Marathon stacks up against other marathons?

Compare the details of the Marathon 2 Marathon side-by-side with other marathons with our Comparison Tool.


Comparison Tool

If you ran the Marathon 2 Marathon in 4:25:00, 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


4.7
Based on 3 reviews
Write Your Own Review

Not so easy

Full Review:

The best thing about this race is that it is extremely mentally tough. There is no crowd support at all so if feels like you are out in the desert all alone. Its 26.2 miles of monotonous running with no escaping the sun and no change of scenery. It is a very humbling race in this aspect and gives you a lot of newly found respect on the marathon distance as there is no relying on race day adrenaline from the support. This makes crossing the finish seem like a much bigger accomplishment than 26.2 miles at a popular race.

I did not like the curvature of the road. The road is severely slanted the entire way and my left leg was hitting the ground higher than my right leg the entire way.

I like the small intimacy of the race and the cool temps. I liked the tons of cool swag at ppu. I liked the very original tech shirt provided.

Race Tips:

If you are not used to dry weather, I recommend carrying a water bottle from start to finish. I usually do not carry water for a marathon and only use the water stations about 5 or 6 times during a full, but running for hours in a dry climate with 15-20 minutes between water stops is not enough to keep the thirst away. The curvature/ slant of the road seemed severe to me, so keep that in mind.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Marathon has very limited lodging so I stayed in alpine. If I ran this race again, I would prefer to stay in Ft Stockton. Alpine doesn't have very many pre-race friendly restaurants and I had to pack my own food for the day prior to race day.
Reviewed by M.E. About 2017

Full Review:

Pros: Flat/downhill course. Cool, dry weather. Beautiful scenery.

Cons: You have to run on the shoulder of a highway the whole way which is a sort of 'spiky-like' unworn asphalt.

Race Tips:

Mile 22 has a slight uphill climb, be ready for that. The last two miles is the steepest down hill part, get ready to fly here! I ran my fastest pace the last two miles.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

It's a small town, so reserve your room early. I stayed in Alpine, a town about 30 miles away but it placed me an hour from the starting line. If I do it again, I might try to stay in Fort Stockton or Marathon. But I like to hang out, grab a beer, etc, the night before a race so I like to be in s bigger town for that reason.
Reviewed by ekg About 2016

Full Review:

Aside from Boston, this is my favorite Marathon. Small field, scenic landscape, lots of returning runners year after year so that you see the same guys (and ladies) each year. I've run it 4x, with a PR on the course of 2:58:05

Race Tips:

run easy the first 2 miles (uphill), don't get carried away the next 6 (downhill), and save a little for the hills at mile 21-22. Hope for a tailwind and not a headwind (its point to point) and be ready for a sunny day.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

reserve your room early if you intend to stay at the Gage Hotel in Marathon. Camping at the Marathon RV Park is convenient and probably the most economical choice. There are a few houses for overnight rentals in town
Reviewed by Troy Hibbitts About 2015