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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.

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REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon

Murray, UT
Saturday, September 12, 2026


  4.4 Stars from 16 Reviews

Course Description
The Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon is renowned for its stunningly scenic and remarkably fast downhill course nestled in the breathtaking Wasatch Mountains of Utah. This popular race is a favorite among runners seeking a personal best or a Boston Marathon qualifying time, thanks to its significant net elevation loss.  

The marathon begins on Guardsman Pass and runs straight downhill among the canyon cliffs. After exiting the pass the route proceeds around the Brighton Loop at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon followed by gorgeous views of Big Cottonwood Creek for nearly 15 miles to the mouth of the canyon. Runners enjoy an average 5% grade during this stretch. Make sure you train appropriately for this downhill section as downhill running works your muscles differently than flat or uphill.

After exiting the canyon the marathon course will go under Wasatch Boulevard and continue through Cottonwood Heights over to the Old Mill Corporate Center. Runners will proceed under I-215 and enter the city of Holladay through Knudsen Park.

Runners will get to enjoy the beautiful streets of Holladay while running on Holladay Blvd, Arbor Lane, and Highland Drive. Following this loop, runners will enter the city of Murray and finish at Cottonwood High School.

The steep downhill grade can be very hard on the quadriceps - especially for those who have not trained for downhills.

If your quads and lungs survive, the course can be fast.

*Weather data is from the finish line. Temperatures will be much cooler (20-30° F cooler) at the start and gets warmer as runners travel down the mountain.

September Other Marathons in September Other Marathons in Utah Marathons near Murray, UT



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Race Information

Race Dates

2026: Saturday, September 12, 2026
2025: Saturday, September 13, 2025

Course Information

Profile: Downhill
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: 70°F (21°C)
Average Low: 44° F (6°C)




PR Score & Course Score

PR Score: 103.76
Course Score: 103.76

Race Size

2025: 1,179 Finishers
2024: 1,469 Finishers
2023: 1,572 Finishers
2022: 984 Finishers
2021: 760 Finishers
2020: No Results

BQ Percentages

2025: 4.3%
2024: 11.3%
2023: 21.3%
2022: 27.4%
2021: 22.2%
2020: N/A

Miscellaneous Information

Pace Groups?: Yes

Weather Averages for Last 13 Years


Race Day Temperatures

High: 84°F  (29°C)
Low: 56°F  (13°C)

Race Start Conditions

57°F  (14°C)
Humidity: 53%

Clear
SE 5 mph

PR Score

99.98

Course Score

100.65






REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon Rankings, Course Speed & Boston Qualifier Statistics

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon was the 73rd largest marathon in the U.S. in 2025 based on the number of finishers. In 2024, it ranked as the 52nd largest marathon in the U.S..

In 2025, 4.3% of REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon finishers achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times. In 2024, 11.3% of finishers qualified for Boston.

Based on its percentage of Boston Qualifiers (BQs), the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon ranked 314th among marathons in the U.S. in 2025 and 144th in 2024. In Utah, it ranked 13th in 2025 and 6th in 2024. These rankings provide a useful benchmark for runners comparing Boston Marathon qualifying potential across different races.

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon has a Course Score of 103.76, ranking it as the 5th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest marathon course in Utah.

Typical race-time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. Combined with the course profile, this gives the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon a PR Score of 103.76. The PR Score ranks the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon as the 5th best marathon in the U.S. for running a Personal Record (PR) and the 2nd best marathon for a PR in Utah.

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

REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon Marathon Rankings Summary
Course Speed5th fastest marathon course in the U.S.
Ranked 2nd fastest marathon course in Utah
Top 2% Nationally#2 of 17 in Utah
PR Potential5th best marathon for a Personal Record in the U.S.
Ranked 2nd best marathon for a PR in Utah
Top 2% Nationally#2 of 17 in Utah
Boston Qualifier Rate314th highest BQ percentage in the U.S.
Ranked 13th highest BQ percentage in Utah
Based on 2025 Boston Marathon qualifying results
Top 66% Nationally#13 of 14 in Utah
Race Size73rd largest marathon in the U.S.
Ranked 5th largest marathon in Utah
Based on 2025 results
Top 13% Nationally#5 of 24 in Utah

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



Elevation Chart


Max Elevation: 9625 feet (2934m)
Min Elevation: 4377 feet (1334m)

Elevation Gain: 221 feet (67m)
Elevation Loss: 5465 feet (1666m)


REVEL

Course updated 06/12/2026




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Race Reviews


4.4
Based on 16 reviews
Write Your Own Review

Fly down the canyon, survive the last 10K

Full Review:

Revel puts on a great event. Top notch communication, race swag, expo, bus organization etc. I would highly recommend the race. I trained consistently for a 3:20 at sea level and in Arkansas humidity and met my goal in 3:19:46. I did not notice altitude having an effect. Great weather in the canyon but gets hot/flat with some inclines in the last 10K.

Race Tips:

Build a time cushion in from miles 5-18 and let gravity help you. You will need every ounce of the time cushion for the last 10K

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Highly recommend Crystal Inn midvalley for hotel
Reviewed by CS About 2024

Absolutely beautiful!

Full Review:

The start is cold, dress warm but use that drop bag and shed at the start. Yes mile 4 is hard, don't let it get to you. 1-18 is amazing, stunning, fun, honestly spiritual. The last 6 miles of city running will test you.

Race Tips:

Be fit and ready for DOWN HILL running!

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Stay close to start so you don't have to worry about traffic in the morning!
Reviewed by Emily Gray About 2024

Wicked "out and back"

Full Review:

The scenery is outstanding. The organization is great. No crowds until after Mile 18. The drop is severe for this mountain stretch, and your quads will take a beating.

Race Tips:

Must hill train, unless you really think you are built for the mile descent. it was about 40 degrees at the start, but in the 70s at the finish. I wore a sleeveless top. Good choice. BANK TIME! See below.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Please pay attention to this: I had an easy BQ by 5 minutes up until Mile 18. The "out and back" at that point is abysmal. It will seem uphill both ways for you. I lost several minutes as it's uphill and much hotter than when you start at 10k feet. YOU MUST BANK TIME ON THE FIRST 18. GOT IT? Yes, your quads will hurt, but just do it. You may not walk well for a few days, but you do want to BQ, right? Then bank about 10 minutes so you can put up with the last 8 miles. Good luck! We liked the Residence Inn.
Reviewed by CED About 2019

PR and BQ with 5+ min cushion

Full Review:

Everything, great organization, beautiful course, fast course, weekly facebook live free coaching tips, everything as expected, no race day surprise.

Race Tips:

Follow weekly facebook live coaching (free) by Revel coach, Paul Carmona. It helps to strategize your pacing. Everything else is taken care of by Revel, race day bussing, parking, on course hydration, after race nutrition/recovery.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Get any hotel nearby the race day parking/bussing area. May need to drive to the parking area the day before to get familiar. Also a lot of food options/restaurants there as your training needs. On race day get there by 4:30 to give yourself enough time for port-a-john at the starting area.
Reviewed by SM About 2018

Great Race!

Full Review:

This was not my first choice for my initial BQ attempt but really glad it worked out! Fast course, Size was perfect, plenty of aid stations, good local cheering!

Race Tips:

When I heard about the dramatic downhill of this course I got scared. My advice- drive the course the day before. This totally calmed me down. Yes, it sure has a lot of downhill but only a few sections were really steep. I planned on going out just under my BQ pace but found that very hard. I was told to shorten my stride and have quicker step turnover. This was the best advice ever!! My avg pace for the first 19 miles was 30 seconds faster then planned and without the "long stride pounding" on the downhill my quads held up ok. Yes- Be prepared for the change in the out and back, it definitely was the hardest part of the course. All in all- I got my BQ by 8 min and PR'd by 23 min!!

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Since this was a last min decision to run this course I just grabbed the cheapest, closest hotel to the start. Due to the size of the race I was able to get parking no problem and only walked 5 min to the busses. ALSO- I was planning on running in Idaho the same day but the fires made smoke so bad that running seemed unhealthy. Really grateful that this race still had entries the morning before so I could "road trip" down and make my BQ dream a reality. THANK YOU REVEL!!
Reviewed by Andy R About 2017

Tail of Two different races, be ready.

Full Review:

I'm coming from South Florida, humidity, temperature, and elevation and the change of it are extremely different. The first 18.5 Miles were fast! High altitude had negligible effects as long as you're going downhill. It was 45 degrees in the mountains and my Garmin recorded a PR from every distance from 2miles to 30k, what happened after that is a different story. The temp was 70 degrees with a slight incline at 4300 feet elevation. It was a brutal struggle to keep things moving. At the end, the final 8 Miles might have cost me 7 minutes overall but that's negligible compared to the benefits of the first 18.5. Race organization, race support, race expo and medical personnel were absolutely top notch. This was my 17th marathon and it was nearly flawless organization. Only suggestion is to put the GU people further away from the water people so I can wash it down. I ran a 3:01:26. I was worried about it being a small race but even at my level I had plenty of other runners around me to keep me motivated. Running up on slow half marathoners in the later stages of the race was not an issue.

Race Tips:

Practice downhills, practice running faster paces because you'll be running 5k pace a lot. Use KT tape, practice longer runs so that you're prepared to work very hard after 18.5. Bring your space blanket for the top of the mountain, it'ss cold when you're not moving around.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

I used Airbnb and I stayed near mile 23 of the course, woohoo. No issues for travel, and traffic before or after the race.
Reviewed by Hamed Kian About 2017

Full Review:

Excellent organization and small Expo, which help me not to spend too much time walking so I could rest my legs for the race. Stayed in Crystal Inn and they offered FREE pasta dinner and breakfast to go at 3:00am. 2 race buses picked us up at the hotel to the starting line. Hydration points every 2 miles and funny signs along the race made me kept going. Very fast course and did not feel I had to brake along the course. I did a PR and only trained for 8 weeks since I had a surgery. Will race it again in 2017 and hope to train for at least 16 weeks!!!!

Race Tips:

For me Miles 20 thru 24 are the tough ones, since they are flat and little slopes, also weather gets a little warm. Miles 24 til finish line are flat and little downhill which are good to give all you have left. Do some training in downhills and running hills to help legs getting used to the course...., but this course is not so bad if you have Marathon experience.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

If you do not want to drive and avoid hurries, stay in the recommended hotels....the Race organizers will send buses to the hotels. Most of these hotels will offer pasta dinner and early breakfast. There is plenty of parking where the buses are waiting also.
Reviewed by Eric Bermundez About 2016

Full Review:

Excellent Organization. Love the downhill. I did not feel it was hard on quads since I trained on various types of courses with hills. Made PR and only made my training for 8 weeks because of a surgery. Will do the race again.

Race Tips:

Did all the race at a steady pace. Ran with 5 people at my side, did not feel crowded. Hydration every mile.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Stay at a Race recommended hotel , since organization will send pick up buses at hotel.
Reviewed by Eric B. From Costa Rica About 2016

Full Review:

The marathon was gorgeous and very well run.

Race Tips:

The first four miles are incredibly steep. (I intended to run 7:45 minute miles, but ran the first mile in 6:27 because it was hard to hold back) The only way to get the full time advantage of this downhill course is to practice on steep hills. I ran hills and did one and two legged squats in preparation but, still, by the end of the race my legs were completely spent and sore for ten days after. The first 18 to 19 miles are beautiful, shaded and downhill, then it begins uphill (admittedly mild, but by comparison jarring) and in full sun. Also, it is very cold at the start because of elevation and early morning so bring lots of layers and the provided space blanket. The drop bag system is extremely efficient. Overall, I really enjoyed this marathon, but wish I had gone out slower.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

The Crystal Inn provides nice accommodations (including race day snacks starting at 3:00 a.m.) and is within walking distance (about 1 mile) of the finish.
Reviewed by BAB About 2016

Full Review:

Beautiful course! Well supported, friendly volunteers.

Race Tips:

This race can be divided into 2 parts. 18 miles of challenging, fast downhills - then 8 miles of flat/rolling hills. At that point, the scenery isn't as beautiful, you are in full sun, and the toll that the down hill took on your legs is realized. Be mentally prepared for this section of the race...it sneaks up on and can get the beat of those who aren't prepared.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Plan to rent a car!! Recommended hotels are not in a pedestrian friendly area, and cabs are a 15-30 minute wait.
Reviewed by JF About 2016

Full Review:

Down hill, beautiful scenery, fast, well organized.

Race Tips:

practice downhill running before hand its hard on your quads.
Reviewed by KS About 2016

Full Review:

I thought the race was well organized and there were plenty of aid stations. I did PR at this race, but the course was a lot tougher than I expected. You start out with 18 miles of downhill, very steep in sections, and that beat the crap out of my legs. There's a 5 mile out and back section when you get out of the canyon that i thought was boring, then a gentle 3 mile downhill to the finish.

Race Tips:

It is really cold at the start, so bundle up. They gave us hats, gloves and blanket for a reason. No place to warm up before the race.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

We stayed at the Hyatt and thought it was great. Busses pick you up outside the hotel and there were a lot of food/drink options within walking distance.
Reviewed by DW About 2016

Fast and Beautiful

Full Review:

Absolutely fast and beautiful course

Race Tips:

Very cold on top of mountain. Buy a robe or onesies at a thrift store to wear while you wait for the race to start.
Reviewed by Vc About 2016

Full Review:

Revel runs a fantastic marathon. This one is scenic and fast. I have gotten my 3 fastest marathon times on Big Cottonwood (I've ran BC 3 times and done 9 marathons) the portion of the run done on Wasatch Blvd is the only negative to this marathon...it is hot and has rolling hills...I'm always on pace to qualify for Boston until I get to Wasatch Blvd.

This is one of my favorite marathons and the only one I've repeated. The course is the prettiest one I've done.

Race Tips:

Practice running rolling hills in the heat at the end of your long runs and make sure you do adequate downhill training runs
Reviewed by JL About 2015

Full Review:

If you are looking to PR or BQ this is your race. Very fast race. I loved this race and will run it again in the future.

Race Tips:

You will spend the first 15 miles trying to slow down. The race really begins the last 11.2 miles, make sure you still have something left for the rolling hills between 15 and 23 mile markers. Wear warm clothes because its cold at the startline.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

Make sure that you pick a hotel that is part of the marathon, they will bus you from the hotel to the start line. There is plenty of parking at the finish for any people coming to support you.
Reviewed by jimbo About 2014

Full Review:

It was so steep that i had to "put on the brakes" a lot. When it got to the last 10 miles of rolling hills. my legs were trashed. Definitely don't do unless you train on "steep" downhills and a high elevation. My friends that trained on that course and lived there did well.

Race Tips:

Train on steep downhills.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

The first 16 miles are very very steep. hold back a little because when you hit the last 10 miles of rolling hills and gradual uphill, you will need feeling left in your legs.
Reviewed by af About 2013