Want to Run Boston? Here Are 10 Great Marathons to Help You Qualify
These fast, flat courses can help you score a BQ.
Each year, thousands of runners aspire to toe the line at the Boston Marathon. But in order to do so they need to run a qualifying race at a USATF-sanctioned marathon in the 12 months preceding Boston registration in September.
Many runners know, though, that it takes a lot more than slipping in under their qualifying time to lace up for this race. The constantly-shifting cutoff time—the amount by which you have to beat your qualifying time—favors the fastest runners. In 2019, runners had to be 1 minute and 39 seconds faster than their qualifying standards in order to secure a number—even after the BAA lowered the qualifying standards by 5 minutes for every age group. This jumped to 7 minutes and 47 seconds faster than standards for the 2021 race—the biggest cutoff in the race’s history, which shut out 9,215 runners.
But for the 2022 and 2023 races, as runners returned to races after the pandemic, there was no cutoff time. Every qualifier who applied for race entry got in. Who knows what the cutoff will be for the 2024 race? And that makes selecting a Boston qualifying marathon critical, as you want the fastest time you can get.
Runner’s World picked these 10 races as tried-and-true Boston qualifying marathons to help you get into that coveted 26.2. These races offer a mix of locations and at various sizes, they have no history of course errors (which means Boston wouldn’t recognize times run there as qualifiers), and the weather is generally conducive to fast times. Many also offer precise pacing, knowing that runners looking for BQs seek them out.
[Why Does Boston Have a Qualification System in the First Place?]
Eugene Marathon
Where: Eugene, Oregon
When: April 30, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 64/41
In a city that calls itself “TrackTown USA,” it’s no wonder that at the local marathon, almost 2o percent of the field earns a BQ each year. The mostly flat course of the Eugene Marathon travels through parks and alongside the Willamette River, hitting its highest point (about 50 feet above the start) at mile 4.5. The race channels running history with a finish on the track of Hayward Field, site of Olympic track & field trials and home to legends like Steve Prefontaine.
Last Chance BQ.2 Marathons
Where: Geneva, Illinois
When: September 9, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 78/58
The Last Chance BQ.2 races have made a name for themselves with their singular purpose: helping runners achieve a BQ. Each year, almost 50 percent of the field hits the mark at its Geneva race. The Chicagoland version of the race was so popular, a few years back, organizers added a second race in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the same day (and 63 percent of runners hit the mark at that race in 2020). There’s a spring race on the Saturday before the Boston Marathon in 2023.
The multi-loop course in Geneva is flat and shaded. Organizers offer runners personalized bottle service and most important, precise pacing at four minutes faster than BQ times. The hardest part? Getting in. Runners must be near their qualifying times already and have to prove it with comparable marathons or half marathons run at BQ pace.
Erie Marathon
Where: Erie, Pennsylvania
When: September 10, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 74/58
Beside the Last Chance BQ races, year in and year out the Erie Marathon has the highest percentage of runners hitting their BQ times. Runners praise the flat two-loop course on Presque Isle State Park, which offers plenty of shade, and the support, including water, electrolytes, and bathrooms every mile. One runner on BibRave describes Erie and its expo as “small, no frills, just here for business.”
St. George Marathon
Where: Central to St. George, Utah
When: October 7, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 70/36
Although making the 7 a.m. start requires a very early wakeup call—the last bus leaves for the start at 5:20 a.m.—the course drops. A lot. The first seven miles are a net downhill, 7 to 13 include some uphills, and then runners benefit from another 2,000 feet of elevation drop in the second half of the race. It’s a point-to-point course and runners praise the beauty of the surrounding cliffs.
Twin Cities
Where: Minneapolis to St. Paul, Minnesota
When: October 1, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 62/43
A 200-foot climb from miles 20 to 23 offers a challenge—and preparation for Boston’s Newton Hills. Runners love the ease of taking free public transportation to the start, the enthusiastic crowd support, and the beauty of running by multiple lakes on the course. Marathonguide reports 513 runners hit a BQ in 2022, thanks, in part, to pace teams that guide runners in 10-minute increments from 3:05 to 3:45, and then every 15 minutes from 4 to 5 hours.
Chicago Marathon
Where: Chicago, Illinois
When: October 8, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 66/45
As big-city marathons go, Chicago is one of the more convenient; runners don’t have to wake up hours in advance to travel to the outskirts of the city and wait, unsheltered, at a staging area. Instead, the start and finish in Grant Park are easy to access. Pace teams are set up to help runners make their goal times in five-minute increments between three and four hours.
Yes, you’re sharing the road with 40,000 other runners, but they’re divided into three waves. Elites know it’s a flat, fast course—they come seeking records, and five world records have been set in the race’s history. Applicants are accepted via a drawing, held shortly after the race each year.
Baystate Marathon
Where: Lowell, Massachusetts
When: October 15, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 60/36
This midsized marathon features two loops along the Merrimack River. The course map describes the race as “mostly flat—but with enough variation that you won’t overtax just one muscle group.”
In 2022, 27 percent of the field hit their BQs, according to Marathonguide.com. It gives runners a taste of running through Massachusetts towns, albeit 35 northwest of the Boston finish line.
Philadelphia Marathon
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: November 19, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 55/38
Nothing beats tucking into Thanksgiving dinner knowing that you’ve just scored a BQ. The Philadelphia Marathon, held annually the Sunday before Turkey Day, allows that pleasure, with a flat course along the Schuylkill River. If you can peel your eyes away from your GPS long enough, the route winds past many historic sites, including the Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin’s grave. Runners give high marks for the crowds of spectators lining the course, which finishes at the Philadelphia Art Museum, home to the famous Rocky steps.
Houston Marathon
Where: Houston, Texas
When: January 13-14, 2024
Average Daily High/Low: 64/47
Houston has seen plenty of records over the past two years: Keira D’Amato set an American record in the marathon here in 2021, Sara Hall set the half marathon record the same year, and Emily Sisson improved upon that half marathon time in 2023. If the pros head there, when they want to take a swing at a fast time, you know it will be reliable for a BQ as well. In 2023, 945 runners scored a BQ.
The half and the full run together for the first 7.5 miles before they split off. Along the way, runners are treated to entertainment from Elvis impersonators, belly dancers, and tuba players, among others. Organizers say 200,000 spectators line the flat course on race morning.
California International Marathon
Where: Folsom to Sacramento, California
When: December 3, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 57/39
CIM, as it’s known, boasts that it hasn’t changed its course in 36 years, and with an elevation drop of 340 feet, no one can claim to be undone by hills. According to Marathonguide.com, which crunches the numbers on Boston-qualifying races, 33 percent of the field qualified at CIM in 2022. Also, dozens of runners every year qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials at CIM, so you know if the elites are heading there, it’s a fast course.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
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