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. Boston registration is rolling, with the fastest runners allowed to sign up first. 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. This is the reason why selecting a Boston qualifying marathon is critical, as every minute counts—and 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.
Eugene Marathon
Where: Eugene, Oregon
When: May 1, 2022
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 10, 2022
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, more than 50 percent of the field hits the mark for 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 65 percent of runners hit the mark at that race in 2018). There’s a spring race on the Saturday after the Boston Marathon.
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 11, 2022
Average Daily High/Low: 74/58
Beside the Last Chance BQ races, the Erie Marathon has the highest percentage of runners hitting their BQ times, with 676 of 1,478, or 46.2 percent, doing so in 2018. 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 1, 2022
Average Daily High/Low: 70/36
Although making the 7:00 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 2, 2022
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 (assuming you qualify). 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 829 runners hit a BQ in 2018, 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 9, 2022
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 16, 2022
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 2021, 29 percent of the field hit their BQs, and in 2017, 32.5 percent of the field met their requirement, 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 20, 2022
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.
California International Marathon
Where: Folsom to Sacramento, California
When: December 4, 2022
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, 30 percent of the field qualified at CIM in 2019. Also, over a 100 runners qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials at the 2019 CIM, so you know if the elites are heading there, it’s a fast course.
Huntsville Marathon
Where: Huntsville, Utah
When: September 16, 2023
Average Daily High/Low: 76/36
There won't be a Huntsville Marathon in 2022, but you can still lace up in September of 2023. This marathon offers an unusual promise: Boston qualification or your money back. (In order to qualify for the deal, runners must be potential Boston Marathon first-timers, and they have to have been within 10 minutes of a qualifying time at a race in the previous two years.)
How can a race be so bold? Well, a downhill, point-to-point course. The route drops from 8,700 feet of elevation at the start in Monte Cristo to 4,900 feet in Huntsville. If you like downhill running, it’s the route for you. A sweet touch: Skittles are supplied at mile 15 and Swedish Fish at mile 25.
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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