2026 Boston Marathon Qualifiers
The B.A.A. does not publish a single official list of Boston Marathon qualifying races. Marathon Scout uses B.A.A. qualification guidance plus official race sources to track qualifying marathons. Use this page as a planning aid, but verify current qualification status on your own before signing up for a race, since standards and other factors can change year to year.
Ascension Seton Austin Marathon
Big Austin winter race with rolling hills, live music, loud crowd support, South Congress miles, and a downtown finish by the Texas State Capitol.
Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo Marathon is a lottery-driven spring major with immaculate organization, a fast city course, and one of the deepest international fields in racing.
Big Island International Marathon
Big Island International Marathon is a Hilo road marathon with coastal miles, two out-and-backs, and a warm, humid race morning on Hawaii Island.
Tobacco Road Marathon
The Tobacco Road Marathon is a fast Cary spring race on the American Tobacco Trail, known for Boston-qualifier attempts and PR-friendly pacing.
Asheville Marathon
Asheville Marathon & Half is a rolling Asheville road race with downtown climbs, riverside greenways, and a New Belgium Brewing finish in March.
Heroes of America Marathon
Heroes of America Marathon/Half Marathon/5K is a downtown Columbus road race with Riverwalk miles, Fort Moore segments, and a flat certified course.
Two Rivers Marathon Race Festival
Two Rivers Marathon Race Festival is a BQ-focused Lackawaxen road marathon weekend with fast Saturday racing, cold-weather risk, and a small-field feel.
Bakersfield Marathon
Bakersfield Marathon is a Kern County road race with a Kern County Museum start, Bakersfield neighborhood miles, and a hometown Boston-qualifier feel.
Modesto Marathon
Modesto Marathon is a flat Central Valley road marathon built for fast times, Boston qualifying, and a straightforward spring morning downtown.
Oakland Marathon
Oakland Marathon is a one-loop urban road marathon with Bay Bridge miles, East Bay crowd energy, and a certified course that can still punish pacing.
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon is a flat Virginia Beach road marathon with oceanfront energy, big local support, and a fast Boston-qualifying course.
Heckscher State Park Marathon
Heckscher State Park Marathon is a spring Long Island road marathon with closed park roads, looped laps, and an explicit Boston-qualifier setup.
Rend Lake Marathon
Rend Lake Marathon is a southern Illinois road marathon with lake views, paved path sections, rolling roads, and Boston-qualifier eligibility.
REVEL Mt Charleston
REVEL Mt Charleston is a fast downhill road marathon from Kyle Canyon to Las Vegas, built for PR attempts, downhill specialists, and BQ chasing.
Savin Rock Marathon
Savin Rock Marathon is a two-loop Connecticut road marathon along Long Island Sound with hills, state-championship billing, and Boston-qualifier status.
Yakima River Canyon Marathon
Yakima River Canyon Marathon is a scenic Washington point-to-point road marathon between Ellensburg and Selah on a certified Boston-qualifier course.
Chattanooga Marathon
Chattanooga Marathon is a hilly Tennessee road marathon with a certified Boston-qualifier course and a route built to showcase the city itself.
Irving Marathon
Irving Marathon is a fast, flat North Texas road marathon centered at Toyota Music Factory with Boston-qualifying and USATF-certified credentials.
Redmond City Marathon
Redmond City Marathon is a flat Washington path marathon along the Sammamish corridor, built as a Boston qualifier on an out-and-back course.
Raquette River Marathon
Raquette River Marathon is a small Potsdam road marathon with rolling river miles, a USATF-certified course, and clear Boston-qualifier status.
Salisbury Marathon
Salisbury Marathon is a flat Eastern Shore road marathon with Boston-qualifier credentials, a seven-hour cutoff, and a fast-course focus for PR-minded runners.
Victory Marathon
Victory Marathon trades city streets for a closed former munitions complex in western Indiana, giving Boston chasers a flat, unusual road course.
Coast Guard Marathon
Coast Guard Marathon is a flat Elizabeth City road race with base access, runway miles, and one of the clearest Boston-qualifier pitches in the South.
Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon
Knoxville Marathon is a hilly neighborhood road race with loud local support, live music, and a tougher Boston-qualifier feel than its city size suggests.
Millbrook Marathon
Millbrook Marathon is a rolling Hudson Valley road course that trades PR ease for quiet farms, spring scenery, and a certified Boston-qualifier route.
Spring Chance BQ.2 Marathon
Spring Chance BQ.2 is a small Geneva marathon built for runners chasing Boston, with strict entry standards, cool mornings, and elite bottle support.
Run the River Marathon
Run the River is a flat Tri-Cities road marathon beside the Columbia, built for fast spring miles on paved paths and roadways across all three cities.
Delaware Marathon
Delaware Marathon is Wilmington's certified road marathon, giving runners a rare shot at a Delaware Boston qualifier from the Riverfront start.
Jersey City Marathon
Jersey City Marathon is a flat, certified spring road race that gives the region a true fast-course option without New York's entry barriers.
Mountains to Beach Marathon
Mountains 2 Beach is a downhill point-to-point California marathon from Ojai to Ventura, built for fast times, net-drop pacing, and quick sellouts.
Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon is the sport's hardest prestige race to get into, with qualifying pressure, a net-downhill course, and the Newton Hills late.
Illinois Marathon
Illinois Marathon mixes campus streets, town roads, and a stadium finish, giving Champaign-Urbana a bigger race-weekend feel than most college-town marathons.
Wisconsin Marathon
Wisconsin Marathon hugs Lake Michigan with a flat double-loop course, a smaller field, and a cleaner profile now that the gravel is gone for good.
Big Sur International Marathon
Big Sur is a bucket-list point-to-point on Highway 1, where ocean views, Bixby Bridge, and Hurricane Point matter more than easy splits or PR math.
Eugene Marathon
Eugene Marathon brings TrackTown identity to a fast spring road course, with a sold-out field, Hayward Field finish, and a seven-hour limit.
Gettysburg North South Marathon
Gettysburg North South Marathon leaves the battlefield roads behind for hillier Adams County back roads and a cross-state loop into Maryland.
Glass City Marathon
Glass City is a proven Toledo PR marathon with smooth roads, little elevation change, and a stadium finish that keeps Boston chasers coming back.
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon pairs a broad city tour with a strong remembrance mission, making it feel more meaningful than a typical big April road race.
TCS London Marathon
TCS London Marathon is a massive spring major with relentless crowd support, strong charity culture, and one of the hardest entries to secure.
IronHorse Marathon
The IronHorse Marathon is a small border-country race on the WGWL trail system that doubles as a Boston qualifier and crosses between Iowa and Minnesota.
Avenue of the Giants Marathon
Avenue of the Giants Marathon is a redwood-road classic with old-growth scenery, shaded park miles, and one of road running's most distinctive settings.
Colorado Marathon
Colorado Marathon is a point-to-point descent through Poudre Canyon that draws runners chasing fast times, canyon views, and a serious Boston-qualifier setup.
Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon
Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon is a flat rail-trail favorite for runners who want long steady miles, a smaller field, and real Boston-qualifier intent.
Ogden Marathon
Ogden Marathon is one of the West's best-known downhill marathons, pairing canyon scenery, fast splits, and a polished race-weekend production.
Capital City Marathon
Capital City Marathon is a Pacific Northwest staple with rolling Olympia roads, a community-race feel, and enough hills to keep it from reading as a free PR.
Sugarloaf Marathon
Sugarloaf Marathon is a sought-after Maine race with a runner cap, mountain views, and one of the Northeast's best-known Boston-qualifier reputations.
Buffalo Marathon
Fast, scenic Memorial Day weekend marathon in downtown Buffalo, New York, with a convenient start/finish, waterfront views and Boston-qualifying course.
Fargo Marathon
Fargo Marathon mixes flat prairie-city running with a full weekend festival setup, making it one of the Upper Midwest's best-known large marathon events.
TCS Sydney Marathon
TCS Sydney Marathon is the newest World Marathon Major, with harbour views, bridge running, and a point-to-point course that is scenic but not flat.
BMW Berlin Marathon
BMW Berlin Marathon is the fastest World Marathon Major, with a flat city course, deep international field, and one of the best PR chances in racing.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a flat, fast major with 29 neighborhoods, massive crowd support, and one of the cleanest PR courses in the sport.
TCS New York City Marathon
TCS New York City Marathon is the sport's biggest marathon, with five-borough crowds, bridge climbs, and a course that is tougher than it looks.
CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Fast, flat November race through downtown Indianapolis; USATF-certified, PR-friendly, and a top U.S. Boston-qualifier with big crowds and crisp conditions.
Allianz Richmond Marathon
Riverfront Richmond marathon with a downhill finish and rolling, certified miles. Cool mid-November weather and smooth ops make it a reliable PR/BQ opportunity.
Novant Health Charlotte Marathon
Uptown start and a city tour through Dilworth, Myers Park, and Plaza Midwood. Rolling hills, big crowds, and crisp November weather reward smart pacing.
Madison Marathon presented by SSM Health
Scenic, moderately hilly tour of Madison's lakes and UW campus with a Capitol Square start/finish, USATF-certified Boston-qualifier and cool November temps.
Palermo Marathon
Scenic Palermo city marathon through historic streets, parks and seafront, FIDAL-certified and Boston-qualifying with mild Mediterranean November temperatures.
Verona Run Marathon
Fast city marathon from Bentegodi Stadium to Piazza Bra on mostly flat certified roads along the Adige River, cool November air and classic Verona scenery.
AACR Philadelphia Marathon
Fast, scenic marathon with Center City, Fairmount Park and Schuylkill River views; cool November weather and a certified course make it great for PRs and BQs.
St. Jude Memphis Marathon
Downtown Memphis marathon from Beale Street through Midtown, Overton Park and the St. Jude campus; rolling hills, huge crowd support and cool December weather.
California International Marathon (CIM)
Net-downhill, point-to-point from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol. Cool December temps and a flat final 10K make CIM a PR-friendly, Boston-qualifying race.
Honolulu Marathon
Scenic Honolulu marathon from Ala Moana past Waikiki and Diamond Head; ocean views, warm December weather and a certified course that is more tough than fast.