Boston qualifiers

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.

Sunday, February 15, 2026
Austin, Texas

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.

Sunday, March 1, 2026
Tokyo, Japan

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.

Sunday, March 15, 2026
Hilo, Hawaii

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.

Sunday, March 15, 2026
Cary, North Carolina

Asheville Marathon

Asheville Marathon & Half is a rolling Asheville road race with downtown climbs, riverside greenways, and a New Belgium Brewing finish in March.

Saturday, March 21, 2026
Asheville, North Carolina

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.

Saturday, March 21, 2026
Columbus, Georgia

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.

Saturday, March 21, 2026
Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania

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.

Sunday, March 22, 2026
Bakersfield, California

Modesto Marathon

Modesto Marathon is a flat Central Valley road marathon built for fast times, Boston qualifying, and a straightforward spring morning downtown.

Sunday, March 22, 2026
Modesto, California

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.

Sunday, March 22, 2026
Oakland, California

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.

Sunday, March 22, 2026
Virginia Beach, Virginia

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.

Saturday, March 28, 2026
East Islip, New York

Rend Lake Marathon

Rend Lake Marathon is a southern Illinois road marathon with lake views, paved path sections, rolling roads, and Boston-qualifier eligibility.

Saturday, March 28, 2026
Barren Township, Illinois

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.

Saturday, March 28, 2026
Las Vegas, Nevada

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.

Saturday, March 28, 2026
West Haven, Connecticut

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.

Saturday, March 28, 2026
Yakima, Washington

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.

Sunday, March 29, 2026
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Irving Marathon

Irving Marathon is a fast, flat North Texas road marathon centered at Toyota Music Factory with Boston-qualifying and USATF-certified credentials.

Sunday, March 29, 2026
Irving, Texas

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.

Sunday, March 29, 2026
Redmond, Washington

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.

Saturday, April 4, 2026
Potsdam, New York

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.

Saturday, April 4, 2026
Salisbury, Maryland

Victory Marathon

Victory Marathon trades city streets for a closed former munitions complex in western Indiana, giving Boston chasers a flat, unusual road course.

Saturday, April 11, 2026
Hillsdale, Indiana

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.

Sunday, April 12, 2026
Elizabeth City, North Carolina

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.

Sunday, April 12, 2026
Knoxville, Tennessee

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.

Sunday, April 12, 2026
Millbrook, New York

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.

Sunday, April 12, 2026
Geneva, Illinois

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.

Saturday, April 18, 2026
Kennewick, Washington

Delaware Marathon

Delaware Marathon is Wilmington's certified road marathon, giving runners a rare shot at a Delaware Boston qualifier from the Riverfront start.

Sunday, April 19, 2026
Wilmington, Delaware

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.

Sunday, April 19, 2026
Jersey City, New Jersey

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.

Sunday, April 19, 2026
Ojai, California

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.

Monday, April 20, 2026
Boston, Massachusetts

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.

Saturday, April 25, 2026
Champaign, Illinois

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.

Saturday, April 25, 2026
Kenosha, Wisconsin

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.

Sunday, April 26, 2026
Carmel, California

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.

Sunday, April 26, 2026
Eugene, Oregon

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.

Sunday, April 26, 2026
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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.

Sunday, April 26, 2026
Toledo, Ohio

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.

Sunday, April 26, 2026
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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.

Sunday, April 26, 2026
London, United Kingdom

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.

Saturday, May 2, 2026
Riceville, Iowa

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.

Sunday, May 3, 2026
Weott, California

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.

Sunday, May 3, 2026
Fort Collins, Colorado

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.

Saturday, May 9, 2026
Holdingford, Minnesota

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.

Saturday, May 16, 2026
Ogden, Utah

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.

Sunday, May 17, 2026
Olympia, Washington

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.

Sunday, May 17, 2026
Carrabassett Valley, Maine

Buffalo Marathon

Fast, scenic Memorial Day weekend marathon in downtown Buffalo, New York, with a convenient start/finish, waterfront views and Boston-qualifying course.

Sunday, May 24, 2026
Buffalo, New York

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.

Saturday, May 30, 2026
Fargo, North Dakota

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.

Sunday, August 30, 2026
Sydney, Australia

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.

Sunday, September 27, 2026
Berlin, Germany

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.

Sunday, October 11, 2026
Chicago, Illinois

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.

Sunday, November 1, 2026
New York, New York

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.

Saturday, November 7, 2026
Indianapolis, Indiana

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.

Saturday, November 14, 2026
Richmond, Virginia

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.

Saturday, November 14, 2026
Charlotte, North Carolina

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.

Sunday, November 15, 2026
Madison, Wisconsin

Palermo Marathon

Scenic Palermo city marathon through historic streets, parks and seafront, FIDAL-certified and Boston-qualifying with mild Mediterranean November temperatures.

Sunday, November 15, 2026
Palermo, Italy

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.

Sunday, November 15, 2026
Verona, Italy

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.

Sunday, November 22, 2026
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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.

Saturday, December 5, 2026
Memphis, Tennessee

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.

Sunday, December 6, 2026
Sacramento, California

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.

Sunday, December 13, 2026
Honolulu, Hawaii