Marathon Comparisons
Explore our comprehensive list of marathons ranked by performance, popularity, and participant feedback. Marathons ranked by key performance metrics, participant reviews, and overall event quality. Use these rankings to compare races, evaluate your options, and select the event that aligns best with your running goals and experience level.
Marathon Rankings
| Date | Name | Description | City | State | Type | PR Score | BQ Score | Finishers | Qualified | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-26 | Boston Marathon | Historic point-to-point course with late Newton hills; net downhill early. |
Boston | MA | Hilly/Medium | 9:30 | 85.50% | 30,000 | 10.0 % | (2) |
| 2025-11-10 | Chicago Marathon | Flat and fast urban loop through diverse neighborhoods. |
Chicago | IL | Flat/Low | 9:45 | 78.25% | 40,000 | 14.0 % | (9) |
| 2026-03-01 | New York City Marathon | Five-borough tour; bridges and rolling Central Park finish. |
New York | NY | Hilly/Medium | 9:05 | 88.75% | 50,000 | 9.0 % | (1) |
| 2025-12-09 | London Marathon | Fast point-to-point style with iconic city landmarks. |
London | UK | Flat/Low | 9:50 | 72.30% | 42,000 | 16.0 % | (6) |
| 2026-01-06 | Berlin Marathon | Widely considered the fastest world marathon; record-friendly flat streets. |
Berlin | DE | Flat/Low | 9:55 | 65.80% | 45,000 | 20.0 % | (3) |
| 2026-01-29 | Tokyo Marathon | Modern city course, cool weather, strong elite field. |
Tokyo | JP | Flat/Low | 9:40 | 74.15% | 37,000 | 15.0 % | (6) |
| 2025-12-04 | Paris Marathon | Scenic urban tour; moderate crowding early, largely flat. |
Paris | FR | Flat/Low | 9:35 | 81.40% | 52,000 | 12.0 % | (9) |
| 2025-11-21 | Los Angeles Marathon | Point-to-point with rolling sections; variable coastal weather. |
Los Angeles | CA | Hilly/Medium | 8:55 | 89.95% | 22,000 | 7.0 % | (5) |
| 2026-04-20 | Houston Marathon | Cool January weather and flat streets ideal for PR attempts. |
Houston | TX | Flat/Low | 9:30 | 69.45% | 12,000 | 18.0 % | (1) |
| 2026-05-14 | Grandma's Marathon | Net downhill point-to-point along Lake Superior; cool early summer temps. |
Duluth | MN | Flat/Low | 9:45 | 67.60% | 8,000 | 19.0 % | (2) |
| 2026-02-17 | Twin Cities Marathon | Scenic urban/park lakes course; gentle rolling hills late. |
Minneapolis | MN | Hilly/Medium | 9:05 | 79.25% | 7,500 | 13.0 % | (8) |
| 2025-11-27 | Marine Corps Marathon | Scenic Washington D.C. and Arlington; rolling with early climbs. |
Arlington | VA | Hilly/Medium | 8:40 | 87.20% | 19,000 | 8.0 % | (2) |
| 2026-05-14 | Philadelphia Marathon | Fast fall race; mixed urban and river out-and-backs. |
Philadelphia | PA | Flat/Medium | 9:20 | 74.15% | 11,000 | 15.0 % | (1) |
| 2026-01-13 | Honolulu Marathon | Warm, humid tropical conditions; scenic coastal and volcanic vistas. |
Honolulu | HI | Hilly/Medium | 7:50 | 90.00% | 20,000 | 4.0 % | (4) |
| 2026-04-03 | California International Marathon | Net downhill from Folsom to Sacramento; cool December temps. |
Sacramento | CA | Flat/Low | 9:50 | 62.35% | 9,000 | 23.0 % | (5) |
| 2026-04-15 | Valencia Marathon | Very flat, fast European winter marathon; modern course design. |
Valencia | ES | Flat/Low | 9:55 | 64.75% | 25,000 | 21.0 % | (6) |
| 2025-12-09 | Amsterdam Marathon | Fast autumn race; flat city and park segments. |
Amsterdam | NL | Flat/Low | 9:40 | 69.45% | 17,000 | 18.0 % | (4) |
| 2026-04-04 | Rotterdam Marathon | Reputed flat spring European course ideal for PRs. |
Rotterdam | NL | Flat/Low | 9:50 | 65.80% | 14,500 | 20.0 % | (1) |
| 2026-01-29 | Austin Marathon | Challenging rolling course; warmer early-season conditions. |
Austin | TX | Hilly/High | 7:30 | 89.05% | 6,000 | 5.0 % | (6) |
| 2026-04-01 | Miami Marathon | Scenic coastal winter marathon; warm and humid. |
Miami | FL | Flat/Low | 8:20 | 88.10% | 6,000 | 6.0 % | (4) |