Flagship ranking · updated July 10, 2026

Best Marathons in the US

Every "best marathons" list you've read was assembled in an editorial meeting. This one was computed. Each race below carries a composite score out of 100 built from four public signals — field size, history, credentials, and course character — and the breakdown is printed right on the row. We wrote the analysis after the math, not the other way around, which means a few results surprised even us. That's the point: a ranking you can argue with is worth more than one you have to take on faith.

A note on what the numbers reward. This index favors races that have proven themselves at scale and over time, which is why the majors sit up top. But the formula's log-scale field component means a 7,000-runner race with a great course and four decades of history can sit shoulder to shoulder with a 45,000-runner giant — and several do. If you're hunting a personal best rather than an experience, jump to the flat-and-fast picks flagged below; if you're hunting an experience, the top five are the top five for a reason.

Full formula, weights, and our never-sold pledge are on the methodology page. Spot a factual error in any listing? Race directors can claim and correct their own — that's free, always.

Composite /100 · FLD field · HST history · CRD credentials · CHR character

  1. 1 New York City Marathon New York, NY Nov 2026 Major BQ USATF 100.0/100

    2. The only race in our index that nearly maxes out every component at once. Five boroughs, the largest marathon field in the world, and a course that turns the city into a 26.2-mile grandstand — the wall of sound waiting on First Avenue is the most famous crowd moment in the sport. It isn't flat and it isn't fast; the bridges see to that. Nobody runs New York for the splits.

  2. 2 Chicago Marathon Chicago, IL Oct 2026 Major BQ USATF 94.5/100

    3. The fastest big-city course in America and the data agrees: a pancake-flat loop through more than two dozen neighborhoods, deep crowd support the whole way, and a start-line list that has produced world records. If New York is the experience pick, Chicago is the rare race that's both an experience and a PR course — the highest score-per-unit-of-suffering on this list.

  3. 3 Boston Marathon Boston, MA Apr 2027 Major BQ USATF 93.3/100

    4. The oldest annual marathon on earth, and the only one here you have to earn your way into. The scored components actually undersell it — no field-size number captures what a unicorn medal means to the people chasing one. Know what you're signing up for: the point-to-point course from Hopkinton gives back early and takes it away in the Newton hills, with Heartbreak Hill waiting at mile 20.

  4. 4 Marine Corps Marathon Arlington, VA Oct 2026 BQ USATF 90.8/100

    5. "The People's Marathon" — no prize purse, no elite appearance fees, just one of the largest fields in the country running past the monuments and getting their medal from a Marine. The Blue Mile, lined with photographs of fallen service members, is the most moving stretch of road in American running. Fifty years of history and a huge field give it a score that outranks races with far flashier reputations.

  5. 5 Grandma's Marathon Duluth, MN Jun 2027 BQ USATF 87.1/100

    6. Proof of what the log-scale field component is for. Duluth is a fraction of the size of the cities above it, but a point-to-point course along Lake Superior, a June date that owns the early-summer calendar, and nearly fifty years of history earn it a top-five score. The whole town shows up. If you only travel for one non-major, the data says make it this one.

  6. 6 Twin Cities Marathon Minneapolis, MN Oct 2026 BQ USATF 85.0/100

    7. Bills itself as the most beautiful urban marathon in America, and in early October — lakes, river parkways, and fall color from Minneapolis to the finish at the St. Paul capitol — the claim holds up. Its character score is tied for the highest of any road marathon in the index. A quietly excellent BQ course too, if the weather cooperates.

  7. 7 Big Sur International Marathon Big Sur, CA Apr 2027 BQ USATF 81.6/100

    8. The most beautiful road marathon in America, full stop — Highway 1, crashing surf, and a grand piano at Bixby Bridge. Its composite is held down by a small capped field and a brutally honest hill profile, which is the formula working as designed: this is a bucket-list race, not a fast one. Do it the same year as Boston if you can land both.

  8. 8 Richmond Marathon Richmond, VA Nov 2026 BQ USATF 80.7/100

    9. Markets itself as America's friendliest marathon and backs it up with junk-food stations and wet washcloths in the late miles — hospitality as race strategy. Underneath the charm is a legitimately good November course: rolling but honest, with a downhill finish to the river. Nearly fifty years of history does real work in its score.

  9. 9 Houston Marathon Houston, TX Jan 2027 BQ USATF 80.5/100

    10. The serious PR hunter's January pick. Flat, fast, superbly organized, and cool-weather reliable, with one of the largest winter fields in the country. Its character score is modest and its composite doesn't care — this race exists to produce fast times, and it does.

  10. 10 Vermont City Marathon Burlington, VT May 2027 BQ USATF 77.4/100

    11. The surprise of the top ten, and a good example of the formula doing its job. Burlington's Memorial Day weekend race pairs Lake Champlain views with genuine small-city charm and three-plus decades of history. It scores on character and longevity rather than size — which is exactly why you can still get in.

  11. 11 Philadelphia Marathon Philadelphia, PA Nov 2026 BQ USATF 76.3/100

    12. A strong November option that threads historic districts and the Schuylkill River before finishing by the Art Museum. Solid on every component without dominating any — the definition of a dependable big-city marathon that's easier to enter than the majors.

  12. 12 California International Marathon Sacramento, CA Dec 2026 BQ USATF 74.7/100

    13. The BQ and Olympic-Trials-qualifier factory. CIM's net-downhill point-to-point from Folsom to the state capitol is engineered for December speed, and its field is famously stacked with people chasing a number. Scores below flashier races on character; if you're reading this list for a qualifier, ignore that and register.

  13. 13 Missoula Marathon Missoula, MT Jun 2027 BQ USATF 70.5/100

    14. A summer point-to-point into downtown Missoula that runners consistently rate among their favorites anywhere. Small field, big-sky scenery, and western hospitality. Its score is capped by size and relative youth — its reputation is not.

  14. 14 Eugene Marathon Eugene, OR Apr 2027 BQ USATF 68.5/100

    15. TrackTown USA's marathon finishes on the Hayward Field track, which is the single best finish-line gimmick in the sport because it isn't a gimmick. Flat, green, and spring-dated. Young by this list's standards, which the longevity component prices in.

  15. 15 Mesa Marathon Mesa, AZ Feb 2027 BQ USATF 59.7/100

    16. A February desert race built almost entirely for speed: a gentle net-downhill profile that has made it a fixture on BQ-chasers' calendars. The youngest and lowest-scored race on this list — and the one whose score we'd bet rises steadily as its history component compounds.

  16. 16 Des Moines Women's Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Des Moines, IA May 2027 15.0/100
  17. 17 Coast Guard Marathon Elizabeth City, NC Apr 2027 15.0/100
  18. 18 2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay Lexington, VA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  19. 19 Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon, 5K, and Kid's Fun Run Bird In Hand, PA Sep 2026 15.0/100
  20. 20 2026 Humboldt Redwoods Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K Weott, CA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  21. 21 2027 Avenue of the Giants Marathon Arcata, CA May 2027 15.0/100
  22. 22 Circle the Lake Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K Faribault, MN Sep 2026 15.0/100
  23. 23 Annapolis Striders 2026 Moore’s Marines Marathon Training Severna Park, MD Jul 2026 15.0/100
  24. 24 22nd Annual Run Through Time Trail Marathon and Half Marathon Salida, CO Mar 2027 15.0/100
  25. 25 7th Annual Mangum Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Ellerbe, NC Jan 2027 15.0/100
  26. 26 ALBUQUERQUE MARATHON + HALF MARATHON, 10K, 5K AND KIDS K Albuquerque, NM Apr 2027 15.0/100
  27. 27 AmeriHealth Atlantic City Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & G. Larry James 5K Atlantic City, NJ Oct 2026 15.0/100
  28. 28 14th Annual Springfield Marathon & Harvest Wind Half Marathon & 10K New Berlin, IL Nov 2026 15.0/100
  29. 29 6th Annual BONT Florida Inline Skating Marathon! Sarasota, FL Nov 2026 15.0/100
  30. 30 Cincinnati, OH Galloway Training Program Cincinnati, OH May 2026 15.0/100
  31. 31 Bedrock Valley Trail Runs Hemet, CA Apr 2027 15.0/100
  32. 32 2027 Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon Kalamazoo, MI Apr 2027 15.0/100
  33. 33 19th Annual Jim Rowland FCA River Valley Run 5k, 10k, Half Marathon Fort Smith, AR Nov 2026 15.0/100
  34. 34 Boise River Marathon Boise, ID May 2027 15.0/100
  35. 35 Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon - Milwaukee Menomonee Falls, WI Aug 2026 15.0/100
  36. 36 6th Banja Luka Marathon Banja Luka, Oct 2026 15.0/100
  37. 37 Cummins Falls Marathon, Half, 10K, 5K Cookeville, TN Feb 2027 15.0/100
  38. 38 Denver, CO Galloway Training Program Denver, CO Jul 2026 15.0/100
  39. 39 Boston or Bust Marathon Huntsville, AL Sep 2026 15.0/100
  40. 40 DONNA Marathon Weekend Jacksonville Beach, FL Feb 2027 15.0/100
  41. 41 Carmel Marathon Weekend Carmel, IN Apr 2027 15.0/100
  42. 42 Back Your Badge Marathon Plainfield, IN Sep 2026 15.0/100
  43. 43 City of Trees Marathon Boise, ID Oct 2026 15.0/100
  44. 44 Daytona 100 Ultra Jacksonville Beach, FL Dec 2026 15.0/100
  45. 45 2026 - NorthShore Inline Marathon Duluth, MN Sep 2026 15.0/100
  46. 46 Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon - Sarasota Sarasota, FL Dec 2026 15.0/100
  47. 47 2026 Berlin Marathon Semper Fi & America's Fund Team Berlin, BE Sep 2026 15.0/100
  48. 48 Bobcat Glouster, OH Nov 2026 15.0/100
  49. 49 Coastal Delaware Running Festival Rehoboth Beach, DE Apr 2027 15.0/100
  50. 50 Conquer the Canyon Marathon Race Festival: Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K Wellsboro, PA Jul 2026 15.0/100
  51. 51 11th Annual Plattsburgh Tour de Force Charity Run and Bike Race Plattsburgh, NY Sep 2026 15.0/100
  52. 52 DENFIT Winter Soldier Cape Vincent, NY Feb 2027 15.0/100
  53. 53 AIDSPIRIT USA Marathon Harlowton, MT Sep 2026 15.0/100
  54. 54 Best of the West Ravenna, OH Sep 2026 15.0/100
  55. 55 Community First Fox Cities Marathon presented by Miron Construction Menasha, WI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  56. 56 Aiken Trailblazer Halloween Marathon, Half Marathon - 10K - 5K - Kids Fun Run at Stable View Aiken, SC Oct 2026 15.0/100
  57. 57 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon, Relays, 5k and Kids Run Knoxville, TN Apr 2027 15.0/100
  58. 58 Classic City Marathon, Half Marathon, and Marathon Relay Athens, GA Mar 2027 15.0/100
  59. 59 2026 Haulin Aspen Bend, OR Aug 2026 15.0/100
  60. 60 Caesar Creek Trail Race Waynesville, OH Nov 2026 15.0/100
  61. 61 Cascade Express Marathon & Half Marathon North Bend, WA Sep 2026 15.0/100
  62. 62 Crystal Lake Team Marathon Beulah, MI Aug 2026 15.0/100
  63. 63 Bangor Marathon - Full/Half/10K/5K - Running Festival Bangor, ME Jun 2027 15.0/100
  64. 64 Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® Bald Head Island, NC Oct 2026 15.0/100
  65. 65 Charity Partner Fundraising Team Anderson, SC Jan 2026 15.0/100
  66. 66 Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon - Denver Denver, CO Aug 2026 15.0/100
  67. 67 Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon - Minneapolis Maple Grove, MN Aug 2026 15.0/100
  68. 68 Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon - Oklahoma City Yukon, OK Sep 2026 15.0/100
  69. 69 Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon & 17 Mile Fun Run Mena, AR Jan 2027 15.0/100
  70. 70 Boston Mini-Marathon & Festival Boston, GA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  71. 71 2026 San Antonio Marathon San Antonio, TX Dec 2026 15.0/100
  72. 72 Athens Ohio Marathon Athens, OH Apr 2027 15.0/100
  73. 73 ChesCo Race Fest Wayne, PA Mar 2027 15.0/100
  74. 74 2026 Route 66 Race Across Kansas Galena, KS Nov 2026 15.0/100
  75. 75 Blue Sky Trail Marathon & Half Marathon Fort Collins, CO Oct 2026 15.0/100
  76. 76 Belleville Main Street Marathon & Half Marathon Belleville, IL Sep 2026 15.0/100
  77. 77 Bull of the Woods Trail Races Taos Ski Valley, NM Sep 2026 15.0/100
  78. 78 Breckenridge RunFest Breckenridge, CO Oct 2026 15.0/100
  79. 79 2027 Zydeco Marathon - 26.2 Full | 13.1 Half | Team Relay | 5k | 1 Mile Lafayette, LA Mar 2027 15.0/100
  80. 80 Bellingham Bay Marathon Bellingham, WA Sep 2026 15.0/100
  81. 81 Cadillac YMCA Festival of Races Cadillac, MI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  82. 82 Augusta Marathon - Full/Half/10K/5K - Running Festival Augusta, ME Jul 2026 15.0/100
  83. 83 2026 Marine Corp Marathon with Girls on the Run Arlington, VA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  84. 84 5 Fields/TCRR Training Team Charles City, VA May 2026 15.0/100
  85. 85 Buzz Sawyer Western Maryland Marathon/Half Marathon/10k Hancock, MD Oct 2026 15.0/100
  86. 86 6TH SEAWITCH 1/2 MARATHON CLASSIC (SEAWITCH RACING FESTIVAL WEEKEND) Lewes, DE Oct 2026 15.0/100
  87. 87 BuckeyeThon 5K Columbus, OH Sep 2026 15.0/100
  88. 88 2027 Tokyo Marathon Semper Fi & America's Fund Team Shinjuku City, 13 Mar 2027 15.0/100
  89. 89 Curnow Duluth, MN Jul 2026 15.0/100
  90. 90 2026 Running Richmond - Youth Programs Charity Entries Richmond, VA Nov 2026 15.0/100
  91. 91 Backyard Ultra in New Town (Oct 10 8:00AM) Saint Charles, MO Oct 2026 15.0/100
  92. 92 2027 Cape Town Marathon Semper Fi & America's Fund Team Cape Town, May 2027 15.0/100
  93. 93 2026 - San Antonio Marathon San Antonio, TX Dec 2026 15.0/100
  94. 94 2026 Seattle Ghost Marathon, Half & 50K Seattle, WA Nov 2026 15.0/100
  95. 95 Alaska Salmon Runs Cordova, AK Jul 2026 15.0/100
  96. 96 2026 Dublin Marathon Semper Fi & America's Fund Team Dublin, Oct 2026 15.0/100
  97. 97 Bakersfield Marathon Bakersfield, CA Apr 2027 15.0/100
  98. 98 Durango Marathon Durango, CO Oct 2026 15.0/100
  99. 99 Baystate Marathon Lowell, MA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  100. 100 2026 Honolulu Marathon Semper Fi & America's Fund Team Honolulu, HI Dec 2026 15.0/100
  101. 101 Alum Creek Trail Races Lewis Center, OH Oct 2026 15.0/100
  102. 102 Asics + Superfeet Marathon Training Program Columbia, MO Jul 2026 15.0/100
  103. 103 Distance Bey – Virtual Nassau Marathon Orlando, FL Jan 2026 15.0/100
  104. 104 2026 SFA Marine Corps Marathon Team Arlington, VA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  105. 105 Dublin Marathon - SRPS Charity Team Philadelphia, PA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  106. 106 Berlin Marathon - SRPS Charity Team Philadelphia, PA Sep 2026 15.0/100
  107. 107 D&L RaceFest presented by St. Luke's Easton, PA Nov 2026 15.0/100
  108. 108 Chick Fil A Corinth Half Marathon Corinth, MS Nov 2026 15.0/100
  109. 109 2027 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend Orlando, FL Jan 2027 15.0/100
  110. 110 25TH ANNUAL LITTLE ROCK MARATHON WEEKEND Little Rock, AR Mar 2027 15.0/100
  111. 111 Appalachian Fair 2.62 Mile Mini Marathon & Kid's Duck Waddle Dash Gray, TN Aug 2026 15.0/100
  112. 112 Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic PADUCAH, KY Oct 2026 15.0/100
  113. 113 ASP's Franconia Notch Half Marathon Franconia, NH Oct 2026 15.0/100
  114. 114 2026 HARRA Warm-Up Series Bundles Houston, TX Oct 2026 15.0/100
  115. 115 2026 SFA Philadelphia Marathon Team Philadelphia, PA Nov 2026 15.0/100
  116. 116 Cedar Rapids Marathon Weekend - Early Bird Cedar Rapids, IA Apr 2027 15.0/100
  117. 117 Chernisky Ghost Town Trail-a-thon Ebensburg, PA Oct 2026 15.0/100
  118. 118 Cape Blossom Marathon Kotzebue, AK Aug 2026 15.0/100
  119. 119 2027 SFA Los Angeles Marathon Team Los Angeles, CA Mar 2027 15.0/100
  120. 120 Beulah Block Micro Marathon - B2M2 Beulah, MI Jul 2026 15.0/100
  121. 121 Big Sky Marathon Ennis, MT Jul 2026 15.0/100
  122. 122 Big Beach Marathon, Half Marathon & Safari 5K Gulf Shores, AL Jan 2027 15.0/100
  123. 123 Discover Whitewater Series Whitewater, WI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  124. 124 2026 Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Half Marathon and Fall 5K Bar Harbor, ME Sep 2026 15.0/100
  125. 125 2026 Fall Prairie Fire Marathon presented by Davis-Moore Automotive Group Wichita, KS Oct 2026 15.0/100
  126. 126 Brew City Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Milwaukee, WI Apr 2027 15.0/100
  127. 127 23rd Annual Groom Creek Classic: 1/2 Marathon, 10k, 5k Run Prescott, AZ Sep 2026 15.0/100
  128. 128 Adrenaline Races West Bend, WI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  129. 129 Buffalo Marathon Weekend Buffalo, NY May 2027 15.0/100
  130. 130 2026 Holland Haven Marathon Holland, MI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  131. 131 DoLittle Marathon Oconomowoc, WI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  132. 132 26 x 1-Mile Marathon Relay Philadelphia, PA Sep 2026 15.0/100
  133. 133 Bre's Run Bourbon, IN Jul 2026 15.0/100
  134. 134 Combos(R) Marathon and Half Marathon Albany, GA Mar 2027 15.0/100
  135. 135 BHM26.2 2026- The Alabama Race Series Hoover, AL Oct 2026 15.0/100
  136. 136 Devil After Dark Las Vegas, NV Sep 2026 15.0/100
  137. 137 Cape May Hallowed Half Marathon Cape May, NJ Oct 2026 15.0/100
  138. 138 Allianz Richmond Marathon, CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, & Capital One Richmond 8k Richmond, VA Nov 2026 15.0/100
  139. 139 Cajun Country Run (1/2 Marathon, 10k, 5k & Fun Run) Lafayette, LA Dec 2026 15.0/100
  140. 140 Baltimore Running Festival Baltimore, MD Oct 2026 15.0/100
  141. 141 Delaware Running Festival Wilmington, DE Apr 2027 15.0/100
  142. 142 Boring Marathon, Half-Boring Half Marathon, Constantly Boring 10K, and Somewhat Boring 5K Race Series Boring, OR Sep 2026 15.0/100
  143. 143 Cedar Springs-Run Michigan Cheap Cedar Springs, MI Oct 2026 15.0/100
  144. 144 Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon - Atlanta Johns Creek, GA Sep 2026 15.0/100
  145. 145 Chicagoland Spring Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K Schaumburg, IL May 2027 15.0/100
  146. 146 Aspen Valley Marathon Aspen, CO Jul 2026 15.0/100
  147. 147 AdventHealth Presents the Central Florida Legends Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K DeBary, FL Nov 2026 15.0/100
  148. 148 Catalina Island Marathon, 10K, 5K Avalon, CA Mar 2027 15.0/100
  149. 149 Apple Dumpling Day Races Elroy, WI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  150. 150 bg26.2 & half marathon and bg6000 Bowling Green, KY Oct 2026 15.0/100
  151. 151 64th Annual JFK 50 Mile presented by Altra Boonsboro, MD Nov 2026 15.0/100
  152. 152 Dark Horse Trail Series (26.2 - 13.1 - 10k) Mill Spring, NC Aug 2026 15.0/100
  153. 153 Big Island International Marathon 2027 30 years running the old coast of Hawaii Hilo, HI Sep 2026 15.0/100
  154. 154 Colorado Springs Marathon, Half, 5K, and Kids K Colorado Springs, CO Oct 2026 15.0/100
  155. 155 2026 Greenbrier River Trail Marathon & Half Marathon Marlinton, WV Oct 2026 15.0/100

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