This list is for people who want to qualify this year, in 2014 and run in 2015. (Boston Qualifying Rules here, your qualifying race needs to be on or after Sept 14, 2013)

The CRITERIA I am using: up to September 7th, 2014 (registration opens in September 8th, 2014), fast, flat or downhill, still open, good reputation as a BQ. Feel free to send me races to add, or to tell me if these need to be edited!

Ordered by upcoming date:

Run for the Red Marathon, 5/18, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA

Buffalo Marathon, 5/25,  Buffalo, NY

Mountains to Beach Marathon, 5/25, Ojai, California

Newport Marathon, 5/31, Newport, Oregon

Grandma’s marathon, 6/21, Minnesota

Run Charlevoix, 6/21, Charlevoix, Michigan

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon, 7/4, Portland, Oregon.

Light at the End of the Tunnel, 7/13, North Bend, WA. 

Chasing the Unicorn, 8/17, Bucks County, PA.

Santa Rosa Marathon, 8/24, Santa Rosa, 55 miles N of San Francisco, CA

Pocatello Marathon, 8/30, Pocatello, ID

Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon, 9/7, Allentown, PA

Skagit Flats, 9/7, Burlington, WA

Sioux Falls Marathon, 9/7, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

(too late) Big Cottonwood Marathon, 9/13, Utah

(too late) Erie Marathon at Presque Isle, 9/14, Erie, PA

(too late) Top of Utah, 9/20, Cache Valley, Northern Utah

(too late) Fox Cities Marathon, 9/21, Appleton, WI

 What else? Any marathon I should add here?

-If you want to compare marathons, I’ve used this website before, just choose two and compare hills, course, temperature, etc, very useful.

—-Comment happily: you won’t be asked to create an account!

22 responses to “Best Races to Qualify for Boston Marathon 2015”

  1. Jason Avatar

    Great post! I’d add Cleveland – it’s 5/18 and I think it’s quite fast!

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    1. emaiuolo Avatar

      thanks Jason, I’ll research!!

      Like

    2. emaiuolo Avatar

      Hi Jason, seems like “fastish” marathon but the fastest… so a few hills in there according to the elevation map.

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    1. emaiuolo Avatar

      thanks!!! Updated! I had checked just 2 days ago. YEY! List complete!

      Like

  2. MinneDan Avatar
    MinneDan

    Really soon – 5/10 Lake Wobegon Marathon, St. Cloud MN

    They added this recently.
    http://fv26.com/LCBQ/index.htm

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  3. alsoranagain Avatar

    I’m running the (sold out) Newport Marathon on 5/31 and would love to get that elusive BQ!

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    1. emaiuolo Avatar

      Nice!!! Is it supposed to be flat and fast? Will check it out. Won’t include here if it’s sold out though… GOOD LUCK!!

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      1. alsoranagain Avatar

        Thank you! Yes to “flat and fast,” but I’ve heard the course is cambered, which won’t work well for me and my IT bands! They have oyster shooters at two point on the course, so if my BQ-chance is out the window, I can try those. Ha!

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  4. prettylittlerunner Avatar

    mohawk-hudson marathon in october… IT MAY be at capacity now but its a good, fast, flat one for sure… great list… thank you

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    1. emaiuolo Avatar

      That is a great and BQ-friendly race!!! But it will be too late to qualify for 2015… I don’t think they’ll wait until October to sign people up… ;-(

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      1. prettylittlerunner Avatar

        No you are totally right… But if someone was looking for 2016 it would be perfect;) I wanted to qualify for next year, but it WILL indeed have to wait til 2016 at least

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        1. emaiuolo Avatar

          then, that’s an amazing choice of race!

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  5. Jim Avatar
    Jim

    I haven’t run it, but supposedly the Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita, KS (on October 12, 2014 this year) is a fast, flat race, and a good Boston qualifier. http://prairiefiremarathon.com/ I’m running the spring half on Sunday 🙂

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    1. emaiuolo Avatar

      Nice Jim!!! That would probably not get you a BQ in time for 2015 though, but it can work for 2016. good luck!!

      Like

  6. Best Races to Qualify for Boston Marathon 2014 | runningandthecity Avatar

    […] Updated for this year 2014/2015, here:  Best Races to Qualify for Boston Marathon 2015  […]

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  7. pam Avatar
    pam

    Add Eugene Oregon marathon. Now being held July 27.

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  8. VegRunner Avatar
    VegRunner

    Quecbec marathon – August 24th!

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  9. MIke St. Laurent Avatar

    Please consider adding our race, the LOCO Marathon to your list of top races to qualify for Boston at.

    Even though the race is small, we qualified over 46% of all finishers.
    http://locomarathon.com

    http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/nh/Oct26_LocoMa_set1.shtml


    Mike St. Laurent
    LOCO Sports, Inc.
    603 659 2824

    Like

    1. emaiuolo Avatar

      will look into it THANKS!

      Like

  10. Polly Sparling Avatar

    Here’s a brand-new race just 90 minutes north of NYC. The Walkway Marathon is a flat, fast, USATF-certified loop course that utilizes two shady, paved rail trails for most of the distance. The course crosses the Hudson River via the Walkway Over the Hudson — a 19th-century railroad bridge that has been converted into the world’s longest linear park. Awesome views, and many BQs expected.
    June 13, 2015 – http://www.walkwaymarathon.org

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  11. Visit Redding Avatar

    The Redding Marathon, every January, is a Boston Qualifier and has a beautiful course along the Sacramento River, and ending at the famous Sundial Bridge.

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