- Weather
- 39°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~600 runners
- Course
- Net downhill
- Elevation
- 50 ft gain · -250 ft net
Event: St. Luke's D&L Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience7
3rd Monday in April · Northeast · Point-to-Point
Boston Marathon
Boston, MA · Monday, April 19, 2027
The oldest annual marathon in the world, run continuously since 1897, and the only Major with a strict qualifying time to enter. The course runs net downhill from Hopkinton but punishes that early gift: the Wellesley College "Scream Tunnel" marks the halfway point, and the late hills through Newton, Heartbreak Hill among them, arrive right when downhill quads are already burned, before the finish on Boylston Street.
World Marathon Major; strict BQ entry
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Bucket List
- Scenic
- Big Race Experience
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
40°
Cooler than 89% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
800ft
Flatter than 15% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
30K
Larger than 99% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
8.9/10
Ahead of 51% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
800 ft gain · -450 ft net
Net downhill course, point-to-point.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
32°
Start
40°
Midday
51°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 40°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 33°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
This is a course built to give time back.
Boston Marathon is a strong choice for a fast time on tired legs, and the route gives back elevation for most of the 26.2 miles. The tradeoff is scale: race morning is complicated and you are sharing the course with a very large field.
Why runners choose this race
A point-to-point course around Boston, MA, that gives back elevation for most of the race.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- Runners who care about scenery
- Big-race atmosphere
The tradeoffs
- You dislike crowded starts and corrals
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Point-to-Point
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Net downhill
- Total gain
- 800 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 450 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- -450 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~30,000 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Wall-to-wall crowds
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in different locations
Race details
- Typical timing
- 3rd Monday in April
- Next confirmed date
- Monday, April 19, 2027
- Region
- Northeast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Bucket List
- Scenic
- Big Race Experience
- World Marathon Major
- Point-to-point
- Net downhill
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 55°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Net downhill
- Elevation
- 150 ft gain · -500 ft net
Historic fall foliage marathon
PR9Weather9Experience7
- Weather
- 43°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Net downhill
- Elevation
- 100 ft gain · -500 ft net
Event: Full Marathon with Scenic Train Ride
PR10Weather9Experience7