Marathon guides

Opinionated, data-backed answers to the questions runners actually ask — each one ranked live from our Green Score catalog and race-day weather normals.

• The easiest marathons for your first one
  The most beginner-friendly US marathons, ranked by a first-timer difficulty score from course, race-day weather normals, and crowd support. Flat, cool, well-supported races to debut at.
• The flattest, fastest marathons for a Boston Qualifier
  The best Boston-qualifying marathons to run a fast time: flat courses with cool, dry race-day weather, ranked from race-day climatology normals and elevation data.
• The coolest-weather marathons in the US
  US marathons with the coolest, driest race-day weather, ranked by historical temperature and dew point at the start line. Race where the heat won't cost you minutes.

Want a ruling instead of a ranking? Read the Verdicts →