🇺🇸Boston, USA
Boston Marathon
Expected April 2027
Race facts
Next edition · 2027
Expected April 2027
Date not yet confirmedEstimated from the usual calendar slot. Last edition: Apr 20, 2026.
Start
Athletes' Village in Hopkinton, reached by official buses from Boston Common — expect a long wait before the start
Course
247 melevation gain
- Distance · surface
- 42.2 km · Road
- Layout
- Point-to-point, net downhill but hilly
- Profile
- Downhill first ~25 km (quad-shredding), Newton Hills from ~km 26–32, then downhill into the city
Entry
A qualifying time at a certified marathon, or a charity bib
- 2027 entry
- Not yet recorded. Check the official site for dates and status.
- Registration
- Qualifier registration window each September for the following April
Dates and entry details change. Confirm with the organiser before you book.
PB potential
Good conditions for a solid performance
Beginner friendly
Recommended for experienced runners only
About this race
Running Boston means earning your bib — entry requires meeting a qualifying standard at another certified marathon, and even that isn't guaranteed due to oversubscription. The point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boylston Street is famed for Heartbreak Hill (a series of four rollers cresting at km 32), a net-downhill profile that makes it deceptively fast early, and an iconic finish on Boylston that has seen no end of legendary moments. The April date brings variable New England weather — some years ideal (8–12°C, low wind), others brutally warm or rainy. The crowd from Wellesley College at the halfway mark, and through Kenmore Square in the final mile, is unlike anything else in running.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
8–16°C
Humidity
50–70%
Conditions
Variable — can be ideal or brutal
Wind
Variable 10–25 km/h
Who this race suits
Experienced runners who have earned a qualifying time and want the sport's most storied race. Not a course for a personal best or a first marathon.
Deceptively hard: a fast net-downhill start that punishes quads, then the Newton Hills peaking at Heartbreak Hill (~km 32). Most runners finish slower than their flat-course PB.
Overview
- Field size
- ~30,000 finishers
- Cut-off time
- 6 hours (roads reopen progressively behind runners)
- Start format
- Wave and corral starts seeded by qualifying time
Course intelligence
- Key climb
- Heartbreak Hill (~km 32) — the last of four Newton rollers
- Surface
- Asphalt roads, Hopkinton to Boylston Street
Registration
- Qualification
- Age- and gender-based BQ standards — and meeting the standard does not guarantee entry when oversubscribed; a cut-off below the standard is common
Race weekend
- Expo
- John B. Hynes Convention Center — in-person bib pickup
Travel & logistics
- Best airport
- Boston Logan (BOS)
- Getting around
- The MBTA 'T' subway covers the city; the start requires the official buses from Boston Common
- Where to stay
- Back Bay, near the finish line and the expo
Runner tips
- Bank the early downhills gently — going out hard on the descents wrecks your quads before the Newton Hills.
- The bus transfer and Athletes' Village mean hours of waiting; bring warm throwaway layers and nutrition.
- Patriots' Day weather swings wildly year to year — check the forecast late and plan clothing accordingly.
Entry information
Next edition date estimated — confirm exact date with the official site.
Pace Band
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