Apr 25, 2024
Boston Marathon Qualifiers - Most Common and Most Popular Qualifying Marathons
Boston Marathon Qualifying Races - Most Likely and Largest Qualifiers
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Boston Qualifiers in the USA/Canada - 2008
The Boston Marathon is the only mass-participation marathon that requires qualifying times and those times become goal times for many runners. The times are, to some extent, age-graded, with those 35 and over given easier standards.
See: Boston Marathon Qualifying Times
We're often asked what courses are good Boston qualifying courses and where do people qualify for the Boston Marathon. While there is no specific answer for each individual, and while different races may be easier or harder in any given year due to weather or other factors - following is a factual list of those marathons that have the highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in their field and those with the largest overall number of qualifiers.
Note that different years may show different results as weather, course changes and other factors can affect the performance of a race from year to year.
Trying to qualify for Boston in 2024? We have your back! We partnered with Runzy to help. Train 1:1 with an elite running coach for just $39/month. Mention "MarathonGuide" for a special discount. Learn more.
Boston Marathon Qualifying Races - Most Likely To Qualify - 2008
The marathons below had the highest percent of Boston qualifying finishers in 2008. These courses will undoubtedly be among those ranked the fastest of all courses - but there are other factors that might cause a marathon to appear on this list or to cause a race to fall off this list. For a point-to-point course, a tailwind or headwind might make the difference from one year to the next. Some races (such as Boston itself) simply attracts faster runners, so the fact that a marathon is on this list might be an indication of the type of runner it attracts even more than the quality of its course. But, you can be sure that any marathon on this is not slow.
| Rank | Marathon | Boston Qualifiers |
Qualifying Percent* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon (4/20/08 - Boston, MA) | 124 | 100.0% |
| 2 | Boston Marathon (4/21/08 - Boston, MA) | 8,707 | 39.7% |
| 3 | Bay State Marathon (10/19/08 - Lowell, MA) | 452 | 38.0% |
| 4 | Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon (10/12/08 - Albany, NY) | 170 | 32.0% |
| 5 | Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon (11/2/08 - Hamilton, ON) | 152 | 31.1% |
| 6 | Newport Marathon (5/31/08 - Newport, OR) | 179 | 28.8% |
| 7 | California International Marathon (12/7/08 - Sacramento, CA) | 1,445 | 28.2% |
| 8 | Steamtown Marathon (10/12/08 - Scranton, PA) | 438 | 28.0% |
| 9 | Wineglass Marathon (10/5/08 - Corning, NY) | 152 | 27.8% |
| 10 | Tucson Marathon (12/7/08 - Oracle, AZ) | 268 | 27.2% |
| 11 | Grand Rapids Marathon (10/19/08 - Grand Rapids, MI) | 326 | 25.3% |
| 12 | Victoria Marathon (10/12/08 - Victoria, BC) | 496 | 24.9% |
| 13 | Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Marathon (3/1/08 - Albany, GA) | 86 | 24.3% |
| 14 | Rocket City Marathon (12/13/08 - Hunstville, AL) | 254 | 22.9% |
| 15 | Hyannis Marathon (2/24/08 - Hyannis, MA) | 88 | 22.3% |
| 16 | Columbus Marathon (10/19/08 - Columbus, OH) | 841 | 22.1% |
| 17 | Coeur d' Alene Marathon (5/25/08 - Coeur d'Alene, ID) | 60 | 21.6% |
| 18 | Louisville Marathon (10/19/08 - Louisville, KY) | 55 | 21.6% |
| 19 | Regina Queen City Marathon (9/7/08 - Regina, SK) | 95 | 21.4% |
| 20 | Pocono Mountain Run For The Red Marathon (5/4/08 - Pocono Mountains, PA) | 88 | 21.3% |
| 21 | North Central Trail Marathon (11/29/08 - Sparks, MD) | 80 | 20.8% |
| 22 | St. George Marathon (10/4/08 - St. George, UT) | 1,004 | 20.7% |
| 23 | Towpath Marathon (10/12/08 - Cleveland/Akron Area, OH) | 77 | 20.7% |
| 24 | Tybee Marathon (2/2/08 - Tybee Island, GA) | 64 | 20.4% |
| 25 | Green Bay Marathon (5/18/08 - Green Bay, WI) | 325 | 20.3% |
| 26 | Santa Clarita Marathon (11/2/08 - Santa Clarita, CA) | 64 | 20.2% |
| 27 | Mississauga Marathon (5/11/08 - Mississauga, ON) | 271 | 20.0% |
| 28 | Manchester City Marathon (11/2/08 - Manchester, NH) | 86 | 20.0% |
| 29 | Glass City Marathon (4/13/08 - Toledo, OH) | 56 | 19.9% |
| 30 | Rockford Marathon (5/18/08 - Rockford, IL) | 63 | 19.9% |
| 31 | Ottawa Marathon (National Capital Race Weekend) (5/25/08 - Ottawa, ON) | 618 | 19.7% |
| 32 | Toronto Marathon (10/19/08 - Toronto, ON) | 325 | 19.5% |
| 33 | Hartford Marathon (10/11/08 - Hartford, CT) | 358 | 19.3% |
| 34 | Niagara Falls International Marathon (10/26/08 - Niagara Falls, ON) | 149 | 19.2% |
| 35 | North Olympic Discovery Marathon (6/8/08 - Port Angeles, WA) | 62 | 19.1% |
| 36 | Harrisburg Marathon (11/9/08 - Harrisburg, PA) | 138 | 19.0% |
| 37 | Bayshore Marathon (5/24/08 - Traverse City, MI) | 237 | 19.0% |
| 38 | Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA) (8/9/08 - Hurley, WI) | 47 | 18.8% |
| 39 | Indianapolis Monumental Marathon (11/1/08 - Indianapolis, IN) | 202 | 18.8% |
| 40 | Kiawah Island Marathon (12/6/08 - Kiawah Island, SC) | 145 | 18.7% |
| 41 | WhistleStop Marathon (10/11/08 - Ashland, WI) | 139 | 18.5% |
| 42 | Marshall University Marathon (11/2/08 - Huntington, WV) | 61 | 18.2% |
| 43 | Missoula Marathon (7/13/08 - Missoula, MT) | 68 | 18.1% |
| 44 | Buffalo Marathon (5/25/08 - Buffalo, NY) | 127 | 18.0% |
| 45 | Jacksonville Marathon (12/21/08 - Jacksonville, FL) | 117 | 17.9% |
| 46 | Maine Marathon (10/5/08 - Portland, ME) | 129 | 17.7% |
| 47 | Yakima River Canyon Marathon (4/5/08 - Yakima, WA) | 64 | 17.7% |
| 48 | Philadelphia Marathon (11/23/08 - Philadelphia, PA) | 1,241 | 17.7% |
| 49 | Napa Valley Marathon (3/2/08 - Napa, CA) | 308 | 17.5% |
| 50 | Indianapolis Marathon (10/18/08 - Indianapolis/Lawrence, IN) | 194 | 17.5% |
*This list is limited to marathons with 250 or more finishers, or 100 or more qualifiers regardless of size. Percentages calculated ignore finishers over 6:00.
Boston Marathon Qualifying Races - Most Qualifiers 2008
The races that have the most Boston Marathon qualifiers are, obviously, going to be skewed to those that have the most participants. Below is a list of the races that qualified the most people for Boston in 2008.
| Rank | Marathon | Finishers | Boston Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Marathon (4/21/08 - Boston, MA) | 21,963 | 8,707 |
| 2 | New York City Marathon (11/2/08 - New York City, NY) | 37,790 | 5,011 |
| 3 | Chicago Marathon (10/12/08 - Chicago, IL) | 31,343 | 2,110 |
| 4 | California International Marathon (12/7/08 - Sacramento, CA) | 5,198 | 1,445 |
| 5 | Philadelphia Marathon (11/23/08 - Philadelphia, PA) | 7,230 | 1,241 |
| 6 | Marine Corps Marathon (10/26/08 - Washington, DC) | 18,219 | 1,157 |
| 7 | Twin Cities Marathon (10/5/08 - Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN) | 7,979 | 1,086 |
| 8 | St. George Marathon (10/4/08 - St. George, UT) | 5,030 | 1,004 |
| 9 | Columbus Marathon (10/19/08 - Columbus, OH) | 3,872 | 841 |
| 10 | Portland Marathon (10/5/08 - Portland, OR) | 7,856 | 807 |
| 11 | Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon (1/13/08 - Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe, AZ) | 6,453 | 795 |
| 12 | Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (6/1/08 - San Diego, CA) | 16,373 | 720 |
| 13 | Houston Marathon (1/13/08 - Houston, TX) | 5,592 | 656 |
| 14 | Ottawa Marathon (National Capital Race Weekend) (5/25/08 - Ottawa, ON) | 3,241 | 618 |
| 15 | Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon (11/16/08 - San Antonio, TX) | 7,525 | 601 |
| 16 | Grandma's Marathon (6/21/08 - Duluth, MN) | 6,856 | 599 |
| 17 | Honolulu Marathon (12/14/08 - Honololu, HI) | 20,058 | 568 |
| 18 | Detroit Free Press International Marathon (10/19/08 - Detroit, MI) | 3,515 | 528 |
| 19 | Austin Marathon (2/17/08 - Austin, TX) | 4,646 | 517 |
| 20 | Victoria Marathon (10/12/08 - Victoria, BC) | 2,039 | 496 |
| 21 | City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) (3/2/08 - Los Angeles, CA) | 16,941 | 488 |
| 22 | Vancouver International Marathon (5/4/08 - Vancouver, BC) | 3,060 | 452 |
| 23 | Bay State Marathon (10/19/08 - Lowell, MA) | 1,192 | 452 |
| 24 | Steamtown Marathon (10/12/08 - Scranton, PA) | 1,573 | 438 |
| 25 | Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (5/4/08 - Cincinnati, OH) | 4,725 | 428 |
| 26 | Disney World Marathon (1/13/08 - Orlando, FL) | 12,951 | 364 |
| 27 | Toronto Waterfront Marathon (9/28/08 - Toronto, ON) | 2,457 | 363 |
| 28 | Hartford Marathon (10/11/08 - Hartford, CT) | 1,894 | 358 |
| 29 | Vermont City Marathon (5/25/08 - Burlington, VT) | 2,379 | 357 |
| 30 | Las Vegas Marathon (12/7/08 - Las Vegas, NV) | 3,517 | 339 |
| 31 | Grand Rapids Marathon (10/19/08 - Grand Rapids, MI) | 1,290 | 326 |
| 32 | Green Bay Marathon (5/18/08 - Green Bay, WI) | 1,628 | 325 |
| 33 | Toronto Marathon (10/19/08 - Toronto, ON) | 1,677 | 325 |
| 34 | Memphis Marathon (12/6/08 - Memphis, TN) | 2,210 | 322 |
| 35 | Country Music Marathon (4/26/08 - Nashville, TN) | 4,373 | 316 |
| 36 | Napa Valley Marathon (3/2/08 - Napa, CA) | 1,757 | 308 |
| 37 | The San Francisco Marathon (8/3/08 - San Francisco, CA) | 4,354 | 303 |
| 38 | Baltimore Marathon (10/11/08 - Baltimore, MD) | 3,102 | 287 |
| 39 | Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon (3/15/08 - Virginia Beach, VA) | 2,292 | 279 |
| 40 | Mississauga Marathon (5/11/08 - Mississauga, ON) | 1,369 | 271 |
| 41 | Tucson Marathon (12/7/08 - Oracle, AZ) | 1,001 | 268 |
| 42 | Miami Marathon (1/27/08 - Miami & Miami Beach, FL) | 2,641 | 263 |
| 43 | Cleveland Marathon (5/18/08 - Cleveland, OH) | 1,867 | 260 |
| 44 | Seattle Marathon (11/30/08 - Seattle, WA) | 2,128 | 258 |
| 45 | Rocket City Marathon (12/13/08 - Hunstville, AL) | 1,121 | 254 |
| 46 | Long Beach International City Marathon (10/12/08 - Long Beach, CA) | 2,656 | 247 |
| 47 | Richmond Marathon (11/15/08 - Richmond, VA) | 2,994 | 244 |
| 48 | Bayshore Marathon (5/24/08 - Traverse City, MI) | 1,263 | 237 |
| 49 | National Marathon (3/29/08 - Washington, DC) | 1,387 | 234 |
| 50 | Myrtle Beach Marathon (2/16/08 - Myrtle Beach, SC) | 1,686 | 228 |
Trying to qualify for Boston in 2024? We have your back! We partnered with Runzy to help. Train 1:1 with an elite running coach for just $39/month. Mention "MarathonGuide" for a special discount. Learn more.
