United States · World Marathon Major
Boston Marathon 2027
Monday 19 April 2027 · confirmed date
178 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Monday 19 April 2027
- Confirmed by the organisers
- Start
- 10:00
- local time
- Course
- Rolling · Point to point
- Hopkinton to Boylston Street, Copley Square
- Course record, men
- 2:01:52
- John Korir, 2026
- Course record, women
- 2:17:22
- Sharon Lokedi, 2025
- Time limit
- 6h00
- First held
- 1897
The race
About the Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, first run in 1897, and one of the World Marathon Majors. It is held on Patriots' Day, a Monday holiday in Massachusetts, and most of the field earns a place with a qualifying time, which gives the race its particular feel: almost everyone on the start line has worked hard to be there.
The point-to-point course runs from Hopkinton into the heart of Boston, through small towns where crowds line the road for hours. It suits experienced marathoners who can pace a net-downhill course with hills late on, and charity runners who want to be part of a long tradition.
Course
The Boston Marathon course
Boston starts in Hopkinton and drops quickly through Ashland and Framingham, which tempts many runners into a pace they cannot hold. The road then rolls through Natick and Wellesley, where students of Wellesley College create a famous wall of noise near halfway.
The real test comes in Newton, with a series of climbs between about 26 and 34 km that ends with Heartbreak Hill near Boston College. It is not steep, but it arrives when your legs are tired from the downhill. The course then descends through Brookline to Kenmore Square before the final turns onto Boylston Street and the finish at Copley Square. Overall it drops about 140 m.
Race-day weather
Mid-April race days in Boston are usually cool to mild, roughly 7–16°C, but conditions vary a lot, from cold rain and headwinds to unseasonal warmth.
Train
Training for the Boston Marathon 2027
25 weeks to go. A marathon plan runs 12 to 24 weeks and ends on race week. Here is when each one starts.
| Plan | Starts on |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | Monday 9 November 2026 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 7 December 2026 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 4 January 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 1 February 2027 |
For this course
Boston rewards strong quads as much as fitness. In the last two months of your plan, add downhill running and hill repeats, and put some long runs on rolling routes that finish with climbs after 25 km. Practise starting conservatively on a downhill. Most of the build happens in winter, so be ready to run long in the cold, while remembering that race day can still turn warm. From Europe, arrive a few days early to adjust to the time difference.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Boston Marathon, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
Most places go to runners who have met the qualifying time for their age group and gender. Because applications exceed the field, the accepted cut-off is often several minutes faster than the published standard. The other main routes are the official charity programme and B.A.A. community programmes. Plan your qualifying race well ahead.
2027 registration From 14 September 2026 to 18 September 2026 · closed
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by Boston Athletic Association
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Boston Marathon 2027?
The Boston Marathon 2027 is on Monday 19 April 2027. The organisers have confirmed the date.
When should I start training for the Boston Marathon?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 4 January 2027, a 20-week plan on 7 December 2026. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
How do I qualify for the Boston Marathon?
You need a qualifying time for your age group and gender, run on a certified marathon within the qualifying window. Because demand exceeds places, the accepted cut-off is often faster than the standard. Charity places and B.A.A. programmes are the other main routes in.
Is the Boston Marathon course hard?
It drops about 140 m overall, but the early downhill and the Newton hills between about 26 and 34 km, ending with Heartbreak Hill, make it tougher than the profile suggests.
Why is the Boston Marathon on a Monday?
It is held on Patriots' Day, a public holiday in Massachusetts on the third Monday of April. The 2027 race is on Monday 19 April.
What is the time limit for the Boston Marathon?
Official timing stops after six hours, and the finish line closes at 17:30.
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