Top United States Marathons

The Best Marathons in the United States

These are the top marathons in the country - the ones that every serious marathoner will want to run eventually.

Top Tier

These are the ones that show up on every top ten list - these are must runs.

New York
Attendance: 45,00
Race Date: the first week of November
Pros:  All 5 buroughs, great crowd support
Cons:  Logistics.

Boston
Attendance: 36,000
Race Date:  Patriots Day Monday - late March
Pros:  Pinnacle of Marathons
Cons:   Lots of serious runners at this one.

Chicago
Attendance:  40,000
Race Date:  October
Pros:  Flat fast course, great town.
Cons:  Like other big city marathons, expensive town.

Marine Corps
Attendance:  30,000
Race Date:  Late October
Pros:  Scenic route through nations capital
Cons:  Very crowded for most of the race.

Big Sur
Attendance:  4500
Race Date:  Late April
Pros:  Beauty, grand piano.
Cons:  Hilly, but worth it.

Walt Disney World
Attendance:  7,000
Race Date:  January
Pros:  Really fun, all 4 parks, great first marathon.
Cons:  Not for the PR, more for the fun.