Best Boston qualifiers in Minnesota

The marathons in Minnesota where the largest share of finishers ran a Boston-qualifying time for their age and gender, using the 2027 standards and each race's last three years of results.
  1. 1
    Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon
    St. Joseph
    1,017 finishers over 3 yearsNext: May 8, 2027
    17.7%
    ran a BQ
  2. 2
    Grandma's Marathon
    Duluth
    24,536 finishers over 3 yearsLast run Jun 20, 2026
    11.4%
    ran a BQ
  3. 3
    Grandma's Marathon
    Duluth
    24,525 finishers over 3 yearsLast run Jun 19, 2026
    11.4%
    ran a BQ
  4. 4
    Med City Marathon, presented by ActivePT
    Rochester
    974 finishers over 3 yearsNext: May 16, 2027
    7.2%
    ran a BQ
  5. 5
    Run for the Lakes
    Nisswa
    224 finishers over 3 yearsLast run May 2, 2026
    7.1%
    ran a BQ
  6. 6
    Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
    Minneapolis/St Paul
    6,733 finishers over 1 yearLast run Oct 5, 2024
    6.5%
    ran a BQ
  7. 7
    Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon
    Bemidji
    622 finishers over 3 yearsLast run Oct 10, 2026
    4%
    ran a BQ
  8. 8
    Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon
    Duluth
    487 finishers over 2 yearsLast run Jul 11, 2026
    0%
    ran a BQ

Boston qualifiers by state

Common questions

What is the best marathon to qualify for Boston in Minnesota?

By share of finishers who ran a qualifying time, Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon in St. Joseph: 17.7% of its finishers over the last 3 years ran under the 2027 Boston standard for their age and gender. Next is Grandma's Marathon at 11.4%.

How is this list worked out?

For each marathon we take its last three years of results and count the finishers whose time beats the 2027 Boston standard for their age and gender on race day. Races need 200 counted finishers. A high share means a fast course, good weather, a field of runners chasing a qualifier, or all three.

Does every race on this list count for Boston?

Boston accepts times from courses certified by USATF, AIMS or a national governing body. From 2027, courses with a net drop of 1,500 ft or more have 5 or 10 minutes added to your time, and drops of 6,000 ft don't count. Check a race's certification and elevation before you enter.

Is a qualifying time enough to get into Boston?

No: it lets you apply, and the fastest qualifiers relative to their standard get in. Accepted runners needed to be 5:17 under their standard for 2027, and 4:34 to 6:51 in the years before.

Boston 2027 qualifying times by age, and how far under you need to be →

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