Course comparison
Boston Marathon vs Marine Corps Marathon
Two closely-matched courses — Marine Corps Marathon edges it for difficulty (5.5 vs 5.3 / 10).
Boston, US
5.3/ 10 · Hard
Boston Marathon: driven by 136 m of climbing, 269 m of quad-pounding descent.
Arlington, VA, US
5.5/ 10 · Hard
Marine Corps Marathon: driven by 166 m of climbing.
| Metric | Boston Marathon | Marine Corps Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | 5.3 · Hard | 5.5 · Hard |
| Distance | 42.20 km | 42.20 km |
| Elevation gain | 136 m | 166 m |
| Elevation loss | 269 m | 172 m |
| Highest point | 142 m | 71 m |
| Typical temp | 4–15 °C | 9–20 °C |
| Usual month | April | October |
| Cutoff | 6:30:00 | 7:00:00 |
Boston Marathon — elevation
142 m76 m9 m
climbflatdescent
142 m
9 m
0 km10 km20 km30 km40 kmMarine Corps Marathon — elevation
71 m35 m-2 m
climbflatdescent
71 m
-2 m
0 km10 km20 km30 km40 km