Course Map
About this Race
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and its most exclusive, a point-to-point course from rural Hopkinton to Boylston Street in downtown Boston that almost everyone must qualify by time to enter. The profile is deceptive: a steep early downhill tempts runners into trashing their quads before the Newton hills arrive between miles 16 and 21, culminating in the infamous Heartbreak Hill just as the legs are failing. Run on Patriots' Day in April, it is lined by fervent, tradition-steeped crowds, with the Wellesley College scream tunnel and Boston College among the loudest stretches. The net-downhill, non-record-eligible course and unpredictable New England weather make it a tactical race rather than a guaranteed PB. It rewards experienced, well-trained runners who respect the early restraint required and have the strength to attack the hills late.
Course Insight
Boston's reputation is Heartbreak Hill, but the course's real assassin is the start: a screaming downhill out of Hopkinton that feels free and quietly shreds your quads, the damage surfacing twenty miles later. Hold back hard in those early descents even when it feels absurd. Wellesley's scream tunnel near halfway is a wall of noise that can yank you off pace right before the work begins. The Newton Hills from roughly mile 16 to 21 climb in waves, Heartbreak the last and cruelest, but it's your trashed quads from mile one, not the hill itself, that decide the day. The drop into the city and the final turn onto Boylston are euphoric if you saved anything. Point-to-point means wind is a lottery; respect it either way.
Difficulty Breakdown
Mostly due to significant climbing (265m), tough late hills.
Course Details
- Course type
- Point-To-Point
- Elevation gain
- 265m
- Elevation loss
- 400m
- Highest point
- 140m
- Lowest point
- 3m
- Net drop
- -135m
- Start
- Hopkinton
- Cutoff time
- 6h 0m
Course Records
Race History
The Boston Marathon, first run in 1897 and inspired by the marathon of the 1896 Athens Olympics, is the world's oldest annual marathon. Organized by the Boston Athletic Association on Patriots' Day, it became famous for moments like Kathrine Switzer's 1967 run as the first woman to enter with an official race number, before women were formally admitted in 1972. The point-to-point course from Hopkinton, with its qualifying-time entry standard and the infamous Heartbreak Hill, has made it the sport's most prestigious mass race. A founding Abbott World Marathon Major, it staged its 130th edition in 2026 and continues to draw tens of thousands of runners each April.
Plan Your Trip
Everything you need to know to get there, get settled, and get to the start line.
- Nearest airport(s)
- Boston Logan (BOS), Manchester-Boston (MHT) & T.F. Green Providence (PVD)
- Best area to stay
- Back Bay for finish-line walking distance on Boylston and the best hotels, Downtown for central convenience, and Cambridge for quieter, characterful stays across the river.
- Getting to the start
- It's strictly point-to-point, so board the official athletes' buses from Boston Common in the early morning for the long ride out to the Athletes' Village in Hopkinton, leaving ample time.