Easiest Marathons in the World
Looking for a PB attempt or your first marathon? These are the easiest marathon courses ranked by our difficulty algorithm, which factors in elevation gain, weather conditions, and surface type. Flat, cool, road-based courses score the lowest.
Big Bear Marathon
Redlands, United States of America · 8 Nov 2025
REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon
Las Vegas, United States of America · 3 Apr 2027
Hawaii Bird Conservation Marathon
Hawaii, United States of America · 11 Sept 2026
Tunnel Light Marathon
North Bend, United States of America · 13 Sept 2026
Bears Ears Marathon
Blanding, United States of America · 7 Nov 2026
Huntsville Marathon
Huntsville, United States of America · 14 Nov 2026
Big Sky Marathon
Big Sky, United States of America · 12 July 2026
Colorado Marathon
Fort Collins, United States of America · 3 May 2026
Itabashi City Marathon
Tokyo, Japan · 14 June 2026
Houston Marathon
Houston, United States of America · 13 Sept 2026
Florence Marathon
Firenze, Italy · 29 Nov 2026
Marathon Izmir Avek
Izmir, Turkey · 13 Apr 2025
Lentemarathon Amstelveen
Amstelveen, Netherlands · 16 Mar 2025
Ocean City Running Festival Marathon
Ocean City, United States of America · 14 Nov 2026
Sri Chinmoy Marathon
New York, United States of America · 24 Aug 2026
Niagara Falls Marathon
Niagra Falls, Canada · 26 Oct 2025
Mainova Marathon Frankfurt
Frankfurt, Germany · 26 Oct 2025
Coast Guard Marathon
Cape May, United States of America · 1 Aug 2026
Potomac River Run Marathon (October)
Washington, United States of America · 17 Oct 2026
Donna Marathon
Jacksonville, United States of America · 7 Feb 2027
3 Bridges Marathon
Little Rock, United States of America · 5 Dec 2026
Skopje Marathon
Skopje, North Macedonia · 5 Oct 2025
Hamilton Marathon Road2Hope
Hamilton, Canada · 30 May 2026
Whistlestop Marathon
Ashland, United States of America · 10 Oct 2026
Edinburgh Marathon Festival
Edinburgh, United Kingdom · 25 May 2025
SoCal Marathon
California, United States of America · 27 Feb 2027
Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon
Tromsø, Norway · 21 June 2025
Kaunas Marathon
Kaunas, Lithuania · 27 Apr 2025
Brew City Marathon
Milwaukee, United States of America · 9 Aug 2026
Marathon de La Rochelle
La Rochelle, France · 30 Nov 2025
Stennis Space Center Marathon
Stennis Space Center, United States of America · 24 Apr 2026
Berenloop Terschelling Halve Marathon
Terschelling, Netherlands · 2 Nov 2025
Pardubický Vinařský Půlmaraton
Pardubice, Czech Republic · 19 Apr 2025
Islandsbanki Reykjavik Marathon
Reykjavík, Iceland · 23 Aug 2025
Marathon de Rimouski
Rimouski, Canada · 7 Sept 2025
Oak Island Marathon
Oak Island, United States of America · 14 Feb 2026
Semi-marathon de Montauban
Montauban, France · 30 Mar 2025
La Crosse Marathon
La Crosse, United States of America · 2 May 2026
Öpfinger Osterlauf Halbmarathon
Öpfingen, Germany · 29 Aug 2026
Florida Track Club Marathon
Gainesville, United States of America · 5 Sept 2026
Galveston Marathon
Galveston, United States of America · 10 Oct 2026
Great Eastern Run
Peterborough, United Kingdom · 23 May 2026
Halvmaraton Jessheim Vintermaraton
Ullensaker, Norway · 9 Nov 2025
Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn
Bonn, Germany · 6 June 2026
Torghatten Marathon
Brønnøy, Norway · 26 Apr 2025
Skagen Halvmarathon
Skagen, Denmark · 4 Oct 2025
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Indianapolis, United States of America · 7 Nov 2026
Christchurch Marathon
Christchurch, New Zealand · 18 Apr 2027
Einstein Marathon
Ulm, Germany · 16 May 2026
Jersey City Marathon
Jersey City, United States of America · 7 June 2026
What Makes a Marathon Easy?
The easiest marathons tend to share a few key characteristics: minimal elevation gain (ideally under 100m), mild race-day temperatures between 8-15°C, and a smooth road surface. Courses that are net downhill or completely flat let runners maintain a consistent pace without burning extra energy on climbs.
Our difficulty score combines elevation data, historical weather patterns, and surface type into a single rating. A lower score means an easier course relative to a perfectly flat, temperate, road-based marathon.
Tips for Choosing an Easy Marathon
- Look for courses with under 200m total elevation gain
- Choose races in spring or autumn for cooler temperatures
- Prefer road surfaces over trail or mixed terrain
- Consider coastal or river-flat courses for the most consistent terrain
Want to see how these courses compare side by side? Use our marathon comparison tool to enter your target time and see the adjusted finish time for each course.