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.

1

REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon

Las Vegas, United States of America · 3 Apr 2027

-10 min
2

Hawaii Bird Conservation Marathon

Hawaii, United States of America · 11 Sept 2026

-6 min
3

Sundance to Spearfish Marathon

Spearfish, United States of America · 13 Sept 2026

-6 min
4

Boundary Bay Marathon

Delta, Canada · 1 Nov 2026

-6 min
5

Granite State Marathon

Nashua, United States of America · 9 May 2027

-6 min
6

Bears Ears Marathon

Blanding, United States of America · 7 Nov 2026

-6 min
7

Fredericton Marathon

Fredericton, Canada · 10 May 2027

-5 min
8

Hamburg Marathon

Hamburg, Germany · 26 Apr 2027

-5 min
9

Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon

Nisswa, United States of America · 2 May 2027

-5 min
10

Revel Reno Tahoe Marathon

Reno, United States of America · 16 May 2027

-5 min
11

11th Eker I Run Marathon & 15K

Bursa, Turkey · 6 Oct 2026

-5 min
12

Mud Mountain Dam (Spring) Marathon

Enumclaw, United States of America · 30 May 2027

-5 min
13

Colorado Marathon

Fort Collins, United States of America · 2 May 2027

-4 min
14

St. George Marathon and Half Marathon

St. George, United States of America · 4 Oct 2026

-4 min
15

Sudbury Rocks Marathon

Sudbury, Canada · 24 May 2027

-4 min
16

Drumheller Marathon

Drumheller, Canada · 6 June 2027

-4 min
17

Coast Guard Marathon

Cape May, United States of America · 1 Aug 2026

-4 min
18

Ocean City Running Festival Marathon

Ocean City, United States of America · 14 Nov 2026

-4 min
19

Ottawa Fall Colours Marathon

Ottawa, Canada · 11 Oct 2026

-4 min
20

Marathon Izmir Avek

Izmir, Turkey · 13 Apr 2027

-4 min
21

Lentemarathon Amstelveen

Amstelveen, Netherlands · 16 Mar 2027

-4 min
22

California International Marathon

Sacramento, United States of America · 6 Dec 2026

-4 min
23

Whidbey Island Marathon

Whidbey Island, United States of America · 26 Apr 2027

-4 min
24

Hyannis Marathon

Hyannis, United States of America · 22 Apr 2027

-4 min
25

Alexander the Great Marathon

Thessaloniki, Greece · 26 Apr 2027

-4 min
26

Niagara Falls Marathon

Niagra Falls, Canada · 26 Oct 2026

-4 min
27

Stennis Space Center Marathon

Stennis Space Center, United States of America · 24 Apr 2027

-4 min
28

Rim Rock Marathon

Grand Junction, United States of America · 1 Nov 2026

-4 min
29

Sri Chinmoy Marathon

New York, United States of America · 24 Aug 2026

-3 min
30

Frisco Marathon

Willard, United States of America · 25 Apr 2027

-3 min
31

York Marathon

United States of America · 3 May 2027

-3 min
32

Nutmeg State Marathon

Hartford, United States of America · 30 May 2027

-3 min
33

Mainova Marathon Frankfurt

Frankfurt, Germany · 26 Oct 2026

-3 min
34

Runtastic NEBO Marathon

Payson, United States of America · 29 Aug 2026

-3 min
35

Kaunas Marathon

Kaunas, Lithuania · 27 Apr 2027

-3 min
36

Skopje Marathon

Skopje, North Macedonia · 5 Oct 2026

-3 min
37

Potomac River Run Marathon (October)

Washington, United States of America · 17 Oct 2026

-3 min
38

3 Bridges Marathon

Little Rock, United States of America · 5 Dec 2026

-3 min
39

Wyoming Marathon

Laramie, United States of America · 24 May 2027

-3 min
40

Maraton de Mendoza

Mendoza, Argentina · 4 May 2027

-3 min
41

Leading Ladies Marathon

United States of America · 23 Aug 2026

-3 min
42

Charles River Marathon

Boston, United States of America · 3 May 2027

-3 min
43

Mud Mountain Dam (Fall) Marathon

Enumclaw, United States of America · 19 Sept 2026

-3 min
44

Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn

Bonn, Germany · 6 June 2027

-3 min
45

Flowerfest Marathon at Callaway Gardens

Pine Mountain, United States of America · 3 May 2027

-2 min
46

TRAC N4 Elands Marathon

Waterval Boven, South Africa · 1 Mar 2027

-2 min
47

Whistlestop Marathon

Ashland, United States of America · 10 Oct 2026

-2 min
48

SoCal Marathon

California, United States of America · 27 Feb 2027

-2 min
49

Houston Marathon

Houston, United States of America · 13 Sept 2026

-2 min
50

Totem to Totem Marathon

Skidegate, Canada · 18 July 2027

-2 min

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 (or negative) score means an easier, faster course relative to an average road 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.