Flattest Marathons in the World
Chasing a personal best or a Boston qualifier? These are the flattest road marathons we track, ranked by total elevation gain. The less climbing a course has, the more even your pacing - and the faster your likely finish time.
Run Woodstock Marathon
Gregory, United States of America · 12 Sept 2027
Cannonball Marathon
Greensboro, United States of America · 17 Oct 2026
Rim Rock Marathon
Grand Junction, United States of America · 1 Nov 2026
Millinocket Marathon
Millinocket, United States of America · 6 Dec 2026
Run for the Ranch Marathon
Springfield, United States of America · 27 Dec 2026
Nova Scotia Marathon
Barrington, Canada · 19 July 2027
Humboldt Bay Marathon
Eureka, United States of America · 9 Aug 2027
USA Fit Marathon
Sugar Land, United States of America · 25 Jan 2027
Bellingham Bay Marathon
Bellingham, United States of America · 20 Sept 2026
Fredericton Marathon
Fredericton, Canada · 10 May 2027
Frisco Marathon
Willard, United States of America · 25 Apr 2027
Wyoming Marathon
Laramie, United States of America · 24 May 2027
Drumheller Marathon
Drumheller, Canada · 6 June 2027
Granite State Marathon
Nashua, United States of America · 9 May 2027
Spinx Runfest Marathon
Greenville, United States of America · 24 Oct 2026
Edinburgh Marathon
Edinburgh, United Kingdom · 24 May 2027
Eryri Marathon
Llanberis, United Kingdom · 24 Oct 2026
Totem to Totem Marathon
Skidegate, Canada · 18 July 2027
Queens Marathon (Spring)
Queens, United States of America · 3 May 2027
Run Through Time Marathon
Salida, United States of America · 13 Mar 2027
Labor of Love Marathon
Las Vegas, United States of America · 5 Sept 2027
Hamburg Marathon
Hamburg, Germany · 26 Apr 2027
Trailbreaker Marathon
Waukesha, United States of America · 29 Mar 2027
Panama City Beach Marathon
United States of America · 5 Dec 2026
Groundhog Day Marathon
Grand Rapids, United States of America · 23 May 2027
Mid-South Marathon
Wynne, United States of America · 7 Nov 2026
Sleeping Bear Marathon
Empire, United States of America · 3 Oct 2026
Big Island International Marathon
Hilo, United States of America · 1 Sept 2027
Museum of Aviation Marathon
Warner Robins, United States of America · 8 Nov 2026
Quebec City Marathon
Canada · 4 Oct 2026
Yuma Territorial Marathon
Yuma, United States of America · 18 Oct 2026
Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon
Abbeville, United States of America · 5 July 2027
Nutmeg State Marathon
Hartford, United States of America · 30 May 2027
Red Island Marathon
United States of America · 31 May 2027
Pine Tree Marathon
Portland, United States of America · 10 May 2027
Whiskey Row Marathon
Prescott, United States of America · 10 Oct 2026
Bear Lake Utah Marathon
United States of America · 6 June 2027
Cape Breton Fiddlers Run Marathon
Sydney, Canada · 18 Oct 2026
Mill Race Marathon
Columbus, United States of America · 26 Sept 2026
Adirondack Marathon
Schroon Lake, United States of America · 27 Sept 2026
Wenatchee Marathon
Wenatchee, United States of America · 19 Apr 2027
Run with the Horses Marathon
Green River, United States of America · 15 Aug 2027
Flowerfest Marathon at Callaway Gardens
Pine Mountain, United States of America · 3 May 2027
Marathon de Magog
Magog, Canada · 11 Oct 2026
Jailbreak Marathon
Wautoma, United States of America · 14 Nov 2026
New Years (Day) Double Marathon
United States of America · 1 Jan 2027
Uniformed Services Run Marathon
St. Johns, Canada · 13 Sept 2027
Ann Arbor Marathon
Ann Arbor, United States of America · 4 Oct 2026
Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon
White Sands Missle Range, United States of America · 26 Apr 2027
Boise Marathon
Boise, United States of America · 20 June 2027
Why flat courses are faster
On a flat course your effort goes straight into forward speed instead of fighting gravity, and you can hold an even pace from start to finish. Climbs cost more time than the matching descents give back, so the fewer metres of gain a course has, the better your chances of a PB. Net-downhill point-to-point courses can be faster still - see the easiest marathons (which also factor in weather and surface) for those.
Flat is only half the story: heat and a non-road surface both slow you down too. Use the difficulty calculator to see a course's full predicted impact on your time, or read how we calculate difficulty.