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An honest race-finder

Find the marathon
that’s right for you.

Whether it’s your first marathon, a PR attempt, or a bucket-list trip, answer 6 questions and get 3 races matched to you, with the honest tradeoffs.

Take the quiz · 2 min Browse all races
279marathons indexed
32data points / race
2 minto your wishlist
How it works

Find the perfect
marathon in 3 steps

01
Tell us your goal.
PR, BQ, first marathon, or bucket-list. We weight everything else from here.
02
We score every race.
Every race comes back with an honest fit score, weighing course, weather, field size, travel, and entry path, with the trade-offs called out.
03
Pick your race.
See your top 5 with our reasoning, browse the rest with personalized fit.
Sample reportOne of 279 · how fit reads
BER · Sep 27 · Marathon
Berlin, for a PR.
Flat course, cool autumn temps, deep field.
86/100
Strong fit
How it scores for you
Goal
96
Course
92
Weather
88
Crowd
88
Travel
35
Strong fit, but you’re flying transatlantic. If you can absorb the travel and the lottery, this is your race.
The Indexv.2026.43 · Oct 28
279+18
marathons indexed
32
data points per race
8/8
World Majors covered
18
countries, 6 continents
8yr
weather history
What we track
Course profileElevation gainWeather historyField sizeBQ rateEntry pathTravel costAid stationsCrowd densityNet drop
The directory

From World Majors to local classics

Browse all races
Sun, Jul 26 — 2026REGIONAL CLASSIC
San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Sun, Jul 26 · 2026
San Francisco Marathon
San Francisco, start to finish.
Rolling 66°F ~6,536BQ 3%
Sun, Aug 16 — 2026REGIONAL CLASSIC
Big Wild Life Runs
Anchorage, AK
Sun, Aug 16 · 2026
Big Wild Life Runs Marathon
Run Anchorage. Race the wild.
Flat 64°F ~232BQ 7%
Sat, Aug 22 — 2026DESTINATION
Reykjavik
Reykjavik
Sat, Aug 22 · 2026
Reykjavik Marathon
Fast, flat, and far north.
Flat 53°F ~1,231
Browse by goal

Curated lists for the race you’re chasing

All collections
The Flattest, Fastest Marathons
Courses that let your legs do the talking.
View list
The Best Boston Qualifier Marathons
Ranked by the share of finishers who qualify.
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The Best Net-Downhill Marathons
Free speed, if your quads can take it.
View list
The Best Fall Marathons
The deepest PR season on the calendar.
View list
The Best Spring Marathons
Where a winter of base miles pays off.
View list
Marathons You Can Just Sign Up For
No lottery, no qualifier, just sign up.
View list
Why we built this
Every other race finder treats
you like a row in a database.
We don’t.

Filtering by “fall + flat + lottery” gives you 47 results. None of them tell you which one is right for your training, your travel budget, or how you handle heat.

RaceScout uses your answers to rank, score, and honestly explain how each race fits, including the ones that don’t.

Find my race
Field notes · the blog

Honest writing on running the right race

All field notes
Race Selection · 9 min read
The Flattest Marathons in the US (Ranked by Course, With Honest Caveats)
Not every runner chasing a flat course is chasing Boston. Here's how to find the genuinely flattest US road marathons, ranked by the number that actually matters, with one honest catch per race.
By Matt CuddyJul 23, 2026
Race Selection · 8 min read
The Best Marathons in Michigan for Every Goal
Michigan has a surprisingly deep marathon catalog, but a fast course for one runner is the wrong race for another. Here's how to match your goal to the right Michigan start line.
By Matt CuddyJul 21, 2026
Race Selection · 9 min read
The Best Marathons in California for Every Goal
California has more marathon archetypes in one state than almost anywhere else. It also has more ways to pick the wrong one. Here is an honest match between your goal and the race that actually fits it.
By Matt CuddyJul 20, 2026