Boston is the one we have to earn: younger men need 2:55 and women or non-binary runners need 3:25 before any field cutoff is applied. For 2027, qualifiers from courses dropping 1,500 to 2,999 feet take a 5-minute penalty, while 6,000-foot drops are ineligible. Boston itself still shreds quads on its early descent, then hands us Heartbreak Hill around mile 20. The estimated entry is $250.
Better info coming — we're still verifying 1 field on this race.
Major race decision brief
Know the catch before you book the flight.
Four facts shape this weekend: entry, course load, the start-to-finish problem, and whether your crew gets a good trip too.
01 · Secure the bib
Opens Sep 14 · Qualifier
$250 listed entry. Treat travel as refundable until your place and any qualification requirement are confirmed.
02 · Read the load
247 m climbing
A net-downhill point-to-point from Hopkinton that drops about 129 meters overall and wrecks quads in the first miles, then hands you the Newton Hills and Heartbreak Hill at mile 20 right when your legs are gone. About 247 meters of total gain against 376 meters of descent, with the highest ground (around 149 m) at the start. The Boylston Street finish is the payoff for surviving it.
03 · Solve the base
Point-to-point logistics
Start and finish sit roughly 39 km apart as the crow flies. Choose a base around the official transport plan or finish—not from a map pin that only looks close to the start.
04 · Pack the range
5–14°C typical
Historical rain signal: 30%. Use it for packing, then switch to the live forecast inside race week.
Crew fit is 4/5. Use the spectator guide to decide whether this is a shared city weekend or a runner-first operation.
Why we'd pick it
- 247 m of climbing: rolling, not pancake-flat.
- You'll need a qualifying time to get in.
- A non-racing partner gets a real weekend here — 4/5.
- Race day usually sits 5–14°C, about 30% chance of rain.
The course
A net-downhill point-to-point from Hopkinton that drops about 129 meters overall and wrecks quads in the first miles, then hands you the Newton Hills and Heartbreak Hill at mile 20 right when your legs are gone. About 247 meters of total gain against 376 meters of descent, with the highest ground (around 149 m) at the start. The Boylston Street finish is the payoff for surviving it.
