Your Personal NEW YORK CITY MARATHON Weather Forecast LEARN MORE...

Marathon Pace Bands

Marathon Pace Bands

Run the Right Pace in Your Next Marathon

Nearly 500 marathon courses.
Ships same or Next Day

Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers for 2026

Best Boston Marathon Qualifiers

It's here! Our annual list of the year's
best marathons to help you qualify for the Boston Marathon.

2026 IS HERE!



BHM 26.2 Marathon

Birmingham, AL
Sunday, October 4, 2026


  3 Stars from 1 Reviews

Course Description

No course description available at this time.


October Other Marathons in October Other Marathons in Alabama Marathons near Birmingham, AL



Marathon Pace Bands

Want to run your best BHM 26.2 Marathon?

Don't waste months of training only to run the wrong pace.


BHM 26.2 Marathon Pace Bands are adjusted for the specific terrain of the course, your goal time and pacing strategies.



Only $9.99




Race Information

Race Dates

2027: TBD
2026: Sunday, October 4, 2026

Course Information

Profile: Rolling Hills
Type: Multiple Loops
Surface: Road/Pavement

Boston Qualifier?: Yes
World Marathon Major Qualifier?: No

Race Day Weather

Mean Temp.: 62°F (16°C)
Average High: 74°F (23°C)
Average Low: 50° F (10°C)




PR Score & Course Score

PR Score: 96.38
Course Score: 97.24

Race Size

2026: 184 Finishers
2025: 185 Finishers
2024: 156 Finishers
2023: 173 Finishers
2022: 161 Finishers
2021: 102 Finishers

BQ Percentages

2026: 1.1%
2025: 1.6%
2024: 1.3%
2023: 0.6%
2022: 3.1%
2021: 0%

Miscellaneous Information

Pace Groups?: No

Weather Averages for Last 7 Years


Race Day Temperatures

High: 80°F  (27°C)
Low: 63°F  (17°C)

Race Start Conditions

67°F  (19°C)
Humidity: 87%

Clear
ESE 5 mph

PR Score

92.54

Course Score

97.14






BHM 26.2 Marathon Rankings, Course Speed & Boston Qualifier Statistics

The BHM 26.2 Marathon was the 271st largest marathon in the U.S. in 2025 based on the number of finishers. In 2024, it ranked as the 287th largest marathon in the U.S..

In 2026, 1.1% of BHM 26.2 Marathon finishers have achieved Boston Marathon qualifying times. In 2025, 1.6% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Based on its percentage of Boston Qualifiers (BQs), the BHM 26.2 Marathon ranked 421st among marathons in the U.S. in 2025 and currently ranks 333rd so far in 2026. In Alabama, it ranked 7th in 2025 and 8th so far in 2026. These rankings provide a useful benchmark for comparing the BHM 26.2 Marathon with other Boston Marathon qualifying races.

The BHM 26.2 Marathon has a Course Score of 97.24, ranking it as the 400th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 9th fastest marathon course in Alabama.

Typical race-time temperature and humidity levels are above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. Combined with the course profile, this gives the BHM 26.2 Marathon a PR Score of 96.38. The PR Score ranks the BHM 26.2 Marathon as the 392nd best marathon in the U.S. for running a Personal Record (PR) and the 8th best marathon for a PR in Alabama.

Together, these rankings provide a quick snapshot of how the BHM 26.2 Marathon compares with other marathons in the U.S. and Alabama for speed, PR potential, Boston Marathon qualifying success, and overall participation.

BHM 26.2 Marathon Marathon Rankings Summary
Course Speed400th fastest marathon course in the U.S.
Ranked 9th fastest marathon course in Alabama
Top 86% Nationally#9 of 9 in Alabama
PR Potential392nd best marathon for a Personal Record in the U.S.
Ranked 8th best marathon for a PR in Alabama
Top 84% Nationally#8 of 9 in Alabama
Boston Qualifier Rate421st highest BQ percentage in the U.S.
Ranked 7th highest BQ percentage in Alabama
Based on 2025 Boston Marathon qualifying results
Top 89% Nationally#7 of 7 in Alabama
Race Size271st largest marathon in the U.S.
Ranked 3rd largest marathon in Alabama
Based on 2025 results
Top 46% Nationally#3 of 7 in Alabama

Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.



Elevation Chart


Max Elevation: 537 feet (163m)
Min Elevation: 401 feet (122m)

Elevation Gain: 1167 feet (355m)
Elevation Loss: 1167 feet (355m)


BHM

Course updated 07/08/2026




Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the BHM 26.2 Marathon

View available accomodations around the BHM 26.2 Marathon Finish Line and Course. Book your Reservation now before the best places are sold out.

For a better mobile or desktop experience:






Compare the BHM 26.2 Marathon to other Marathons

Use tools below to compare races and convert times across courses.

Do you want to see how the BHM 26.2 Marathon stacks up against other marathons?

Compare the details of the BHM 26.2 Marathon side-by-side with other marathons with our Comparison Tool.


Comparison Tool

If you ran the BHM 26.2 Marathon in 5:42:00, what would your time in other marathons be?

See how your finish time would compare on other marathon courses with our Time Conversion Tool.


Time Converter Tool

Race Reviews


3.0
Based on 1 reviews
Write Your Own Review

Hilly and hot! 100% proceeds to charity

Full Review:

100% of race proceeds go to charity. The course runs through nice parts of Birmingham which is a nice city. The venue for the start, finish, and after party is very nice.

Race Tips:

Prepare for monster hills and heat. There are two BIG hills. The second at mile 16.5 is huge. The rest of the course rolls. By the end of the second hill I was wiped out. The heat didn't help.

There aren't many runners in the marathon. Most of the runners are on marathon relay teams. I got lonely at times.

Travel/Logistics Tips:

The Hilton Garden Inn is very close to the start and finish. The hotel gave a me a 1:00pm check out which meant I had plenty of time to race and then go back and shower.
Reviewed by TM About 2019