23 percent
of finishes in an average year had a sustained slowdown
Edition by edition, between 11% (2023) and 37% (2014).
What makes Boston Boston
- 238 feetlower at 5K than at the start
- 7% slowerthan Boston’s average pace, at 30–35K, its slowest 5K; on nearly every course it’s 35–40K
The median finish got 11 minutes quicker from the first three editions to the last three.
The biggest climb is 25–35K: 334 ft.
- Whole route
- Climbs 817 ft, descends 1,281 ft
Fewer late faders here: 12%, against 17% elsewhere.
- Metronome30%
- Gentle fader32%
- Late fader12%
- Early drifter16%
- Cliff3%
- Fast-start fader7%
Paced most like Boston: Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
Boston’s 23%: lower than 19 of 22 other courses with three or more editions.
Of Boston finishes on 4:00 pace through 20K, 9% made 4:00, against 14% elsewhere.
Its warmest and coolest mornings had about the same share of sustained slowdowns: 29% at 61°F, 25% at 38°F.
All numbers5 tables
| Finishes | 257,269 |
|---|---|
| Editions | 10 |
| Median finish, average edition | 3:40:39 |
| Sustained slowdown, average edition | 23.4% |
| Second 20K more than 10% slower | 44.9% |
| Median time given back after 20K | +9:59 |
| Climb, whole route | 817 ft |
| Year | Race date | Finishes | Median finish | Sustained slowdown | At the start | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Start time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Apr 21 | 31,735 | 3:52:10 | 37.4% | 46°F | 34°F | 62% | 5.2 mph | 09:00 |
| 2015 | Apr 20 | 26,432 | 3:39:29 | 14.5% | 44°F | 38°F | 81% | 13.0 mph | 09:00 |
| 2018 | Apr 16 | 25,121 | 3:48:04 | 24.5% | 38°F | 36°F | 90% | 22.2 mph | 09:00 |
| 2019 | Apr 15 | 24,999 | 3:44:35 | 33.9% | 52°F | 50°F | 95% | 5.2 mph | 09:00 |
| 2021 | Oct 11 | 15,288 | 3:45:16 | 29.5% | 61°F | 59°F | 92% | 8.0 mph | 09:00 |
| 2022 | Apr 18 | 24,763 | 3:37:36 | 19.8% | 44°F | 31°F | 58% | 4.0 mph | 09:00 |
| 2023 | Apr 17 | 26,429 | 3:33:54 | 11.4% | 47°F | 46°F | 93% | 8.1 mph | 09:00 |
| 2024 | Apr 15 | 25,460 | 3:43:22 | 33.6% | 53°F | 49°F | 84% | 6.1 mph | 09:00 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 | 28,340 | 3:33:37 | 17.2% | 47°F | 30°F | 51% | 1.3 mph | 09:00 |
| 2026 | Apr 20 | 28,702 | 3:28:30 | 12.3% | 44°F | 32°F | 64% | 7.4 mph | 09:00 |
| Section | Climb | Descent | Net | Pace vs. avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5K | 83 ft | 322 ft | −238 ft | −5.7% |
| 5–10K | 70 ft | 139 ft | −62 ft | −5.6% |
| 10–15K | 84 ft | 97 ft | −19 ft | −4.7% |
| 15–20K | 109 ft | 97 ft | +13 ft | −2.6% |
| 20–25K | 62 ft | 89 ft | −22 ft | −1.5% |
| 25–30K | 171 ft | 167 ft | +1 ft | +3.0% |
| 30–35K | 163 ft | 161 ft | +4 ft | +6.9% |
| 35–40K | 49 ft | 184 ft | −134 ft | +5.8% |
| 40K–finish | 27 ft | 25 ft | +5 ft | +4.7% |
| Goal | Finishes | Made the goal | Sustained slowdown | Given back after 20K | Median finish | 10th–90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 19,755 | 15.0% | 19.1% | +6:47 | 3:06:25 | 2:59:12–3:20:05 |
| 3:30 | 25,058 | 9.9% | 20.0% | +9:11 | 3:38:41 | 3:30:01–3:54:19 |
| 4:00 | 14,799 | 8.7% | 30.8% | +14:29 | 4:13:42 | 4:00:40–4:34:28 |
| 4:30 | 7,956 | 6.2% | 37.0% | +19:15 | 4:48:05 | 4:32:42–5:10:58 |
| 5:00 | 4,463 | 7.2% | 37.9% | +22:00 | 5:19:28 | 5:02:23–5:41:32 |
| Pacing type | Boston | Other courses |
|---|---|---|
| Metronome | 30% | 28% |
| Gentle fader | 32% | 30% |
| Late fader | 12% | 17% |
| Early drifter | 16% | 14% |
| Cliff | 3% | 4% |
| Fast-start fader | 7% | 8% |