The Boston Marathon does not qualify for world records because its course does not meet the official standards set by World Athletics for record eligibility. Here’s why:
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Point-to-Point Course – The Boston Marathon is a point-to-point race, meaning the start and finish are far apart. World Athletics requires marathon courses to have a maximum separation of 50% of the race distance between start and finish. Boston’s course exceeds this limit.
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Net Elevation Drop – The Boston Marathon has a net elevation drop of 448 feet (136 meters) from start to finish. World Athletics mandates that a marathon course must not have a net elevation loss greater than 1 meter per kilometer (which would be 42 meters for a marathon). Boston’s downhill profile exceeds this limit, making it ineligible for world records.