Philadelphia vs Richmond: Which November BQ Race?

Published October 12, 2026 · Estimates, updated each registration cycle

Short answer: both are strong East Coast qualifiers eight days apart, and the better pick depends less on the course than on how you race. Choose Richmond if you like a smaller field and a finish that rewards a runner who saved something for the last six miles. Choose Philadelphia if you want a big city race with deep pace groups and a genuinely flat second half, and if you already hold an entry. Richmond runs on Saturday, November 14, 2026 and Philadelphia on Sunday, November 22, 2026. Both finish after the Boston 2027 registration closed, so either time counts toward the application you file in September 2027 for the 2028 Boston Marathon.

Course profile

Philadelphia starts and finishes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, so its net elevation change is essentially zero. The first third loops through Center City and includes the only climbing worth a plan, around miles eight to ten near the zoo. From roughly halfway the race runs out and back along Kelly Drive to Manayunk, which is as flat as road racing gets. Richmond rolls gently through the city for its first half, drops to the James River, then asks for its one honest climb between about mile 15 and mile 18 after the exposed bridge crossing. After that it trends downhill to a steep final descent at Brown's Island. The net drop is about 130 feet, and Philadelphia has none, so both are far from the 1,500 foot threshold of the Boston downhill adjustment and both submit at full clock value, see which marathons are too downhill.

The practical difference is where the hard part sits. In Philadelphia it comes early, when you are fresh and tempted to push. In Richmond it comes late, exactly when an over eager first half gets billed. Runners who pace conservatively by habit tend to like Richmond. Runners who fade on climbs after 15 miles tend to do better in Philadelphia.

Weather

Both dates sit in a good part of the calendar. Mid November in Virginia usually means a cool, dry start, which is a large part of why Richmond produces so many qualifiers. Philadelphia a week later is typically colder, often near freezing in the corrals, which is excellent once you are moving. The shared risk is wind. Richmond has one exposed bridge, while Philadelphia spends most of its second half on an open riverside out and back, so a windy Sunday costs more there. On average Philadelphia is the colder bet and Richmond the less windy one.

Field and entry

Richmond caps the marathon at about 6,200 runners, so the road never gets crowded, but packs at a given pace are thinner if the wind is up. Philadelphia is a much larger race with pace groups at the common Boston times. Entry is the deciding fact for many runners this late: the official Philadelphia site lists the 2026 marathon as sold out, with charity partners as the remaining route, while Richmond is worth checking for open spots before you build a plan around it. Confirm current availability on both race pages before you commit.

The number to aim at

The 2027 Boston race cut at 5:17 under the standard, after 4:34 for 2026. The 2028 cutoff is not known yet, so any target is a planning number, not a forecast. Take a 45 year old man, standard 3:15:00. With a planning buffer of 6:00, above both recent cutoffs, he would aim for 3:09:00, which is 7:13 per mile and about 1:34:30 at halfway on an even split. In Richmond, aim to reach the river right on that split rather than ahead of it. In Philadelphia, stay on pace through the early hills and use Kelly Drive to hold it. Tiers for every age group are in what time you need for Boston 2028.

Verdict

If you have an entry, Philadelphia is a fine place to run your qualifier. If you are still choosing and like a smaller race with a fast finish, Richmond is the stronger case, and its earlier date leaves a little more recovery before the holidays. The full reviews are here: Philadelphia and Richmond, and if a flat course weeks later suits you better, see Monumental vs CIM. Before race week, put your age, gender and goal time into the cutoff predictor to see how that buffer would have done against every real Boston cutoff since 2014.