Boston Marathon
The 2025 Boston Marathon course from Hopkinton to Copley Square — including Heartbreak Hill at mile 20. 1,381 GPS waypoints with full elevation profile. Free GPX download.
Route map
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom · pitched 50° to show terrain
Elevation profile
Per-kilometre breakdown
| Km | Elev start | Elev end | Δ Elevation | Grade | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 139 m | 103 m | -36 m | -3.6% | |
| 2 | 103 m | 98 m | -5 m | -0.5% | |
| 3 | 98 m | 96 m | -2 m | -0.2% | |
| 4 | 96 m | 90 m | -6 m | -0.6% | |
| 5 | 90 m | 70 m | -21 m | -2.1% | |
| 6 | 70 m | 56 m | -14 m | -1.4% | |
| 7 | 56 m | 62 m | +6 m | 0.6% | |
| 8 | 62 m | 62 m | 0 m | -0.0% | |
| 9 | 62 m | 57 m | -4 m | -0.4% | |
| 10 | 57 m | 51 m | -6 m | -0.6% | |
| 11 | 51 m | 51 m | 0 m | -0.0% | |
| 12 | 51 m | 48 m | -3 m | -0.3% | |
| 13 | 48 m | 50 m | +2 m | 0.2% | |
| 14 | 50 m | 46 m | -4 m | -0.4% | |
| 15 | 46 m | 46 m | 0 m | -0.0% | |
| 16 | 46 m | 51 m | +5 m | 0.5% | |
| 17 | 51 m | 56 m | +5 m | 0.5% | |
| 18 | 56 m | 59 m | +2 m | 0.2% | |
| 19 | 59 m | 48 m | -11 m | -1.1% | |
| 20 | 48 m | 46 m | -2 m | -0.2% | |
| 21 | 46 m | 43 m | -3 m | -0.3% | |
| 22 | 43 m | 42 m | -1 m | -0.1% | |
| 23 | 42 m | 44 m | +2 m | 0.2% | |
| 24 | 44 m | 49 m | +5 m | 0.5% | |
| 25 | 49 m | 42 m | -7 m | -0.7% | |
| 26 | 42 m | 19 m | -22 m | -2.2% | |
| 27 | 19 m | 34 m | +14 m | 1.4% | |
| 28 | 34 m | 30 m | -4 m | -0.4% | |
| 29 | 30 m | 45 m | +15 m | 1.5% | |
| 30 | 45 m | 42 m | -3 m | -0.3% | |
| 31 | 42 m | 29 m | -13 m | -1.3% | |
| 32 | 29 m | 45 m | +16 m | 1.6% | |
| 33 | 45 m | 57 m | +12 m | 1.2% | |
| 34 | 57 m | 68 m | +11 m | 1.1% | |
| 35 | 68 m | 45 m | -22 m | -2.2% | |
| 36 | 45 m | 36 m | -9 m | -0.9% | |
| 37 | 36 m | 33 m | -3 m | -0.3% | |
| 38 | 33 m | 24 m | -9 m | -0.9% | |
| 39 | 24 m | 7 m | -16 m | -1.6% | |
| 40 | 7 m | 5 m | -2 m | -0.2% | |
| 41 | 5 m | 4 m | -1 m | -0.1% | |
| 42 | 4 m | 6 m | +2 m | 0.2% | |
| 43 | 6 m | 5 m | -1 m | -0.1% |
A short history
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon — first run in 1897, a year after the inaugural modern Olympic marathon in Athens. It's also a point-to-point net-downhill course with the most infamous hill in distance running embedded right when you can least afford it.
The course starts in Hopkinton at the BAA's century-old start area, drops 130+ metres through Ashland, Framingham, and Natick on the way to the iconic Scream Tunnel at Wellesley College (mile 13), then runs into the Newton Hills — four climbs over a 5-mile stretch culminating in Heartbreak Hill at mile 20.
After Heartbreak, it's a long gentle descent down Beacon Street through Brookline, a right on Hereford, a left on Boylston, and a finish line that's been there since 1986.
To run it, you either qualify (the BQ standards are notoriously strict) or fundraise — which makes the race feel earned for almost everyone on the start line.
About this GPX
This file is the complete 2025 race course, 1,381 GPS points sourced from the BAA's published track and verified against the certified course measurement.
- 1,381 waypoints — denser around the Newton Hills (where elevation changes matter) and the late-race finish, sparser through the long descent
- Elevation on every waypoint from the BAA's altimeter-corrected data
- Total distance: 42.2 km, validated against the certified 26.219 mi measurement
- Net elevation: ~-140 m (downhill overall, but with ~+165 m of total climbing concentrated in the Newton Hills)
Direction: point-to-point, west to east. Hopkinton → Ashland → Framingham → Natick → Wellesley → Newton → Brookline → Boston.
Treadmill simulation notes
The Boston course is deceptive on a treadmill in a way that mirrors race day. The first 16 miles let you bank time as you drop 130 m of elevation; on a treadmill with auto-incline, the belt feels easy and quads load up without you noticing. Then the Newton Hills hit and you discover what those easy early miles actually cost.
Pacing strategy:
- Miles 1-6: 10 s/mi slower than goal pace despite the downhill. Don't let gravity cash a check your quads can't pay.
- Miles 6-16: goal pace. Cruise.
- Miles 16-21 (Newton Hills): expect to slow by 15-30 s/mi over the climbs. That's normal. Heartbreak Hill peaks at mile 20.4, summit is mile 20.6.
- Miles 21-26.2: gentle downhill through Brookline. If you have anything left, this is where you negative-split into the finish.
The auto-incline simulation will push your treadmill between -2% (the early descents) and +3-4% (the Newton Hills). Make sure your treadmill supports negative incline to feel the full course — Boston's net-downhill profile is unique among the world marathons.
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