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World’s Fastest Marathons – April 2025 Rankings

Fastest April 2025 marathons revealed. View full sub-3 rankings, elite results and verified profiles of every race featured.

World’s Fastest Marathons – April 2025 Rankings

April is the high point of the global marathon season. With cool spring conditions across much of the northern hemisphere, and major city races drawing deep international fields, it’s the month where fast times and huge participation often collide. From Boston and London to elite-calibre races across Europe and Australia, April 2025 saw a remarkable spread of performances — both in scale and speed.

These rankings apply Sub-3’s signature formula: 45% of the total score comes from the percentage of sub-3 finishers, 45% from the absolute number of sub-3 runners, and 10% from the fastest winning time. Only verified results from April 2025 are included. All races are assessed on equal terms, using official finisher data and consistent scoring metrics.

🥇 Boston Marathon
Boston, United States – 21 April 2025
The Boston Marathon once again proved why it remains one of the world’s most competitive races. With over 5,000 sub-3 finishers from a field of more than 40,000, it combined both scale and depth to top April’s global rankings. While technically a point-to-point course, Boston’s prestige, qualification standard, and favourable conditions helped produce a wave of fast amateur performances.
→ View full profile: Boston Marathon

🥈 Ballarat Marathon
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia – 27 April 2025
A standout from the southern hemisphere, the Ballarat Marathon delivered the highest sub-3 percentage of the month. With over 400 runners breaking three hours from a field of just over 2,000, Ballarat’s fast course and cool conditions helped it outperform much larger international events on a per-runner basis.
→ View full profile: Ballarat Marathon

🥉 London Marathon
London, United Kingdom – 27 April 2025
London hosted the largest marathon field of the year so far - indeed ever, setting a world record with nearly 57,000 finishers and close to 3,000 sub-3 performances. Its flat course and world-class organisation made it the site of the fastest winning time of the month (2:02:27), and despite a lower percentage of sub-3s, its overall volume secured a top-three ranking.
→ View full profile: London Marathon

4️⃣ Hannover Marathon
Hannover, Germany – 6 April 2025
Hannover offered a fast, urban course with a strong balance of speed and participation. Just over 3,300 runners took part, with more than 400 breaking three hours — a sub-3 percentage that rivalled Boston’s. With a sharp winning time of 2:06:29, Hannover continued to punch above its weight in the global rankings.
→ View full profile: Hannover Marathon

5️⃣ Mt Charleston Marathon
Las Vegas, United States – 5 April 2025
Held just outside Las Vegas, the Mt Charleston Marathon delivered one of the highest sub-3 percentages of the month. With over 2,400 finishers and nearly 300 breaking three hours, its combination of cool desert air and a sharply descending course made it a clear draw for time-focused runners. This performance placed it firmly in April’s top five.
→ View full profile: Mt Charleston Marathon

6️⃣ Linz Donau Marathon
Linz, Austria – 13 April 2025
The Linz Donau Marathon delivered an exceptional sub-3 percentage for its size, with 151 runners breaking three hours from a field of just over 1,300. A fast course and crisp spring conditions helped propel this mid-sized Austrian race into the global Top 10, underlining its growing reputation as a serious option for time-focused athletes.
→ View full profile: Linz Donau Marathon

7️⃣ Marathon de Paris
Paris, France – 13 April 2025
Paris remains one of the largest and most iconic spring marathons in Europe. In 2025, it drew more than 54,000 finishers and over 2,000 sub-3 runners — a raw number surpassed only by Boston and London this month. Despite a lower sub-3 percentage, the combination of elite depth and field scale secured it a high global ranking.
→ View full profile: Marathon de Paris

8️⃣ Eugene Marathon
Eugene, Oregon, United States – 27 April 2025
The Eugene Marathon, held in TrackTown USA, lived up to its heritage with a high sub-3 density. From a field of under 4,000, nearly 400 broke three hours — one of the highest proportions of the month. Its flat course, cool conditions, and running-centric culture make Eugene a consistent performer in the rankings.
→ View full profile: Eugene Marathon

9️⃣ Milano Marathon
Milan, Italy – 6 April 2025
Milano continued its rise as a top-tier European city marathon. With over 8,000 finishers and more than 600 sub-3s, it combined strong amateur depth with a fast winning time of 2:08:38. The course remains one of Italy’s quickest, and 2025 saw it deliver again for runners seeking both speed and scale.
→ View full profile: Milano Marathon

🔟 Newport Marathon
Newport, Wales – 13 April 2025
This coastal Welsh race stood out for its strong sub-3 density. From a field of just under 3,000, more than 10% finished under three hours — one of the highest ratios of the month. While less prominent on the international stage, Newport’s flat course and fast amateur field earned it a deserved place in April’s Top 10.
→ View full profile: Newport Marathon

April 2025 Rankings Table

#MarathonCountry% Sub-3s# Sub-3sTotal RunnersWinning Time
1Boston MarathonUnited States10–15%2000+40k+02:04:45
2Ballarat MarathonAustralia15%+100–4991k–3k02:16:54
3London MarathonUnited Kingdom5–10%2000+40k+02:02:27
4Hannover MarathonGermany10–15%100–4993k–10k02:06:29
5Mt CharlestonUnited States10–15%100–4991k–3k02:22:37
6Linz Donau MarathonAustria10–15%100–4991k–3k02:07:58
7Marathon de ParisFrance2–5%2000+40k+02:05:25
8Eugene MarathonUnited States10–15%100–4993k–10k02:19:43
9Milano MarathonItaly5–10%500–9993k–10k02:08:38
10Newport MarathonUnited Kingdom10–15%100–4991k–3k02:27:57
11Zurich MarathonSwitzerland5–10%100–4993k–10k02:09:16
12Rotterdam MarathonNetherlands5–10%500–99910k–20k02:04:33
13Vienna City MarathonAustria5–10%500–9993k–10k02:08:28
14Hamburg MarathonGermany5–10%500–99910k–20k02:03:46
15Enschede MarathonNetherlands5–10%100–4991k–3k02:09:34
16Lodz MarathonPoland5–10%100–4991k–3k02:17:00
17Maraton de ZaragozaSpain5–10%50–991k–3k02:18:28
18Mountains 2 BeachUnited States5–10%100–4991k–3k02:30:49
19Marathon du Lac d'AnnecyFrance5–10%100–4991k–3k02:18:43
20Dusseldorf MarathonGermany5–10%100–4993k–10k02:08:33
21Manchester MarathonUnited Kingdom2–5%500–99920k–30k02:16:56
22International Marathon Alexander the GreatGreece5–10%50–991k–3k02:24:20
23Padova MarathonItaly5–10%50–991k–3k02:11:34
24Bratislava MarathonSlovakia5–10%50–991k–3k02:23:42
25Rock 'n' Roll Madrid MarathonSpain2–5%100–49910k–20k02:09:11
26Belgrade MaratonSerbia2–5%50–991k–3k02:11:21
27Marathon Poitiers-FuturoscopeFrance5–10%50–991k–3k02:30:17
28Maraton GdanskPoland2–5%50–991k–3k02:20:25
29Cracovia MarathonPoland2–5%100–4993k–10k02:17:52
30Mein Freiburg MarathonGermany2–5%50–991k–3k02:21:11
31Leipzig MarathonGermany2–5%50–991k–3k02:25:42
32Marathon de NantesFrance2–5%100–4993k–10k02:25:59
33Canberra MarathonAustralia2–5%100–4991k–3k02:30:08
34Maratona Internacional De São PauloBrazil2–5%100–4993k–10k02:13:22
35Kentucky Derby Festival MarathonUnited States2–5%10–491k–3k02:23:34
36Baloise Namur MarathonBelgium2–5%10–491k–3k02:33:20
37Rhode Races Newport MarathonUnited States2–5%10–491k–3k02:38:18
38Shakespeare MarathonUnited Kingdom2–5%10–491k–3k02:32:50
39Oberelbe MarathonGermany2–5%10–491k–3k02:34:45
40Rimini MarathonItaly2–5%10–491k–3k02:39:46
41Brighton MarathonUnited Kingdom1–2%100–49910k–20k02:26:47
42BNAC MarathonSouth Africa2–5%10–491k–3k02:29:29
43Oklahoma City MarathonUnited States1–2%10–491k–3k02:26:56
44Southampton MarathonUnited Kingdom2–5%10–491k–3k02:35:08
45Ibiza MarathonSpain0.5–1%<101k–3k02:19:59
46Salt Lake City MarathonUnited States1–2%10–491k–3k02:30:57
47Big Sur International MarathonUnited States1–2%10–493k–10k02:31:02

About These Rankings

These rankings are based on verified results from April 2025 and scored using Sub-3’s 45:45:10 system – 45% for the proportion of sub-3 finishers, 45% for the total number of sub-3s, and 10% for the fastest winning time. Read more about our approach on the Rankings Methodology page.

Missing a Marathon?

We only include open-entry road marathons with 1,000+ finishers that have verifiable public results. Elite-only races or events with no published finisher data are excluded. If you believe a race has been missed, please get in touch.