- Total ascent
- 3,465 m
- Climb density
- 78.7 m/km
- Descent
- 3,192 m
- Net elevation
- 273 m
- Max absolute grade
- 84.1%
As of
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The hilliest marathons, ranked from trusted raw-elevation route profiles across 138 qualifying races.
Ranking current as ofOlympus Marathon (Litochoro) leads this ranking on total ascent (3,465 m).
Compare Olympus Marathon (Litochoro) vs Podbrdo Trail Running Festival
| # | Race | Total ascent | Climb density | Descent | Net elevation | Max absolute grade | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympus Marathon (Litochoro) - greece | 3,465 m | 78.7 m/km | 3,192 m | 273 m | 84.1% | |
| 2 | Podbrdo Trail Running Festival Marathon - slovenia | 3,081 m | 75.9 m/km | 3,104 m | -24 m | 55.7% | |
| 3 | Unicaja Ultra Sierra Nevada Marathon - spain | 2,694 m | 64.6 m/km | 1,406 m | 1,288 m | 49.7% | |
| 4 | Zegama-Aizkorri Mendi Maratoia Marathon - spain | 2,591 m | 61.4 m/km | 2,591 m | -0 m | 62.0% | |
| 5 | Garda Trentino Trail Marathon - italy | 2,497 m | 56.8 m/km | 3,063 m | -565 m | 49.1% | |
| 6 | adidas Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival Marathon - austria | 2,366 m | 54.5 m/km | 2,738 m | -371 m | 59.1% | |
| 7 | Ultra Trail Učka Marathon - croatia | 2,224 m | 53.0 m/km | 2,227 m | -3 m | 52.8% | |
| 8 | Sljemenski Maraton (Zagreb) Marathon - croatia | 2,187 m | 52.1 m/km | 2,188 m | -1 m | 54.7% | |
| 9 | Tatra SkyMarathon (Zakopane) Marathon - poland | 2,011 m | 50.3 m/km | 1,675 m | 336 m | 41.9% | |
| 10 | Mohawk Mountain Race (Cornwall) Marathon - connecticut | 1,991 m | 47.2 m/km | 1,990 m | 1 m | 37.1% | |
| 11 | Jungfrau-Marathon Interlaken - switzerland | 1,960 m | 46.5 m/km | 200 m | 1,761 m | 35.4% | |
| 12 | Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon - switzerland | 1,876 m | 44.5 m/km | 404 m | 1,473 m | 26.2% | |
| 13 | Var Verdon Trail Canyon Marathon - france | 1,807 m | 45.2 m/km | 1,807 m | -0 m | 41.7% | |
| 14 | Endurancelife Peak District (Castleton) Marathon - east-midlands | 1,665 m | 39.5 m/km | 1,665 m | -0 m | 42.6% | |
| 15 | Catalina Island Marathon - california | 1,530 m | 36.3 m/km | 1,526 m | 4 m | 44.6% | |
| 16 | Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon - virginia | 1,523 m | 36.1 m/km | 1,523 m | 0 m | 92.0% | |
| 17 | Davos X-Trails Marathon - switzerland | 1,513 m | 35.2 m/km | 1,513 m | 0 m | 37.7% | |
| 18 | Moab Trail Marathon - utah | 1,404 m | 33.3 m/km | 1,405 m | -2 m | 53.1% | |
| 19 | MIUT - Madeira Island Ultra-Trail Marathon - portugal | 1,392 m | 34.8 m/km | 1,984 m | -592 m | 64.2% | |
| 20 | Plitvički maraton (Plitvice Marathon) - croatia | 1,313 m | 31.1 m/km | 1,314 m | -1 m | 38.9% | |
| 21 | Salomon Ultra-Trail Hungary Marathon - hungary | 1,303 m | 31.0 m/km | 1,633 m | -330 m | 60.3% | |
| 22 | Beachy Head Marathon - south-east | 1,144 m | 27.1 m/km | 1,143 m | 1 m | 31.2% | |
| 23 | Tollymore Extreme (Tollymore Trail Marathon), Newcastle - northern-ireland | 1,084 m | 25.7 m/km | 1,092 m | -7 m | 28.1% | |
| 24 | Girdwood Marathon - alaska | 1,076 m | 25.5 m/km | 1,073 m | 4 m | 34.7% | |
| 25 | Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series - North York Moors (Ravenscar) Marathon - yorkshire | 1,032 m | 24.2 m/km | 1,032 m | 0 m | 40.6% | |
| 26 | Endurancelife Pembrokeshire Marathon - wales | 1,015 m | 23.1 m/km | 1,015 m | -0 m | 28.8% | |
| 27 | Tecumseh Trail Marathon (Tecumseh Trail Challenge), Nashville Indiana - indiana | 998 m | 23.7 m/km | 998 m | 1 m | 24.5% | |
| 28 | Mohican Trail 100 Mile Run Marathon - ohio | 993 m | 23.5 m/km | 980 m | 13 m | 33.1% | |
| 29 | Three Forts Challenge Marathon - south-east | 922 m | 21.1 m/km | 922 m | -0 m | 13.5% | |
| 30 | Trondheim Skogsmaraton Marathon - norway | 907 m | 21.5 m/km | 907 m | 0 m | 17.0% | |
| 31 | Lakeland Trails Coniston Marathon, Half, Mini-10k & 5k - north-west | 900 m | 21.3 m/km | 899 m | 0 m | 21.8% | |
| 32 | NipMuck Trail Marathon - connecticut | 878 m | 20.7 m/km | 863 m | 15 m | 29.4% | |
| 33 | Stavanger Marathon - norway | 862 m | 20.4 m/km | 887 m | -25 m | 87.3% | |
| 34 | Balaton Szupermaraton (Siófok) Marathon - hungary | 803 m | 19.0 m/km | 823 m | -20 m | 24.3% | |
| 35 | Snowdonia Marathon - wales | 786 m | 18.6 m/km | 801 m | -15 m | 25.2% | |
| 36 | Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half - washington | 783 m | 18.5 m/km | 1,051 m | -268 m | 31.0% | |
| 37 | Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon - norway | 781 m | 18.5 m/km | 779 m | 1 m | 24.1% | |
| 38 | Haulin' Aspen Trail Race Marathon - oregon | 747 m | 17.7 m/km | 780 m | -33 m | 19.7% | |
| 39 | Lake Tahoe Marathon - nevada | 737 m | 17.5 m/km | 733 m | 4 m | 46.1% | |
| 40 | Portland Coastal Marathon - south-west | 715 m | 16.9 m/km | 715 m | -0 m | 33.0% | |
| 41 | Columbia Gorge Marathon - oregon | 696 m | 16.5 m/km | 778 m | -82 m | 25.5% | |
| 42 | Internationaler Schwarzwald-Marathon Bräunlingen - germany | 681 m | 16.1 m/km | 688 m | -7 m | 27.8% | |
| 43 | The Kauai Marathon & Half Marathon - hawaii | 607 m | 14.4 m/km | 612 m | -5 m | 24.0% | |
| 44 | Norfolk Festival of Running (King's Lynn) Marathon - east-of-england | 558 m | 13.2 m/km | 558 m | -0 m | 9.8% | |
| 45 | Run Woodstock Marathon - michigan | 547 m | 13.0 m/km | 546 m | 1 m | 13.5% | |
| 46 | Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay - maine | 526 m | 12.5 m/km | 527 m | -1 m | 18.7% | |
| 47 | The Hawk Hundred (Lawrence) Marathon - kansas | 495 m | 11.7 m/km | 487 m | 8 m | 14.3% | |
| 48 | Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon - ireland | 493 m | 11.7 m/km | 497 m | -4 m | 13.0% | |
| 49 | Bay of Fundy International Marathon - maine | 456 m | 10.8 m/km | 484 m | -27 m | 12.5% | |
| 50 | Cedar Rapids Marathon - iowa | 454 m | 10.8 m/km | 455 m | -1 m | 15.8% | |
| 51 | Connemara International Marathon (Connemarathon) - ireland | 451 m | 10.7 m/km | 443 m | 8 m | 19.5% | |
| 52 | 6 sjöar (Uppsala) Marathon - sweden | 426 m | 10.1 m/km | 427 m | -1 m | 22.4% | |
| 53 | Flying Pig Marathon - ohio | 424 m | 10.0 m/km | 427 m | -4 m | 32.4% | |
| 54 | Richmond Park Marathon (London) - london | 423 m | 10.0 m/km | 417 m | 6 m | 15.3% | |
| 55 | Two Tunnels Railway Races Marathon - south-west | 415 m | 9.8 m/km | 413 m | 2 m | 21.0% | |
| 56 | The New Hampshire Marathon at Newfound Lake - new-hampshire | 412 m | 9.8 m/km | 408 m | 4 m | 12.0% | |
| 57 | Run the Rainbow for Children's Marathon - mississippi | 407 m | 9.7 m/km | 407 m | 0 m | 10.6% | |
| 58 | Mississippi Blues Marathon - mississippi | 401 m | 9.5 m/km | 399 m | 2 m | 10.2% | |
| 59 | Maui Oceanfront Marathon - hawaii | 392 m | 9.3 m/km | 413 m | -21 m | 17.4% | |
| 60 | Arctic Marathon (Rovaniemi) - finland | 392 m | 9.3 m/km | 391 m | -0 m | 11.9% | |
| 61 | Reims Champagne Run Marathon - france | 389 m | 9.3 m/km | 551 m | -161 m | 17.4% | |
| 62 | Bend Marathon and Half - oregon | 388 m | 9.2 m/km | 388 m | 0 m | 16.6% | |
| 63 | Maine Marathon (Portland) - maine | 357 m | 8.5 m/km | 358 m | 0 m | 15.5% | |
| 64 | FirstEnergy Akron Marathon - ohio | 350 m | 8.3 m/km | 355 m | -6 m | 13.8% | |
| 65 | Zurich Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Madrid Marathon - spain | 335 m | 7.9 m/km | 362 m | -26 m | 8.7% | |
| 66 | Albany COMBOS Marathon & Half Marathon - georgia | 333 m | 7.9 m/km | 337 m | -4 m | 13.0% | |
| 67 | Athens Marathon. The Authentic - greece | 333 m | 7.9 m/km | 274 m | 59 m | 7.6% | |
| 68 | The Original Las Vegas Marathon - nevada | 331 m | 7.8 m/km | 331 m | 0 m | 11.9% | |
| 69 | Marshall University Marathon - west-virginia | 330 m | 7.8 m/km | 332 m | -2 m | 18.7% | |
| 70 | Milton Keynes Marathon - south-east | 318 m | 7.5 m/km | 320 m | -2 m | 7.8% | |
| 71 | The Asheville Marathon & Half - north-carolina | 312 m | 7.4 m/km | 374 m | -61 m | 8.9% | |
| 72 | Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes - france | 308 m | 7.3 m/km | 310 m | -2 m | 11.8% | |
| 73 | DNB Oslo Marathon - norway | 307 m | 7.3 m/km | 308 m | -0 m | 6.7% | |
| 74 | Sioux Falls Marathon - south-dakota | 305 m | 7.2 m/km | 307 m | -2 m | 13.6% | |
| 75 | Montpellier Run Festival Marathon - france | 303 m | 7.2 m/km | 290 m | 12 m | 9.7% | |
| 76 | TUI Μαραθώνιος Ρόδου (TUI Rhodes Marathon) - greece | 296 m | 7.0 m/km | 294 m | 3 m | 10.1% | |
| 77 | Southampton Marathon - south-east | 279 m | 6.6 m/km | 265 m | 14 m | 9.7% | |
| 78 | Thames Meander Marathon (London) - london | 274 m | 6.5 m/km | 274 m | 0 m | 6.1% | |
| 79 | Rimi Riga Marathon - latvia | 273 m | 6.5 m/km | 272 m | 1 m | 20.5% | |
| 80 | Amica Newport Marathon & Half Marathon - rhode-island | 270 m | 6.4 m/km | 271 m | -0 m | 8.1% | |
| 81 | The Great Bangor Marathon & Half (Bangor, Maine) - maine | 269 m | 6.4 m/km | 280 m | -10 m | 9.9% | |
| 82 | Estes Park Marathon and Half Marathon - colorado | 256 m | 6.1 m/km | 735 m | -479 m | 15.1% | |
| 83 | Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon - texas | 256 m | 6.1 m/km | 255 m | 1 m | 12.5% | |
| 84 | Trondheim Maraton Marathon - norway | 253 m | 6.0 m/km | 252 m | 1 m | 10.7% | |
| 85 | Regensburg Marathon - germany | 247 m | 5.9 m/km | 247 m | -0 m | 9.3% | |
| 86 | Garmin New Forest Marathon - south-east | 246 m | 5.8 m/km | 247 m | -1 m | 5.5% | |
| 87 | Tupelo Marathon - mississippi | 243 m | 5.8 m/km | 242 m | 1 m | 7.1% | |
| 88 | Madison Marathon (Madison, Wisconsin) - wisconsin | 243 m | 5.7 m/km | 236 m | 6 m | 12.1% | |
| 89 | Midnattssolmaraton (Midnight Sun Marathon), Tromsø - norway | 242 m | 5.7 m/km | 241 m | 2 m | 7.5% | |
| 90 | Allianz Richmond Marathon - virginia | 236 m | 5.6 m/km | 272 m | -36 m | 16.1% | |
| 91 | Cleveland Marathon - ohio | 232 m | 5.5 m/km | 233 m | 0 m | 31.4% | |
| 92 | Energa Gdańsk Maraton Marathon - poland | 227 m | 5.4 m/km | 228 m | -1 m | 7.8% | |
| 93 | Helsinki City Marathon - finland | 226 m | 5.4 m/km | 220 m | 6 m | 8.3% | |
| 94 | Windermere Marathon (Spokane) - washington | 226 m | 5.4 m/km | 304 m | -78 m | 13.4% | |
| 95 | Chester Marathon - north-west | 220 m | 5.2 m/km | 217 m | 3 m | 7.8% | |
| 96 | Copenhagen Marathon - denmark | 220 m | 5.2 m/km | 219 m | -0 m | 5.4% | |
| 97 | Endurancelife Suffolk (Dunwich) Marathon - east-of-england | 219 m | 5.1 m/km | 218 m | 0 m | 7.7% | |
| 98 | Maine Coast Marathon - maine | 219 m | 5.2 m/km | 217 m | 1 m | 8.6% | |
| 99 | Omaha Marathon - nebraska | 215 m | 5.1 m/km | 216 m | -1 m | 11.5% | |
| 100 | Mein Freiburg Marathon - germany | 211 m | 5.0 m/km | 210 m | 1 m | 6.2% |
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Showing the top 100 of 138 qualifying races; use the distance catalogue for the full searchable list. Scores are out of 100 when present; route, elevation and cost figures are shown in their natural units.
Races are ranked by Total ascent. Score metrics use methodology scoring-methodology-v1.0. Elevation rankings use only trusted raw-elevation course profiles. A ranking is only published when at least five races qualify, so the table is never padded with thin data.
Olympus Marathon (Litochoro) ranks first by total ascent, from 138 qualifying races compared under our published methodology.