Marathons

Running the 6 World Marathon Majors

Feeling inspired by the TCS London Marathon 2024? We take an in-depth look at the 6 World Marathon Majors and explain how you can run them all.

What are the 6 World Marathon Majors?

More than 800 marathons are organised every year, but only six key races share the honour of being a World Marathon Major, which sets them apart from the rest: London Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and New York City Marathon. This championship-style competition began in 2006, with each race earning its place as a major because they are considered to be the most high-profile events on the marathon calendar. Whether you are planning to run any or even complete the 6 most famous marathons, we will show you some useful information about each of them.

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1. Tokyo Marathon

Taking place on the first Sunday in March, the Tokyo Marathon is the first major of the calendar year. Established in 2007, it is the youngest of the World Marathon Majors, having achieved its status in 2012.ㅤ

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Image credits: Tokyo Marathon

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Fun facts

• Over 37,000 people ran the Tokyo marathon in 2024.

• It is the result of the merging of 2 marathons held in the city since 1981: the Tokyo International Marathon in odd-numbered years and the New York Friendship International Marathon in even-numbered years.

• You must be at least 19 years old to participate, as opposed to 18 years, which is the usual age required to register for most marathon races.

Official website: https://www.marathon.tokyo/en/

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2. Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world, first run in 1897. It traditionally takes place on the third Monday in April - on Patriots’ Day in the USA. It took its inspiration from the marathon race at the Olympic Games Athens 1896.

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Photo credits: Unsplash

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Fun facts

• Over 30,000 runners took part in 2023.

• In 1967, it became the first marathon in which a woman participated and finished (Katherine Switzer). Eventually, women were officially allowed to participate in 1972.

Official website: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathonㅤㅤ

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3. London Marathon

Traditionally held in April, its founder was Chris Brasher, a former Olympic track and field athlete, who first organised the event in 1981. Britain's Paula Radcliffe won the London Marathon three times within a four year period, setting the course record twice and holding the Women's World Marathon Record for 16 years, in a time of 2:15:25, in 2003. SportsShoes has covered this event over the past years, so if you are interested in knowing how other runners have prepared for it, we have Q&As of past participants and more in our Hub.

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Photo credits: Adam Marsden

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Fun facts

• Over 48,000 runners took part in 2023.

• The chances of getting a race bib for non-UK residents are very slim.

• The London Marathon is the world's largest annual fundraising event.

Official website: https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/ㅤ

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4. Berlin Marathon

The Berlin Marathon is considered to be one of the fastest courses in the world, which makes it one of the most favourable to achieving world records. In 2022, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record of 2:01:09, which has since only been bettered by Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 in Chicago 2023. Last year, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa smashed the women's world marathon record in Berlin with a time of 2 hours 11 minutes 53 seconds. It is traditionally held on the last weekend in September.

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Photo credits: Berlin Marathon

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Fun facts

• Over 40,000 runners took part in 2023.

• The Berlin Marathon has been held annually since 1974.

• When Germany achieved reunification in October 1990 after 45 years of division and military occupation, the Berlin Marathon went through the previous Eastern Zone for the first time and gained a world profile as a symbol of the new sense of free and open access that swept Europe.

Official website: https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/en/ㅤ

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5. Chicago Marathon

Held every October, the Chicago Marathon is the fourth-largest race by number of finishers worldwide.The Chicago race has produced some of the fastest times seen in history, including the current men's World Record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. In the same year, Sifan Hassan briefly set a new Women's World Record of 2:13:44.

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Photo credits: Chicago Marathon

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Fun facts

• 48,574 runners took part in 2023.

• The 2017 edition of the Chicago Marathon was the 40th in terms of its "modern" version as we know it today, as it is stated that it was officially born in 1977.

• It has an estimated 1.7 million on-course spectators.

Official website: www.chicagomarathon.comㅤ

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6. New York City Marathon

Traditionally held in early November, the New York Marathon is the biggest marathon in the world in terms of participants. With a record 53,627 finishers in 2019, it is the only marathon to have surpassed 50K.

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Photo credits: SportsShoes

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Fun facts

• 51,402 runners participated in 2022.

• The route was modified to run through the 5 "boroughs" of the city: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island.

• Runners cross five bridges during the race: the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Pulaski Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, the Willis Avenue Bridge and the Madison Avenue Bridge.

• Since its creation in 1970, there has only been one year in which it could not be held: 2012, due to Hurricane Sandy.

Official website: www.tcsnycmarathon.orgㅤ

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How do you qualify for the 6 marathons majors?

To qualify for the Marathon Majors, runners must complete all six marathons within a certain period of time. It is common for these races to be completed within six years. However, the exact requirements may vary depending on the organisation sponsoring the event or the country where the race is held. In addition, runners must meet the qualifying times set for each marathon. These times may vary depending on the age and gender of the runner, as well as other factors such as altitude and weather conditions at the time of the race. For example, in the Boston Marathon, the qualifying times for men and women vary according to their age. Each of the Marathon Majors’ official websites will provide you with detailed information about the qualification requirements. In addition, you can also check out runner forums and runner blogs for personal perspectives and advice from other athletes who have participated in these marathons.ㅤ

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How many people have done all 6 marathon majors?

While the vast majority of runners have completed a marathon, much less have competed in all six of the majors. Doing so puts them in an exclusive club, with each earning a Six Star Medal. The Six Star Medal was introduced by the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2016 to honour the runners who complete all six Major marathons. Following the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, there have been more than 11,000 runners to have completed this challenge, with 96 of them navigating the Six Star journey more than once.

Last year, Haroon Mota added his name to this prestigious list of Six Star runners. Haroon is the founder of Muslim Hikers and Active Inclusion Network, two organisations dedicated to advocating for diversity in sport and outdoor activities by promoting the inclusion of South Asian communities mainly in the UK, where he is based.

We chatted to him about his experience of completing all 6 World Marathon Majors.

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Photo credits: Haroon Mota

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Will there be a 7th Major Marathon?

If 6 are the Majors, is there any room to expand to more events around the world to become the 7th? The answer is still to be confirmed, but The Sydney Marathon is a candidate race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors - the first marathon in Oceania to be nominated.

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Photo credits: Unsplash

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Over the next 3 years, the Sydney Marathon will be required to meet strict criteria to achieve ‘Majors’ status by 2025. If successful, Sydney Marathon will join an esteemed group of races, Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW-Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon.

In addition to the Sydney Marathon, South Africa's Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and China’s Chengdu Marathon are currently part of the AbbottWMM candidate process although only three candidate spots are available.

Time will tell if one more marathon is added to the Majors list while thousands of runners are on their way to marathon running’s greatest prize: the Six Star Medal. Are you up for the challenge?

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Want to find out more? We've been busy collecting all the latest tips & expert advice for marathon training and race days. Our Marathon category lets you experience real in-the-moment stories as we dive deeper into Q&A with athletes, kit reviews, nutritional advice and so much more!