World Marathon Majors: The Complete Guide

What Are the World Marathon Majors?

The Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a series of large city marathons: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City make up the original six, Sydney joined as the seventh Major, and Cape Town becomes the eighth when it runs as a Major for the first time in May 2027. They draw elite athletes chasing records and amateur runners pursuing a bucket-list challenge.

The series began in 2006 with five races, Tokyo was added as the sixth in 2013, and Sydney held its first race as a Major in 2025 (World Marathon Majors on Wikipedia). Each race has its own character, entry process, and course, but they share a common thread: big organisations, big crowds, and routes through well-known parts of their cities.

For many runners, completing the original six — and earning the Six Star Medal — becomes a multi-year quest that spans continents and seasons.

The Majors at a Glance

Race	City	Month	Course shape	Entry Method
Tokyo Marathon	Tokyo, Japan	March	Point-to-point	Lottery (general ballot), charity and other routes
Boston Marathon	Boston, USA	April	Point-to-point, net downhill	Qualifying time
London Marathon	London, UK	April	Point-to-point	Lottery (ballot), charity places and other routes
Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	September	Loop	Lottery
Chicago Marathon	Chicago, USA	October	Loop	Lottery (guaranteed and non-guaranteed draw)
New York City Marathon	New York, USA	November	Point-to-point	Lottery (NYRR drawing), guaranteed routes including 9+1
Sydney Marathon	Sydney, Australia	August	Point-to-point	Ballot, charity partner program
Cape Town Marathon	Cape Town, South Africa	May (a Major from 2027)	Starts and finishes at Green Point	Check the organiser

Course shape is the clearest difference between the Majors. Berlin and Chicago start and finish in the same area, while Tokyo, Boston, London, New York and Sydney run from one place to another. Boston is the one Major whose entry is built around a qualifying time; the others offer ballots alongside charity partners and other routes. Each race section below covers its entry route in more detail.

Tokyo Marathon — March

The Tokyo Marathon is a road marathon through central Tokyo, held on the first Sunday of March. The first Tokyo Marathon was held in 2007, and the organisers’ course is certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), World Athletics and AIMS.

The Course

The course starts at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku and finishes in front of Tokyo Station on Gyoko-dori. In between it passes Suidobashi, Ueno-hirokoji, Kanda, Nihonbashi, Asakusa Kaminarimon, Ryogoku, Monzen-nakacho, Ginza, Tamachi and Hibiya. The marathon also includes a wheelchair marathon.

Weather and Conditions

Early March in Tokyo is cool and fairly dry: average highs are about 14°C and lows about 5°C, with some rain on roughly ten days of the month. As with any marathon, check the forecast in the final week and pack for both a cold start and a warmer finish.

How to Enter

Lottery (general ballot): The general entry is a ballot. For the 2027 race the general entry period was set for August 2026 (organisers’ announcement).
Charity runners and other routes: The organisers also offer entry through charity runners and other routes. Runners must be at least 19 on race day. Check the official entry page for the current list of routes.

What Makes It Special

The route links old and new Tokyo: it passes Asakusa Kaminarimon, Nihonbashi and Ginza on the way to a finish in front of Tokyo Station. At the top of the field it is fast too. Benson Kipruto set the men’s course record of 2:02:16 in 2024, and in 2026 Brigid Kosgei broke the women’s course record with 2:14:29. About 38,773 runners took part in 2026, according to a preliminary count.

Boston Marathon — April

The Boston Marathon is the Major whose entry is built around a qualifying time: athletes must meet an age- and gender-based standard to apply. Read our complete Boston qualifying guide for how the standards work and which qualifying courses to consider.

The Course

The Boston Marathon is a point-to-point road race from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in central Boston, held on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April. Runners start in staggered waves on Main Street in Hopkinton and follow Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham and Natick to Wellesley, where Wellesley College students line the road at the Scream Tunnel around the halfway mark.

The route then joins Route 16 into Newton and turns onto Commonwealth Avenue for the four Newton hills, the last of which is Heartbreak Hill between miles 20 and 21. After the hills it passes the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, continues along Beacon Street through Brookline and Kenmore Square, and turns onto Boylston Street for the finish at Copley Square, beside the Boston Public Library. Overall the route is net downhill, even though the hills come late — so hold back in the early miles.

Weather and Conditions

April in Boston is cool: average highs are about 14°C and lows about 5°C, with measurable precipitation on roughly 12 days of the month. Race-day conditions can differ a lot from the monthly average, so check the forecast and have layers ready for both a cold start and a warmer afternoon.

How to Enter

Qualifying time: Entry is by qualifying time. Meeting the standard does not guarantee a place: for the 2027 race the cut-off was 5 minutes 17 seconds faster than the standard, according to the B.A.A. The field is about 30,000 runners.
Entry fee: The 2027 fee was $270 (WCVB).

What Makes It Special

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon. The Boston Athletic Association organised the first race in 1897, and the start moved to Hopkinton in 1924. Wellesley’s Scream Tunnel, Kenmore Square and the final turn from Hereford Street onto Boylston Street are the landmarks runners remember. Because entry is by qualifying time, the race is as much about the training block that got you there as about the day itself.

London Marathon — April

The London Marathon (the TCS London Marathon) is run through central London every spring, normally on a Sunday in April, and holds World Athletics Platinum Label status. In 2026 a record 59,830 runners finished, which Guinness World Records lists as the largest number of finishers in a marathon.

The Course

It is a point-to-point course from three start lines in south-east London, at Blackheath and Greenwich Park, to a finish on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. The runners from the three starts meet just before Mile Three, in Woolwich.

The route loops around the Cutty Sark between Miles Six and Seven, crosses Tower Bridge near the halfway point, circles through Mudchute, the Docklands and Canary Wharf, then returns west from Tower Hill along the Victoria Embankment to Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk. The organisers describe the first miles as net downhill and the middle section as relatively flat, with a slight incline just before Tower Bridge.

Weather and Conditions

April in London is mild and changeable: average highs are about 15°C and lows about 6°C, with rain of 1 mm or more on roughly nine days of the month. As with any spring marathon, dress for a range of conditions and check the forecast in the final week.

How to Enter

Lottery (public ballot): Places are allocated by ballot. For the 2027 race the organisers split the event over two days, with a record 100,000 places, after more than 1.3 million people entered the ballot (London Marathon Events).
Other routes: The organisers also list charity places, Good for Age entry, Championship entry, British Athletics club entry and international entry (London Marathon Events). Check the official page for the rules and deadlines of each.

What Makes It Special

Chris Brasher and John Disley founded the race after Brasher ran in New York in 1979 and wrote an article in The Observer asking whether London could stage such a festival. The first edition was held on 29 March 1981, with 6,255 finishers. The finish line has moved over the years: it was on Constitution Hill in 1981, at Westminster Bridge from 1982 for 12 years, and then on The Mall.

On 26 April 2026 Sabastian Sawe won in 1:59:30, the first legal sub-two-hour marathon and a world record, with Yomif Kejelcha second, also under two hours. In the women’s race Tigst Assefa won in 2:15:41.

Berlin Marathon — September

The Berlin Marathon is held in late September, normally on the last weekend of the month. Thirteen official world records have been set on its course, and the 2026 edition drew more than 56,000 entrants from 162 nations.

The Course

The running race starts on Straße des 17. Juni in the Tiergarten and finishes a short way along the same avenue, behind the Brandenburg Gate. Runners pass the Reichstag at around 10 km and Potsdamer Platz at about 34 km before the run-in to the Gate. Our race page tags the course as flat and fast.

Weather and Conditions

Late September in Berlin is mild: average highs are about 20°C and lows about 10°C, with some rain on around twelve days of the month. Pack for a cool start and a warmer finish.

How to Enter

Lottery: Entry is by lottery (Berlin Marathon race briefing). Check the organisers’ site for the current application dates and any other routes.
Time limit: The time limit is 6 hours 15 minutes from crossing the start mat, with a cut-off at km 33.

What Makes It Special

Berlin was founded in 1974 by Horst Milde, a baker and running enthusiast; the first edition had 244 finishers. Until 1990 it ran only in West Berlin, and on 30 September 1990 runners crossed the Brandenburg Gate for the first time, four days before German reunification. The men’s course record is 2:01:09, set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2022, and the women’s is 2:11:04, set by Tigst Assefa in 2026 — her third Berlin win and her third course record there.

Chicago Marathon — October

The Chicago Marathon is run on the second Sunday of October. It starts and finishes in Grant Park on a World Athletics-certified loop course and passes through 29 Chicago neighborhoods. In 2026 a race-record 54,492 runners finished.

The Course

According to the organisers, the loop passes through neighborhoods including Lakeview, Greektown, Little Italy, Pilsen, Chinatown and Bronzeville. The organisers say about 10,000 volunteers and 1.7 million spectators support the race. Our race page tags the course as flat and fast.

Weather and Conditions

Mid-October in Chicago is cool: average highs are about 17°C and lows about 7°C, with some rain on roughly ten days of the month. The morning start is usually the coolest part of the day, so plan your layers for the wait in the corrals.

How to Enter

Lottery: Entry is by application to a guaranteed and non-guaranteed draw, held in October for the following year’s race (Chicago Marathon). Check the official page for the current dates and rules.

What Makes It Special

Chicago has been the site of three men’s world records: Steve Jones in 1984, Khalid Khannouchi in 1999 and Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. In 2024 Ruth Chepngetich ran 2:09:56 there for a women’s world record. The first race in the present series was held on 25 September 1977, with 4,200 participants, after earlier Chicago marathons were run from 1905 into the 1920s.

New York City Marathon — November

The New York City Marathon is New York Road Runners’ annual marathon through all five boroughs of New York City, held on the first Sunday of November. In 2025 the race recorded 59,226 finishers, which NYRR reported as the largest marathon ever at the time; London passed that figure in April 2026.

The Course

The point-to-point course starts at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, then continues through Queens and up Manhattan’s East Side to the Bronx before returning to Manhattan and finishing in Central Park near West 67th Street. Along the way runners cross five bridges, among them the Queensboro, Willis Avenue and Madison Avenue bridges.

Start times are staggered in waves through the morning, and the finish line stays open until the evening. In 2026 the course changed for the first time in 15 years, with a small reroute in the Bronx after the Willis Avenue Bridge.

Weather and Conditions

Early November in New York is cool: average highs in Central Park are about 12°C and lows about 6°C, with rain on roughly nine days of the month. Check the forecast and keep a throwaway layer for the wait at the start.

How to Enter

Lottery (NYRR drawing): Entry is mainly through an NYRR drawing (NYRR).
Guaranteed routes: Guaranteed entry routes such as time qualifiers and the 9+1 programme for NYRR members run alongside the drawing. Check NYRR’s page for the current rules.

What Makes It Special

The first race was held in Central Park on 13 September 1970, with 127 entrants and 55 finishers. The route first ran through the five boroughs on 24 October 1976, as part of the US bicentennial. It is the only marathon on the calendar that runs through all five boroughs of a single city. In 2025 Hellen Obiri won in 2:19:51, breaking a course record that had stood for 22 years, and Benson Kipruto won the men’s race by three hundredths of a second, the closest margin in the race’s history.

Sydney Marathon — August

The Sydney Marathon is the Australian stop of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and holds a World Athletics Platinum Label. It was announced as the seventh Major on 4 November 2024 and ran its first race in the series on 31 August 2025. The marathon has been held annually since 2001, after a test event for the Sydney Olympic Games.

The Course

The point-to-point course starts on Miller Street in North Sydney, crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge, runs through Pyrmont and The Rocks, then down Oxford Street and Anzac Parade towards Kingsford before returning via Moore Park and Centennial Park to finish in front of the Sydney Opera House. The organiser lists an elevation gain of 313 m and a cut-off of 7 hours.

Weather and Conditions

Late August in Sydney is cool and mostly dry: highs average about 19°C and lows about 10°C, with rain on around six days of the month.

How to Enter

Ballot: Entry is by ballot, and the 2027 ballot ran in September and October 2026 (organiser’s entry page).
Charity partner program: For runners who miss the ballot, the organiser offers places through charity partners (same source).

What Makes It Special

The course crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge and ends in front of the Opera House. About 40,000 people registered in 2026, when Addisu Gobena’s 2:04:42 was the fastest marathon ever run by a man in Australia. The women’s course record is Sifan Hassan’s 2:18:22 from 2025.

Cape Town Marathon — May

The Cape Town Marathon (the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon) is South Africa’s major city marathon, held on a Sunday in late May. On 23 May 2027 it becomes the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major, the first on African soil, after passing its second and final assessment at the 2026 race on 24 May.

The Course

The marathon starts and finishes in Green Point near the Cape Town Stadium, with the finish on Vlei Road. The 2027 programme includes Peace Runs on the Saturday and trail races.

Weather and Conditions

Late May in Cape Town is mild and often wet: highs average about 21°C and lows about 10°C, with humidity around 81% and rain on around seven days of the month.

How to Enter

Check the organiser’s site for the current entry routes and dates; they were not yet listed on our race page.

What Makes It Special

The race’s history goes back to 1994, when it was organised by Celtic Harriers and staged from Mutual Park in Pinelands; Sanlam became the title sponsor in 2014. It used to be held in October and has been moved to May. The 2026 edition was won by Mohamed Esa in a course record of 2:04:55, ahead of Eliud Kipchoge, who finished 16th.

The Six Star Medal

The Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal honours runners who complete the original six Major Marathons: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York (World Marathon Majors).

How It Works

Create a Runner Portal on the WMM site to collect your stars, and use the “Set For No.6” console there to tell the organisers when you have earned your sixth (World Marathon Majors).
Complete all six races. The WMM states: “There is no time limit within which you must complete all Majors.”
Stars are awarded from the results each race provides to the Majors.
Sydney became the seventh Major and Cape Town the eighth, but the Six Star Medal remains in place for the original six.

How Long It Takes

Because there is no deadline, the pace of the journey is set by the entry routes: ballots for Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York mean a place is never guaranteed in any given year, and Boston needs a qualifying time earned in a separate training cycle. Plan on several years rather than one season.

What It Costs

We do not publish a total budget, because the main costs depend on where you live and when you book. The cost items are:

Entry fees: These differ by race and sometimes by where you live. Boston’s 2027 fee was $270 (WCVB).
Sydney: Successful ballot applicants for 2027 paid AUD $285 as Australian and New Zealand residents or AUD $340 as international entrants, plus a carbon levy (TCS Sydney Marathon).
London: International runners pay an international entry fee of £275 (London Marathon Events).
Travel: Flights and accommodation, which depend on where you live and how early you book.
Everything else: Ground transport, food and gear.

Planning Your Majors Journey

Recommended Order

There is no required order, but a few principles help:

Enter the ballots early. Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York fill their places by lottery, so a failed draw can mean waiting another year.
Plan Boston around a qualifying time. Run a qualifier on a certified course and check the qualifying guide for the details.
Spread the races over the calendar. The spring races are Tokyo, Boston and London (and Cape Town from the next edition), and the autumn races are Berlin, Chicago and New York.
Save the one that matters most to you for last. The sixth Major is the one you will remember as the finish of the journey.

Training Across the Calendar

The Majors span March to November, which means your training needs to adapt to different seasonal cycles. A solid 16-week training plan can be mapped to any of these windows. The table counts back 16 weeks from the usual race date for a northern-hemisphere runner:

Race	Training Starts	Peak Training Season
Tokyo (March)	November	Winter
Boston (April)	Late December	Winter/Spring
London (April)	Early January	Winter/Spring
Cape Town (May)	Late January	Winter/Spring
Sydney (August)	May	Spring/Summer
Berlin (September)	Early June	Summer
Chicago (October)	Mid-June	Summer
New York (November)	July	Summer/Fall

Summer training for autumn races (Berlin, Chicago, New York) means long runs in heat — start early in the morning, adjust pace for temperature, and review your nutrition strategy for hot-weather running.

Is It Worth It?

The Six Star journey is expensive, time-consuming, and logistically complex. It requires years of commitment, real money, and the physical capacity to run six marathons across different climates and courses.

But for runners who love the sport, it’s an extraordinary experience. Each race is a window into a different city and culture. The training gives structure and purpose across years. And crossing the line at your sixth major — wherever that may be — is a moment of genuine accomplishment.

The races aren’t going anywhere. Start with one, see how it feels, and let the journey unfold from there. Check our race-day preparation guide for everything you need to pack and plan before your first major.