Every runner has a race on their bucket list, but if you want to become an Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) six-star finisher, you have six: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.
“All of these races have a notable history and undeniable energy,” says Jeff Adams, president of Marathon Tours & Travel, a company that helps arrange entry and travel for all six races. In fact, 2022 ended with 8,143 six star finishers from 104 nations since the WMM began.
But with these marathons becoming more popular than ever, you need to be strategic about your registration, and, in some cases, plan years in advance about how you’re going to get that coveted entry in a world major marathon—and that’s not even getting into the whole training and marathon-running part.
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If you’re thinking about checking all six of the world major marathons off your bucket list to earn that six-star medal, here’s everything you need to know to cross those finish lines.
How does a regular marathon become a World Major Marathon?
In order to become a Major, a race needs to meet a strict set of criteria to join the club. “We’re not just talking about number of aid stations, but how long the tables are, how many cups there are, and so on,” Tim Hadzima, former executive director at Abbott World Marathon Majors, told Runner’s World previously. “The criteria are very specific and meant to cover every aspect of the race.” That means, when you run one of these races, you can expect a very high level of organization and professionalism.
“The Abbott World Marathon Majors started as a way to bring together the most elite athletes in the world, but it was also a way for the most renowned race directors to share best practices and learn from each other,” Hadzima said.
When is each Major Marathon Held?
Each race is generally held on the same weekend each year.
Here are the usual dates and the 2023 dates for each marathon.
- Tokyo: The first Sunday in March // March 5, 2023
- Boston: The third Monday in April // April 17, 2023
- London: The last Sunday in April // April 23, 2023
- Berlin: The last Sunday in September // September 24, 2023
- Chicago: The Sunday of Columbus Day weekend // October 8, 2023
- New York City: The first Sunday in November // November 5, 2023
How do you qualify and register for each race?
Each World Marathon Major has its own set of qualification standards, but even if you don’t meet them, you still have options to get your bib. All of the races have a random lottery, and you can run each race with a charity partner—while running with a charity is a popular option, you will likely be required to reach a fundraising minimum (specifics vary, so check out each race’s website for more). You can also run with a tour group like Marathon Tours & Travel, which guarantees entry and coordinates logistics.
Here are some important registration dates and tips for each race:
Tokyo: Registration typically begins in August. If you’re a speedy runner, you might be able to take advantage of Tokyo’s “semi-elite entry,” also known as their Run As One program for international runners. According to the program, “Applicants must achieve the qualifying times in events that are either World Athletics Label, World Athletics Elite Label, or World Ahtletics Elite Platinum Label, within a time frame specified by us.” For men, you have to finish a marathon faster than 2:32:00, and for women, that means 3:19:00 (there are no age groups, but faster runners get preference).
Boston: For the 2023 race, registration was only one week long, and all qualifiers were invited to register at any time during that week, regardless of whether they beat their qualifying time by 30 minutes or 1 second.
In many recent years, some runners with a qualifying standard did not gain entry, because more than the number of qualifier spots tried to register. For the 2021 marathon, more than 9,000 time qualifiers were not accepted. But for 2023, there was no dreaded Boston cutoff. Learn more about Boston registration with this FAQ.
London: It’s all about the lottery for Americans, Adams says. Apply between April and May, then find out if you’re one of the lucky few in October. Adams says your chances of earning an entry via the London lottery is in the single-digits. (More on that in a bit.) If you are a speedy marathoner, you can apply with a Good For Age entry (though it’s not guaranteed you will get in).
Berlin: Registration begins mid-October and goes through early November. If you qualified with a fast time (details on the Berlin website), congrats! You’re guaranteed a bib. If you didn’t, you still have a shot at the lottery, which is less competitive than London but still increasingly popular given the historic, PR-friendly course.
Chicago: In years past, you’d apply for the lottery starting in October, then find out in December. You’re guaranteed entry if you already ran the race five or more times over the last decade, and if you finished the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K four or more times since 2008 and signed up for the next year’s Shamrock Shuffle. There are also time qualifiers you can run per your age group.
New York City: If you didn’t qualify within the time standards, you can apply to the randomized drawing that usually begins mid-January and goes through mid-February. If you live in the New York City area, consider the 9+1 program: Become a New York Road Runners (NYRR) member starting in January the year before the marathon, then run nine official NYRR races and volunteer once over the course of the year. And if you finished 15 or more New York City Marathons, you now have entry for life (but, FYI, older races are grandfathered into the Abbotts medal requirement).
Which is the hardest race to get into?
For Americans, that’d be London. For the 2020 race, 457,861 applicants registered—more than a 10 percent increase from 2019. Of those applicants, around 17,500 were accepted via general entry into the marathon. In total, the race has about 40,000 participants, which includes charity runners and elites.
Which is the hardest race to run?
“Each course has its own highs and lows,” said Adams, who has completed all six races. But in general, Boston and New York have the most hills: “Boston has Heartbreak Hill, and New York has the bridges,” he says. “I’d put London in the middle in terms of difficulty, because it can be crowded in the back and there are a lot of 90-degree turns, then Tokyo (which can be rainy), followed by Berlin and Chicago, which are notoriously flat and fast.”
Either way, you want to prep beforehand, because after waiting years for an entry, the last thing you want is a DNF. “Each race has its own cut-off times, so make sure you do your research before you get to the start line,” Adams says.
What do you get for finishing all of them?
A medal, a certificate, and major brownie points. “It can take years to complete all six races,” Adams said. And you might not ever finish. Much like the way Tokyo was added in 2013, races are constantly being considered for inclusion.
Guess a runner’s work is never done.
