Guest post by Treeline Endurance Athlete, David Jones, and a practical guide to running the most renowned marathons on Earth
David Jones is a road marathon runner who has been on the Treeline Endurance roster since November 2022. He has trained with Treeline for the London and Chicago Marathons, and is currently training towards Tokyo and Sydney Marathons in 2025. For more about David, click here to see the bottom of this post.
There are currently seven World Major Marathons (WMM). These are often called the Abbott World Majors, since they receive sponsorship from Abbott Laboratories, the international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Chicago.
The seven events are:
Boston
New York
Chicago
London
Berlin
Tokyo
Sydney
Background
Completing the first six on the list is a bucket-list goal for many serious marathoners, and usually takes a decade or more to accomplish. (I started in 2013 with Boston, got serious about the goal after also running New York, and will complete my sixth in 2025.)
They have now added Sydney as the seventh World Major. It will be run as an official “Major” in the summer of 2025. There is the intention to add Cape Town in 2026 and Shanghai in 2027, but both of those locations are still in the process of qualifying.
How it works
Runners who complete the first six Majors are awarded a unique Six Star medal. Running Sydney will not qualify you for an additional World Marathon Major medal; participants will need to complete the first six and then the next three to earn a new Nine Major World Marathon medal.
If you are serious about running all six or more Abbott World Marathon Majors, it is to your advantage to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors Global Run Club. You can register each marathon as it is completed, and earn additional lottery draws for certain World Major Marathons each time you run a Major.
A Look Inside the Seven World Majors
Boston
30,000 runners. This is THE iconic event, and the only one that either requires that you qualify by a fast race time or raise about $10,000 for a sponsoring charity. (Note that you can qualify by running a fast half-marathon, too.) The course follows the route of Paul Revere’s ride from Old North Church, only backward. It tends gently downhill toward Boston. When talking to other marathoners, at some point the question will come up, “Have you run Boston yet?” Or, someone will comment, “This is the year I am hoping to get my BQ [Boston Qualifier].” When I ran Boston my fellow runners were ‘in the zone’ and not interested in acknowledging each other. This made for an interesting “I’m competing against you!” vibe, but I still welled up with emotion as I ran under that finish arch the first year I ran Boston. Super inspiring.
New York
50,000 runners. So much fun and so energizing to run. Running NYC is a celebration of the entire world of running. This marathon is the most international of all six, with runners from every imaginable country wearing their country name and colors proudly. The on-route encouragement as you run through each of the five boroughs creates an overpowering audio tunnel of energy. From the emotional start where you run 1.25 miles across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the big finish in Central Park, this run will make you love and respect this city. And, along the way I definitely picked up on the very distinct personalities of each of these unique boroughs.
Chicago
48,000 runners. This marathon has a bit of everything. Super well organized, you will join almost 50,000 other runners (out of the 120,000 who applied) as you run through 29 neighborhoods on a super flat, fast course. Due to the many long straightaways, this course has produced six world records, including the current fastest men's time. While you may not set a new world record, you will push yourself and find you can establish and maintain a fast pace. And, once you finish there is always a chance to eat a Chicago Dog.
London
30,000 runners. The entire city shuts down for this event, with citizens arriving from all over the UK either to run or to cheer on their runner. Because almost all runners are raising money for a UK charity, the London Marathon has become the largest charity fundraiser in the world. (It has raised over £1 billion since its start in 1981.) Like New York, I experienced exceptional encouragement from the spectators, all while running past a long list of landmarks on both sides of the Thames River that were familiar from literature or my history classes: the Greenwich Observatory (the location of Greenwich meantime), the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and a grand finish on the Mall.
Berlin
48,000 runners. It is very emotional to start and finish by running through the Brandenburg Gate, that symbol of a divided Germany for so many years. The course is flat, flat, flat. It makes a clockwise circle around the center of the city and finishes with a fast leg down Unter der Linden, a broad avenue lined with linden trees and, on the day of the marathon, lined with shouting spectators. Lots of world records have been set on this course. An interesting addition? The day before the marathon inline skaters race the same course. It’s quite amazing to watch. I was especially intrigued by the residual differences that still exist between what was East and West Berlin for so many years.
Tokyo
37,500 runners. This is the hardest of the six World Masters Marathons to get into. The course is different from all the other Masters, since Tokyo is essentially five long out-and-backs. This means runners pass down the same avenue twice, turning at some point to double back before running another leg. Thought to be flat and fast, the course can also feel like running through endless tall financial district buildings. Of interest, there are no bathrooms along the route, or even in or near the starting corrals. Instead, there are signs along the course directing runners to bathrooms that are often 200-400 meters off the route. The Japanese culture causes the crowds to be much quieter than those in Europe or the US, but they are still very engaged. And, the on-course hydration is called Pocari Sweat–not a very appealing name. Finally, several sections of the course, most notably the start and finish, are narrow and therefore crowded with runners unable to run their intended pace.
Sydney
35,000 expected for 2025. This will be the first year that Sydney is included in the Abbott World Marathon Majors. This is a big deal, and as such will probably attract a ton of new runners. The course starts in North Sydney (the same start as the Sydney Olympic Marathon) and runs across the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge (at one time the longest steel span bridge in the world), along the Sydney waterfront, through Centennial Park and finishing right in front of the Sydney Opera House. Over the 26.2 miles the route climbs about 1,040 feet but overall the course is downhill. This will be an exciting event for several years, as international runners add it to their list of “Want to Run” events.
How to Enter
Boston
What makes Boston so very special is that almost every runner has qualified by achieving a very fast finish time in another certified course.
There is no lottery system to enter Boston.
There are some charity spots available for Boston, and more are added each year. However, they generally start at $10,000.
Runners who have already completed four of the six Abbott World Major Marathons and who have an account with Abbott WWM can earn a chance at one of the few (300 or so) entry spots awarded by this organization. Additional chances can be earned by running half marathons during designated calendar windows throughout the year.
New York
The best way is to get a spot through the lottery.
Lottery spots are awarded with a bias toward citizens from New York, then toward those from the US, then to anyone else.
Locals can also earn a spot by running a fast time in one of the New York Road Runners events during the prior year.
If you are a super fast runner you can also grab a spot as a time qualifier, but the thresholds are faster than those required for entry to Boston.
There are also charity spots available, starting between $3,000 and $5,000.
If you are seeking the World Marathon Majors Six Stars and you have already completed three of the Majors and have registered an account with AbbottWWM you can take part in their extra ballot drawing for a spot to run New York.
Chicago
The best way to get in is through the general lottery.
Fast runners can also get in with a qualifying time. Note that the qualifying time for a guaranteed entry to Chicago is faster than the qualifying time for Boston.
You can attempt to enter as a charity runner, with the minimum amount raised as $1,250. Here is info on the charity partners.
You can also run the Bank of America Chicago Distance series and earn a guaranteed entry for the following year. This involves running the Chicago 8K, Half, and Full Marathon all in the same year.
Finally, if you have run the Chicago Marathon five times in the last 10 years you are guaranteed a Legacy Runner entry.
London
Enter by general ballot. Last year about 3% of those who applied this way were selected.
Enter by raising money for a charity. Last year 25,000 runners obtained an entry spot this way.
Pay a tour operator, such as Sports International (about $4,000) or Marathon Tours & Travel ($2,600-$4,000, depending on hotel). Fitness International Travel also offers a London package, but is sold out for 2025.
Berlin
Enter by general lottery. Last year 4% of those who applied this way were selected.
Enter by charity (there are a few, with a minimum of $1,400)
Or, enter by using a tour operator. These companies currently offer packages to US citizens:
Tokyo
For a runner coming from the US, the best way to get into Tokyo is through an international tour operator.
Kintetsu International Tours offers guaranteed entries, as well as hotel rooms. They subcontract with Marathon Tour & Travel in the US.
There is a lottery, but applicants have less than a 1 in 50 chance of getting a spot. Last year 350,000 runners put their name in for a spot.
In addition, there is a special lottery entry window for the One Tokyo Global lottery. Applicants who enter this lottery three years in a row and who are unsuccessful each time are guaranteed entry the fourth year.
There are about 5,000 spots assigned to charities, who allocate them to runners who raise money for their cause.
Finally, any runner who has already completed at least four of the World Masters Marathons and who has an account on AbbottWMM can earn chances for one of the 300 available entry spots by running another Masters, or by running a half marathon during one or more of the six calendar windows during the prior year.
Sydney
The best way to get a spot in Sydney is through the ballot.
Applicants can enter the ballot drawing between December 10-30 in 2024. You can put your name on a list to be notified of the ballot process by going to the Sydney Marathon website.
Results of the ballot will be sent by email January 8-9 whether the applicant gets in or not.
There will be spots offered through international tour operators, but info is not yet available.
In addition, there will be charity spots available in Sydney, but the details have not yet been announced.
The Candidacy Club consists of anyone who has run the Sydney Marathon at least once during the past three years. They are guaranteed a spot in an upcoming marathon, with their pick of one of the next three years.
Planning for Possible Majors
The 2025 Cape Town Marathon will take place October 19th. If they copy the example in Sydney and if they are selected as the 8th World Major Marathon, then anyone who runs Cape Town in 2025 will be given automatic entry in the 2026 Cape Town Marathon when it may be a World Major.
The 2025 Shanghai Marathon will take place at the end of October. The specific date has not been finalized, but since it is also in the running to become a World Major there may be legacy spots awarded once it becomes a World Major.
David Jones is a runner, cyclist, and retired school principal. In addition to his goal of running all of the World Marathon Majors, David is a regular participant in the Seattle to Portland classic; a 206 mile bike ride between the two major U.S. cities. Consistently a top finisher for his age group, he believes that while running fast and striving for personal bests are worthwhile pursuits, the greatest joys of running come from the experiences you share with family and friends. He lives with his wife in Edmonds, Washington.
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