Marathons
The World Marathon Majors
Seven city marathons make up the Abbott World Marathon Majors: Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York. They draw the deepest elite fields and some of the biggest crowds in the sport, and many runners set out to finish all of them.
The next race day of each Major
New York City Marathon
Sunday 1 November 2026
Most places are allocated through a non-guaranteed drawing held in spring, with a second-chance drawing for NYRR members. Guaranteed entry is available through the NYRR 9+1 programme, time qualifiers, official charity partners and, for runners who live outside the US, official international tour operators.
Tokyo Marathon
Sunday 7 March 2027
Entry is mainly by lottery: a draw for Tokyo residents and a general lottery that overseas runners can enter. Other routes include charity places, the ONE TOKYO membership programmes and a challenge entry for members who have missed out in three consecutive draws. Demand is far higher than the number of places, so treat a lottery place as a bonus rather than the basis of your season.
Boston Marathon
Monday 19 April 2027
Most places go to runners who have met the qualifying time for their age group and gender. Because applications exceed the field, the accepted cut-off is often several minutes faster than the published standard. The other main routes are the official charity programme and B.A.A. community programmes. Plan your qualifying race well ahead.
London Marathon
Saturday 24 April 2027
Entry is mainly through the public ballot, which drew more than 1.3 million applications for 2027. Other routes include charity places, Good For Age and Championship entries based on qualifying times, places allocated through British Athletics clubs, and international entries through official tour operators.
Sydney Marathon
Sunday 29 August 2027
Most places are allocated through a public ballot; the 2026 race drew more than 123,000 applications. Faster runners can apply to the High Performance Program, which offers guaranteed places against qualifying times. There are also charity places and official travel packages.
Berlin Marathon
Sunday 26 September 2027
Entry is mainly by lottery; for the 2027 race the draw is open from 1 October to 12 November 2026, with results on 3 December. Runners with a fast qualifying time (separate standards for men and women) can register directly, and there are guaranteed places for Jubilee Club members, as well as charity entries and places through official tour operators.
Chicago Marathon
Sunday 10 October 2027
Applications open in the autumn, about a year before the race. Guaranteed entry is available to time qualifiers, legacy runners with five or more Chicago finishes in the last ten years, Chicago Distance Series finishers, charity runners and international tour group participants; everyone else applies to the non-guaranteed drawing.
How the Majors work
The series began in 2006 with Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Tokyo joined in 2013, and Sydney became the seventh Major in 2025. The Cape Town Marathon in South Africa has passed its two years of assessment and becomes the eighth Major in 2027. Shanghai is a candidate too.
The Six Star medal
Runners who finish the six original Majors (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York) receive the Six Star medal, and it stays in place. With Sydney, Cape Town and possibly Shanghai, the series is preparing a Nine Star medal for runners who finish the longer list.
Getting a place
Each Major sets its own rules, but the doors are the same: a ballot, qualifying times (Boston is the best known), charity places and official tour operators. Ballots often close more than six months before race day, so check the entry dates before you build your plan, and keep a marathon without a lottery in mind for the same season.
Training for a Major
Most of these courses are fast and close to flat. The exceptions are New York, with its bridges, and Boston, with its early downhills and the Newton hills. Give yourself 16 to 20 weeks, and for Tokyo or Sydney a few days on the ground to get over the time difference. The marathon pace chart gives the pace for your goal.
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