As of October 2026 the Abbott World Marathon Majors comprise seven races: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and the TCS Sydney Marathon. Sydney was announced as the seventh Major on 3 November 2024 after passing two consecutive assessments, and ran its first race as a Major on 31 August 2025. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, a candidate since 2024, was confirmed on 10 June 2026 as the eighth Major and Africa's first; it formally joins at its 23 May 2027 edition. The Shanghai Marathon replaced Chengdu as China's candidate in 2024, passed stage one at its 2025 race, and must pass its second assessment on 6 December 2026 to become the ninth Major in 2027. The key program change is the medal structure: the Six Star medal stays permanently for the original six, there will be no Seven or Eight Star medal, and a Nine Star medal (all nine Majors, any order) will launch once nine Majors exist, potentially from 2027. Sydney stars (2025 onward) and Cape Town 2026 provisional stars already count toward it.
Tokyo Marathon
You will spend the pre-dawn hours shuffling through the security lines beneath the twin towers of the Metropolitan Government Building, watching your breath in the cold March air while volunteers bow and thank you for coming. Then the gun goes, the road tips downhill out of Shinjuku, and the city opens up: taiko drums, cheer squads in costume, grandparents clapping in white gloves. The course is almost absurdly flat, which means the real challenge is pacing through four long out-and-backs where you watch the leaders flying past on the other side of the median. Aid stations hand out everything from bananas to tomatoes, and the toilets are spotless. Asakusa's Kaminarimon gate marks a turn you will remember, Ginza glows even in daylight, and the last kilometers feel oddly quiet as the Imperial Palace moat appears beside you. The finish by Tokyo Station is understated, orderly, and strangely moving. With seven hours on the clock, every kind of runner belongs here.
- General entry lottery · 2027 edition: 14-28 August 2026 (ONE TOKYO club members 31 July to 13 August). Typically mid-to-late August. — Random draw once applications exceed the field (40,000 runners for 2027). Entry fee JPY 19,800 domestic / USD 230 overseas. The race does not publish odds; Marathon Handbook estimates roughly 10% acceptance (about 300,000 applicants). For 2027, draw results were announced 18 September 2026 with payment due by 30 September. Sub-allocations include 4,000 bibs for ONE TOKYO club members who missed three straight draws, 1,000 Tokyo-resident places and 500 for runners with disabilities. ↗
- Time qualifier: RUN as ONE Semi-Elite (Overseas) · 2027 edition: 31 July to 13 August 2026. Typically early August. — Overseas runners with a fast gun-time result can apply for the Semi-Elite (Overseas) category. 2027 standards: men under 2:22:00, women under 2:50:00, gun time only, achieved at a World Athletics Label road race between July 2024 and June 2026. If oversubscribed the fastest applicants are accepted. Program overview: https://www.marathon.tokyo/en/participants/run-as-one/ ↗
- RUN as ONE GLOBAL Virtual Run Series · 2026/2027 season announced April 2026 with staged challenge entries through the year. — A virtual run series run by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation that offers a route toward Tokyo Marathon entry for participants who complete the series' challenges; windows are published in the RUN as ONE news items on the official site. ↗
- Charity runner · 2027 edition: 24 June to 9 July 2026. Typically late June to early July. — 5,000 charity places. Applicants choose a recipient charity program and donate at least the amount it specifies (JPY 100,000 or more is the general minimum; some programs set higher). Selection is not first-come, first-served, and some charities only accept Japan residents. ↗
- Official tour operators (guaranteed entry) · Opens well before the general lottery and sells out early; typically summer of the preceding year. — Kintetsu International (KNT) is the official travel agency; only KNT and its International Travel Partner agencies may sell packages that include an entry (e.g. Marathon Tours & Travel for USA/Canada, Sports Tours International for England). Packages are first-come, first-served with guaranteed entry. The official site states ITP applications for the 2027 race are already closed. ↗
- Abbott WMM Age Group World Championships · Qualifying 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026; results must be in an AbbottWMM profile by 13 October 2026. — Tokyo Marathon 2027 hosts the AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships on 7 March 2027. Runners aged 40+ qualify through the Age Group World Rankings; the highest-ranked athletes per age group are invited when the window closes. ↗
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku → Wadakura-Gate intersection by Tokyo Station (Marunouchi side), beside the Imperial Palace gardens. A fast, flat point-to-point that drops about 125 ft net, mostly in the first 5 km out of Shinjuku, then runs four long out-and-back legs through Iidabashi, Asakusa, Nihombashi, Ginza and Shiba Park with only bridge crossings and gentle rollers before a flat finish beside the Imperial Palace. Official course map ↗
- The inaugural Tokyo Marathon on 18 February 2007 drew 95,044 applicants and 30,870 participants; the race joined the World Marathon Majors from its 2013 edition as the first Asian Major. ↗
- Tokyo Marathon 2027 is the 20th edition and the field grows to a record 40,000; anniversary plans include a 100 mm premium finisher medal and a Blue Impulse flyover by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. ↗
- In 2026, 38,472 marathon starters produced 37,268 finishers, a 96.9% completion rate; 13.3% finished between six and seven hours, showing how much of the field uses the generous 7-hour limit. ↗
- Brigid Kosgei's 2:14:29 course record in 2026 was an Asian all-comers' record; the men's record, Benson Kipruto's 2:02:16 (2024), took 24 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge's 2022 mark. ↗
- Tokyo is the classic 'sixth star' race: 3,030 runners earned their Six Star medal there in 2023, a Guinness World Records title, and 2,161 Six Star finishers from 87 nationalities crossed the line in 2026. ↗
- The race's theme is 'The Day We Unite'; it draws roughly one million spectators, and the course was redrawn in 2017 to finish beside Tokyo Station rather than at Tokyo Big Sight. ↗
Boston Marathon
Boston is the one you earn. Most people who line up in Hopkinton got there by running a qualifying time somewhere else, often on a second or third try, and that shared history is part of what makes the start corrals feel different from any other big-city race. You'll ride a yellow school bus out to a small town, wait in a field with thousands of nervous strangers, and then run back toward the city on a course that gives you a lot early and asks for it back late. The first miles drop fast and feel easy; the Newton hills from mile 16 to Heartbreak Hill at 20.5 are where patience pays. Then the road tips downhill again, the crowds thicken through Brookline and Kenmore Square, and you turn right on Hereford, left on Boylston, and see the finish you've been picturing for months. Whether you come in as a qualifier, a charity runner, or on a tour package, respect the hills, start conservatively, and let Boylston Street be the reward.
- Time qualifier · Registration typically mid-September (2027 race: 14-18 September 2026). Acceptances notified late September / early October. — The main route in. Run a certified marathon inside the qualifying window (for 2027: 13 September 2025 to 18 September 2026), then apply during a one-week registration window. Registration is not first-come, first-served: the B.A.A. ranks applicants by how far under their age/gender standard they ran. 2027 standards (same as the tightened 2026 standards) Men / Women & Non-binary: 18-34 2:55 / 3:25; 35-39 3:00 / 3:30; 40-44 3:05 / 3:35; 45-49 3:15 / 3:45; 50-54 3:20 / 3:50; 55-59 3:30 / 4:00; 60-64 3:50 / 4:20; 65-69 4:05 / 4:35; 70-74 4:20 / 4:50; 75-79 4:35 / 5:05; 80+ 4:50 / 5:20. Cutoffs: 2026 race 4:34 under standard (33,249 applied, 24,362 accepted); 2027 race 5:17 under standard (33,649 applied, 25,630 accepted, a record field). New for 2027: a 'Boston Qualifier Selection' randomly picks about 1,000 additional entrants from applicants who met the standard but missed the cutoff, and downhill-course adjustments apply (1,500-2,999 ft drop +5:00; 3,000-5,999 ft +10:00; 6,000 ft+ ineligible). Entry fee for accepted qualifiers USD 270, charged on acceptance. ↗
- Official charity program · Charity applications typically open September-November the year before; each charity sets its own deadline. — A record 215 official nonprofits hold invitational entries for 2027. The B.A.A. sets no fundraising minimum; each charity sets its own, with USD 10,000 common and some teams at USD 12,000-15,000. Charity runners still pay the B.A.A. entry fee and apply directly to each charity. Charity runners raised USD 57.3 million around the 2026 race. ↗
- International tour operators · Varies by operator; packages typically go on sale in the summer/autumn before the race and sell out early. — The B.A.A.'s International Tour Program allocates a limited number of entries to approved operators serving athletes who live outside the United States. Marathon Tours & Travel is the official travel agency and sells an official Abbott WMM package. The B.A.A. lists approved operators by region on its site. ↗
- Invitational entries · Varies by organization. — Beyond charities and tour operators, the B.A.A. issues invitational entries to sponsors, partners, the eight host cities and towns along the course, and running clubs; these are distributed by those organizations, not applied for through the B.A.A. ↗
- Lottery · n/a — There is no general-public lottery or ballot for Boston. The only random element is the new 2027 'Boston Qualifier Selection', which draws roughly 1,000 entrants from runners who already hit their qualifying standard but fell short of the cutoff. ↗
Main Street, Hopkinton, Massachusetts → Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston. A point-to-point, net-downhill course that drops roughly 130 ft in the first mile and about 310 ft by mile 4 through Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley, then climbs the four Newton hills from mile 16 to Heartbreak Hill at about mile 20.5, before descending through Brookline and Kenmore Square to the right on Hereford, left on Boylston finish. Official course map ↗
- The first B.A.A. Marathon was run on 19 April 1897: John J. McDermott won from a 15-runner field in 2:55:10, making Boston the world's oldest annual marathon. ↗
- Heartbreak Hill got its name in 1936, when Boston Globe reporter Jerry Nason described Ellison 'Tarzan' Brown breaking John A. Kelley's heart on the last of the Newton hills. ↗
- Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run with an official number in 1967 by entering as 'K. V. Switzer'; the women's division was officially established in 1972. ↗
- Boston was the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division, officially recognizing Bob Hall in 1975. ↗
- On a cool, tailwind-assisted day in 2026, John Korir ran 2:01:52 and the top three men all beat Geoffrey Mutai's 2:03:02 course record from 2011; Sharon Lokedi's 2:17:22 from 2025 remains the women's record. ↗
- The 2027 race received 33,649 qualifier applications and accepted a record 25,630; the cutoff was 5:17 faster than the published standards. ↗
TCS London Marathon
London is the Major most people fall in love with before they have run a step of it, and for good reason. You start on the grass of Blackheath with tens of thousands of others, drop gently off the plateau through Woolwich and Greenwich, and by the time the Cutty Sark comes into view you understand why the crowds here are talked about so much. Tower Bridge arrives just before halfway and is as loud as anything you have heard. The long loop through Docklands and Canary Wharf is where the race really begins, the miles stacking up before the Embankment pulls you home past Big Ben and round to The Mall. The course is fast and flat, the weather is usually kind, and the organisation is superb. Getting in is the hard part: the ballot drew 1.3 million applicants for 2027, so most amateurs come through a charity, a club place or, from abroad, an official tour operator. Apply early, plan on raising money, and treat the wait as part of the journey.
- Public ballot · Opens the Friday before race day and closes about a week later: the 2027 ballot ran 24 April to 1 May 2026. The 2028 ballot is expected to open around race weekend in late April 2027 (typically April). — Free-to-enter random draw open to UK and international runners. A world-record 1,338,544 people applied for 2027 (1,008,091 UK, 330,450 international), up 18% on the 2026 record of 1,133,813. Results emailed by early July. Fees per the official entry page: UK GBP 79.99 (or GBP 49.99 with the 'double your chances' option); international GBP 275 including a carbon-offset fee. ↗
- Good For Age · Qualifying times must be run 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026 on a certified course; 2027 applications closed 29 October 2026. Typically October. — UK residents only; about 6,000 places (3,000 men, 3,000 women), awarded fastest-first relative to the age standard if oversubscribed. 2027 standards include sub 2:52 (men 18-39), sub 3:38 (women 18-39), sub 3:34 / sub 4:23 at 60-64. In 2027 GFA men run Saturday 24 April, women Sunday 25 April. ↗
- Championship entry · Qualifying window 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026; 2027 applications closed 20 October 2026. Typically October. — For registered members of a UK athletics body. Standards: marathon sub 2:38:00 (men) / sub 3:10:00 (women), or half marathon sub 1:11:30 (men) / sub 1:26:00 (women). Capped at 1,200 places. ↗
- Charity places · Typically spring to autumn of the preceding year; apply as early as possible after the ballot opens in late April. — Apply directly to one of 300+ official charities; each sets its own fundraising minimum. For 2027, GBP 2,500 excluding Gift Aid is the most common target; some ask GBP 1,500-2,000 and others GBP 2,750+. Charities usually open applications right after the ballot opens and many close once ballot results are out. ↗
- International tour operators · Packages for 2027 are on sale now and sell out early for the most popular markets. — Non-UK runners can buy a guaranteed entry as part of a travel package. Sports Tours International is the official overseas tour operator (USA, Ireland, France and selected rest-of-world); Marathon Tours & Travel is the official North American operator and offers Abbott WMM packages. The official page lists recognised operators by region. ↗
- British Athletics club places · Clubs notified around 31 October with an entry deadline in mid-December. Typically late October to mid-December. — Clubs affiliated to England Athletics, Scottish Athletics, Welsh Athletics or Athletics Northern Ireland with at least 10 first-claim members get an allocation: 10-39 members enter a ballot for 228 guaranteed entries; 40-189 members get 1 guaranteed entry; 190+ members get 2. Clubs decide internally who gets the place. ↗
Three start lines at Blackheath / Greenwich Park, south-east London (converging at Mile 3 in Woolwich) → The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace. A fast, mostly flat point-to-point from Blackheath that drops off the plateau in the first three miles, passes the Cutty Sark near Mile 6-7, crosses Tower Bridge just before halfway, loops out through Docklands and Canary Wharf, returns along the Embankment past Big Ben, and finishes on The Mall by Buckingham Palace. Official course map ↗
- The 2026 race had 59,830 finishers, a Guinness World Record for the largest marathon ever, taking the title back from the 2025 New York City Marathon (59,226). ↗
- On 26 April 2026 Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30 in London, the first sub-two-hour marathon in an official race; the next two men home also beat the previous world record. ↗
- A world-record 1,338,544 people applied in the ballot for the 2027 race, including just over 1 million UK residents and 92,000+ Americans. ↗
- The 2027 edition is a one-off two-day 'Double' on 24-25 April with 100,000 runners, the first time the race has been staged over two days. ↗
- London is the world's biggest annual one-day fundraising event: the 2026 race had raised GBP 87.5 million for charity within days, beating the 2025 total of GBP 87.3 million. ↗
- The first London Marathon on 29 March 1981, founded by Olympians Chris Brasher and John Disley, had 6,255 finishers; men's winners Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen crossed the line hand in hand in a deliberate tie. ↗
Generali Berlin-Marathon (BMW Berlin-Marathon until September 2026)
If you have ever wondered what your legs can do on a truly honest course, Berlin is where you find out. You start on the wide boulevard of Strasse des 17. Juni with the Victory Column behind you, and for the next 42 kilometres the city simply gets out of your way: broad streets, gentle corners, and barely 70 metres of climbing from start to finish. That is why the record books keep pointing here, but you do not need to be chasing one to feel it. The flatness lets you settle into a rhythm early and hold it, and the pacemaker groups make it easy to tuck in and stop thinking. The crowds build through Kreuzberg and along the Ku'damm, and in the last kilometre you run through the Brandenburg Gate with the finish just beyond. Getting in takes a little patience; the free lottery opens the week after race day, and a fast-runner time, a charity place or a travel package are the surest routes. Once you are there, the race rewards exactly what you have trained for.
- Lottery · 1 October to 12 November 2026 for the 2027 race. Typically opens the week after race day and runs about six weeks. — Free to enter the drawing; the entry fee of EUR 215 is charged only if selected (includes a 4-day Berlin public transport pass, pacemakers, finisher certificate and massage). Results emailed 3 December 2026 for the 2027 race. Organizers do not publish applicant numbers or odds. Runners not drawn may receive a goodwill code improving their chance in a future year. Teams of 2-3 can enter together and are drawn as a unit. ↗
- Fast-runner time qualifier · 1 October to 12 November 2026 (same as lottery); confirmation 3 December 2026. — Guaranteed entry if you register during the lottery window with a qualifying marathon time (half marathons not accepted) run in 2025 or 2026 at an AbbottWMM Age Group World Rankings, AIMS-certified or USATF-listed race. Standards by birth year: Men born 1983-2009 2:45:00, 1968-1982 2:55:00, 1967 or earlier 3:25:00. Women born 1983-2009 3:10:00, 1968-1982 3:30:00, 1967 or earlier 4:20:00. If your time misses the standard, your registration drops into the lottery. ↗
- Charity · Typically opens after the race in autumn; check Realbuzz for 2027 availability. — Guaranteed starting place through an official charity partner. Entries are handled via the Realbuzz portal with over 150 charities (UK, US and international) plus premium partners The Human Safety Net and SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. You commit to a fundraising target set by the charity; minimums are not stated on the official page. ↗
- Official tour operators · Typically from autumn until packages sell out. — German and international tour operators are allocated guaranteed bibs sold as packages with flights and/or accommodation; the official registration page lists travel partners as a guaranteed-entry route. ↗
- Jubilee Club · Registration opens in autumn and closes 31 December; free-entry claims by 31 January. — Runners who have completed the Berlin Marathon at least 10 times get guaranteed entry every year, skip the drawing, and receive a free entry the year after their 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th or 40th finish. ↗
Strasse des 17. Juni, Tiergarten, between the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate → Strasse des 17. Juni, about 300 m past the Brandenburg Gate. A single flat loop through the city that starts and finishes near the Brandenburg Gate in Tiergarten, passing Charlottenburg, Kreuzberg and the Kurfuerstendamm, famously fast and the flattest of the Majors. Official course map ↗
- No marathon has produced more world records than Berlin, which has seen 13 of them, including Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:09 in 2022 and Tigst Assefa's 2:11:53 in 2023. ↗
- At the 2026 race Tigst Assefa won Berlin for the third time in 2:11:04, taking 49 seconds off her own course record and running the third-fastest women's marathon ever. ↗
- Adding the 2026 winning times (Guye Adola 2:02:50 and Assefa 2:11:04) gives 4:13:54, the second-fastest marathon in history by combined winners' time, behind only Chicago 2024. ↗
- More than 56,000 runners from 162 nations entered the 2026 edition, the 52nd running. ↗
- From 1 October 2026 the race is called the Generali Berlin-Marathon; the 2027 edition on 26 September 2027 will be the first under the new title partner after BMW's run since 2011. ↗
- The entry fee covers a 4-day Berlin public-transport pass, official pacemakers, a finisher certificate and post-race massage, and the course has 15 aid stations. ↗
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Chicago is the Major that feels built for the runner who just wants a clean, honest 26.2. You start in Grant Park with the lake at your back, loop north through the Loop and Lincoln Park, swing west and south through Pilsen and Chinatown, and come home up Michigan Avenue with the skyline ahead. There are no hills worth naming until the last half mile, when the short rise on Roosevelt Road reminds you that you have been running for a while, and then it tips you downhill to the finish. The streets are flat, the turns are wide, the aid stations arrive every mile or two, and the crowds rarely thin out. Getting in is the hard part: the drawing closes in late October and far more people apply than can run. If you cannot wait on luck, a time qualifier, a charity team or an official tour package are the surest routes. Once you are in, train for even pacing, trust the flat, and let the city carry the last miles.
- Non-guaranteed drawing (lottery) · 8 October 2026 to 29 October 2026 (open as of 13 October 2026). Typically opens the week after the race and closes in late October, with results in December. — Anyone 16+ can apply. Entry fee charged only if selected: USD 250 for U.S. residents, USD 260 for non-U.S. residents, plus processing. Selection results emailed 8 December 2026; payment due 15 December 2026. Organizers reported more than 200,000 applications for the 2026 race against a ~55,000-runner field. ↗
- Guaranteed entry: time qualifier · Apply during the same 8-29 October 2026 application window. — Run a certified marathon within the qualifying window (1 January 2025 to 29 October 2026) at or under the age-group standard. Standards (Men / Women & Non-binary): 16-34 2:50 / 3:20; 35-39 2:55 / 3:25; 40-44 3:00 / 3:30; 45-49 3:10 / 3:40; 50-54 3:15 / 3:50; 55-59 3:25 / 3:55; 60-64 3:40 / 4:15; 65-69 3:55 / 4:30; 70-74 4:15 / 4:45; 75-79 4:30 / 5:00; 80+ 4:50 / 5:20. Same USD 250/260 fee; guaranteed-entry payment due 10 November 2026. ↗
- Guaranteed entry: legacy finisher · Apply during the 8-29 October 2026 application window. — Five or more Chicago Marathon finishes within the last ten years (2016-2026). Virtual results do not count. ↗
- Guaranteed entry: official charity program · First-come, first-served until 10 September 2027, or until each charity reaches capacity. — Join one of more than 200 official charity teams and commit to raising at least USD 2,500 (some charities set higher minimums). Charity entry fee is USD 325 (U.S.) / USD 335 (non-U.S.) plus processing. In 2025 charity runners raised a record USD 47.1 million. ↗
- Guaranteed entry: official tour operators · Available through 10 August 2027 or until sold out. — A limited number of guaranteed entries are allocated to 100+ tour operators in the official Tour Operator Program; packages typically bundle entry, flights and hotel. Only operators in the official program have access to guaranteed entries. ↗
- Guaranteed entry: Chicago Distance Series · Register for the 2027 Shamrock Shuffle (21 March) and Chicago 13.1 (6 June) now; 2027 series finishers get guaranteed entry to the 50th running in 2028. — Finish all three Bank of America events in one calendar year (Shamrock Shuffle 8K, Chicago 13.1 and the Chicago Marathon) and you earn a series medal plus guaranteed entry into the following year's marathon. This requires already being in the marathon that year, so it is a way to re-enter rather than a first-time way in. No volunteer-for-entry program was found on the official site. ↗
- Deferral / cancellation · Cancel by the pre-race deadline to keep a guaranteed entry for the following year. — All fees are non-refundable. Cancel on or before the pre-race deadline (early October) and you receive a guaranteed entry for the next year, but must reapply and pay again. Does not apply to charity or tour-operator entries, or anyone who already deferred the prior year. A pregnancy/postpartum exception waives the fee on reapplication. ↗
Grant Park (Columbus Drive at Monroe Street) → Grant Park (Columbus Drive). A flat, fast single loop through 29 Chicago neighborhoods that starts and finishes in Grant Park, crosses the Chicago River several times, and has only one real rise: the short 'Mount Roosevelt' climb on Roosevelt Road near mile 26, followed by a downhill to the finish. Official course map ↗
- The course has produced seven world records (three men's, four women's), including Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 in 2023, the first sub-2:01 in a record-eligible marathon. ↗
- The 2026 race (11 October 2026) was won by Amos Kipruto in 2:01:09 and Hawi Feysa in 2:13:33, and was the first marathon ever in which three women finished inside 2:15. ↗
- More than 200,000 people applied for the 2026 race, up from 160,000 the year before, for a field of roughly 55,000. ↗
- Charity runners raised a record USD 47.1 million at the 2025 race, about USD 11 million more than the previous record. ↗
- Roughly 1.7 million spectators line the route, and the course has a 6-hour-30-minute time limit with 20 aid stations spaced 1-2 miles apart. ↗
- Conner Mantz set the U.S. men's record of 2:04:43 here in 2025, and in 2026 Emma Grace Hurley ran the fastest marathon debut by an American woman (2:20:47). ↗
TCS New York City Marathon
New York is the marathon that makes you feel like the whole city turned out for you. You start on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with the wind off the harbor and a long uphill first mile, so hold back; the descent into Brooklyn and the crowds on Fourth Avenue will pull you faster than you should go. Bank patience, not time. The Queensboro Bridge around mile 15 is the quiet part: no spectators, a steady climb, just footsteps and breathing. Then you turn onto First Avenue and the noise hits you like a wall, which is wonderful and dangerous in equal measure. A short loop through the Bronx, back into Harlem, and the Fifth Avenue grade near mile 23 is where the race gets honest. Central Park's rolling hills finish the job. Getting in is the hard part now: a one-in-a-hundred drawing, tight time standards, or a season of NYRR races. Once you have a bib, respect the hills, run even, and let the city carry you.
- General entry drawing (lottery) · 2026 drawing opened 4 February, closed 25 February, results 4 March 2026. For 2027: typically opens early/mid-February, closes late February, drawing early March (not yet announced). — Free to apply; non-refundable entry fee charged if selected. Applicants are drawn in three pools: NYC metro, U.S. national and international. For 2026 NYRR received a record 240,000+ applications from 160+ countries and accepted roughly 1% (about 2,400), the lowest rate ever; the 2025 rate was about 3%. NYRR members who missed out went into a members-only second-chance drawing. Entry fees cited for 2025/2026: about USD 255-270 (NYRR member), USD 315-333 (U.S. non-member), about USD 350 (international); sources differ on whether processing fees are included. ↗
- Time qualifier · Non-NYRR time-qualifier applications for 2026 ran 4-11 February 2026 (performances from the 2025 calendar year); typically early February. — Age-group marathon standards (2026 entry), Men / Women: 18-34 2:53 / 3:13; 35-39 2:55 / 3:15; 40-44 2:58 / 3:26; 45-49 3:05 / 3:38; 50-54 3:14 / 3:51; 55-59 3:23 / 4:10; 60-64 3:34 / 4:27; up to 80+ 4:55 / 6:35. Half-marathon standards count only at NYRR races. Qualifiers from non-NYRR certified races go into a limited pool; for 2026 NYRR accepted only the fastest 10% of those submissions, meaning applicants needed to be at least 22:52 under their standard. Expect a similar cap for 2027. ↗
- NYRR 9+1 program · Complete races/volunteering in the prior calendar year; claim entry during the February window. New 9+1 pass drawing each September. — NYRR members who complete 9 qualifying NYRR scored races plus 1 volunteer shift in a calendar year earn guaranteed (paid) entry to the following year's marathon. From fall 2026 the program is capped at about 15,000 participants chosen by a free annual drawing (entry 17-29 September 2026; draw 1 October 2026); selected runners pay a USD 99 pass fee and complete their 9+1 during 2027 for the 2028 marathon. Runners already working on 9+1 for 2027 are unaffected. ↗
- 15+ finisher legacy · Claim during the February guaranteed-entry window. — Runners who have completed 15 or more in-person NYC Marathons earn lifetime guaranteed, non-complimentary entry, claimed each year during the February window. ↗
- Charity (Team for Kids and official charity partners) · Team for Kids typically opens the autumn before (late October); charity partner rosters published in spring; many fill quickly. — NYRR Team for Kids: USD 3,000 fundraising minimum plus registration, with training support and race-day perks. Around 670 official charity partners for 2026 with minimums typically USD 2,500-3,000; the full list is published in spring. ↗
- Official International Tour Operators · Packages typically released early in the year; availability varies by country. — Non-U.S. residents can buy a travel package bundled with guaranteed entry from an NYRR-approved International Tour Operator for their country. Full-time U.S. residents are not eligible. Official list: https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/runners/international-tour-operators ↗
- Virtual TCS NYC Marathon guaranteed-entry tier · Virtual race typically held in October; claim entry the following February. — Runners who completed the Virtual TCS New York City Marathon Guaranteed Entry tier in 2025 earned non-complimentary guaranteed entry to the 2026 in-person race. Verify on nyrr.org whether the 2026 virtual race offers 2027 entry. ↗
- Cancellation rollover · February claim window. — Runners who properly cancelled a prior-year entry get guaranteed entry the following year (claim in February). ↗
Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island (Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge) → Central Park, Manhattan (West Drive near 67th Street, by Tavern on the Green). A point-to-point tour of all five boroughs: an uphill first mile over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, long flat miles through Brooklyn and into Queens, the quiet Queensboro Bridge climb around mile 15, the roar of First Avenue, a short loop through the Bronx, the grinding Fifth Avenue rise around miles 22-23, and the rolling hills of Central Park to the finish. Official course map ↗
- The 2025 race had 59,226 finishers, at the time the largest marathon ever held, and the second year in a row New York set that world record. ↗
- The 2026 drawing received more than 240,000 applications from 160+ countries and accepted roughly 1%, the lowest acceptance rate in the race's history. ↗
- The 2025 men's race was decided by three-tenths of a second, Benson Kipruto over Alexander Mutiso, the smallest margin of victory in race history. ↗
- Hellen Obiri's 2:19:51 in 2025 erased a 22-year-old women's course record (Margaret Okayo, 2:22:31, 2003) and made her the first woman to break 2:20 in New York. ↗
- The first edition in 1970, organized by Fred Lebow and Vincent Chiappetta, was run as loops of Central Park with 127 starters, 55 finishers and a USD 1 entry fee; the five-borough course arrived in 1976. ↗
- For 2026, so many runners submitted qualifying times from non-NYRR races that NYRR accepted only the fastest 10% of them; applicants needed to beat their age-group standard by at least 22 minutes 52 seconds. ↗
TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS
If you have been chasing the Majors, Sydney is the one that changed the map. It only joined the series in 2025, after a three-year audition, and it is the first Major south of the equator, so your summer training back home lands you in a mild Sydney late-winter morning. The race is honest about what it is: you leave North Sydney and are on the Harbour Bridge within the first couple of kilometres, with the Opera House already in view across the water. After that the city keeps rolling, through the CBD, out past Centennial Park and back, and the hills never quite stop. It is net downhill, but with roughly a thousand feet of climbing it asks more of your legs than Berlin or Chicago, so plan your pace by effort rather than by a flat-course PB. The finish on the Opera House forecourt, with Circular Quay packed behind you, is worth every undulation. Getting in means a free-to-enter ballot each spring, a charity place, a travel package, or a fast enough qualifying time.
- Ballot · Opened 29 September 2026, closes 19 October 2026 (for the 2027 race); typically late September to mid October. — True random-draw ballot (not first-come-first-served) for general entry, used for both 2026 and 2027. Free to apply; the fee is charged only if drawn: AUD 285 for Australian/NZ residents, AUD 340 for international entrants (plus a carbon levy). Draw results emailed and cards charged 3 November 2026. The 2026 ballot drew 123,000+ applications (odds roughly 1 in 3-4). No published split between Australian-resident and international places. ↗
- Time qualifier (High Performance Program) · Applications 14-18 September 2026 for the 2027 race; typically mid-September. — 1,200 guaranteed (paid) places for 2027, split 600 Sub-Elite and 600 Good for Age. Fastest applicants per age/gender category are selected, so meeting the standard does not guarantee a place. 2027 standards (age on race day): men 18-34 2:45:00, women/non-binary 18-34 3:18:00, easing by age group to men 80+ 5:46:00 / women 80+ 6:36:00. Time must be from a World Athletics-certified marathon run since 1 July 2025 with a public results link. Unsuccessful HPP applicants roll into the ballot automatically. ↗
- Charity · Charity places are promoted after the ballot draw in November; typically November to March. — Official Charity Partners receive guaranteed Charity Place Entries via the official charity platform. Fundraising minimum reported as a standardised AUD 3,000 across the directory, though some overseas charities set higher targets. The 2026 event raised more than AUD 14 million for charity. ↗
- Official tour operators · 2027 packages on sale from late 2026; typically open after the ballot draw. — Marathon Tours & Travel is the official travel agency and AbbottWMM package provider, offering guaranteed entry bundled with hotel and race services. The wider International Travel Program lists 100+ travel partners across many countries. ↗
- Abbott WMM · n/a — No dedicated Six Star Finisher entry exists. Sydney does not count toward the Six Star medal (which stays for the original six); it counts toward the forthcoming Nine Star award, backdated to the 2025 race. ↗
- Candidacy Club (legacy) · Contacted after the 3 November 2026 ballot draw. — Runners who completed the Sydney Marathon during the AbbottWMM candidacy years (2022-2024) were offered guaranteed entry to a future Major edition of their choice, including 2027. Deferrals from 2025/2026 are contacted after the November ballot. ↗
Miller Street, North Sydney (near Milsons Point) → Sydney Opera House forecourt, Circular Quay. You leave North Sydney, immediately climb and descend the Sydney Harbour Bridge, wind through the CBD, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont and Hyde Park, loop Centennial Park and Moore Park out toward Kensington, then return via the Royal Botanic Garden to finish at the Opera House; with about 313 m of climbing and a net 83 m drop it is the hilliest of the Majors despite being net downhill, with a 7-hour cut-off. Official course map ↗
- Sydney was announced as the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major in November 2024, becoming the first Major in the Southern Hemisphere and the first new addition since Tokyo in 2013. ↗
- Admission followed a three-year candidacy: Sydney passed a first AbbottWMM assessment at its September 2023 race and a second at the September 2024 edition to join the series in 2025. ↗
- Its first race as a Major, on 31 August 2025, saw Sifan Hassan (2:18:22) and Hailemaryam Kiros (2:06:06) set course records, with Eliud Kipchoge finishing ninth and 32,963 runners finishing. ↗
- At the 2026 race Addisu Gobena ran 2:04:42, the fastest marathon ever on Australian soil; five men broke 2:05 and seven beat the old 2:06:06 record. ↗
- In 2026 Manuela Schaer became the first athlete to win all eight Abbott WMM races (the seven Majors plus Cape Town), taking the women's wheelchair race in a course-record 1:42:04. ↗
- Demand exploded after Major status: ballot applications rose 56% to more than 123,000 for 2026, and the course runs over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on closed roads. ↗
The Six Star Finisher medal is awarded by Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) to runners who complete the six original Majors: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City. Runners create a free profile at worldmarathonmajors.com, add their race results, and once AbbottWMM processes them the stars appear in the runner's portal; the medal is collected at the finish of the sixth race. Sydney (a Major since 2025) and Cape Town (a Major from May 2027) do NOT count toward the Six Star medal, which AbbottWMM has said will remain permanently for the original six. There is no Seven Star or Eight Star medal: AbbottWMM has said it will skip straight to a Nine Star medal once nine Majors exist (earliest 2027, if Shanghai passes its 6 Dec 2026 evaluation). Sydney stars from 2025 onward and provisional stars from Cape Town 2026 count toward the Nine Star. Existing Six Star finishers keep their status unchanged. More than 23,000 runners had earned the Six Star medal as of end-2025. Program page ↗
Facts last checked 2026-10-13. Lottery windows move; the official site wins.