
With the new year underway and many of us eyeing ambitious goals and resolutions, there’s no better time to plan out your 2025 (and beyond!) race schedule. For many runners this schedule will include one or more “bucket list” races, chief among these the seven marathons that comprise the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM). Founded in 2006 to advance the sport and raise awareness of its elite athletes, the World Marathon Majors are — in chronological order — Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney (new in 2025), Berlin, Chicago and New York City.
Why Run the Abbott World Marathon Majors?
Due to their outsized popularity in recent years, registration for each of these seven prestigious events is now restricted to a lottery selection process or other approved qualifying method (e.g. finish time or charitable fundraising), thus further enhancing each race’s prestige and perpetuating the cycle. As the number of applications continues to grow — London alone received a world-record 840,318 applications for the 2025 race — the odds of lottery success continue to shrink, and gaining entry to each of these events has become as easy as running in high heels.
Adding to the challenge (and the cachet), you’ll need to complete all six flagship events — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City — to earn what many consider marathon running’s Holy Grail: the Six Star Finisher Medal.
At the same time the series continues to expand, and with the announcement of Sydney as the 7th member in Nov 2024, AWMM organizers unveiled plans for an eventual Nine Star Finisher Medal to be finalized as early as 2027. Toward that goal, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa passed stage one of the candidacy process in Nov 2024, while the Shanghai Marathon was assessed as China’s AWMM candidate race for the first time in Dec 2024. Stay tuned!
(Note that, social media FOMO notwithstanding, there is NO time limit to finish all six required Majors in order to earn the Six Star Medal — you can take as many years as you’d like to complete your journey.)
With all that in mind (clear as mud, right?), we’ve created the following primer to demystify the World Marathon Majors application process. Our handy step-by-step guide will help you plan accordingly, reduce anxiety, and optimize your chances of success.
Getting into the Abbott World Marathon Majors
Several entry points exist for AWMM hopefuls. While guaranteed entries for locals are available in some cases — for instance, the 9+1 Program created by the New York Road Runners (NYRR) or the legacy programs offered by Boston, Chicago and New York City — here we touch on the five modes of entry targeted by the vast majority of runners.
1. Enter the lottery
Submit your free online application 6–12 months prior to the race date. Below are some key dates to keep in mind — the exact dates vary by year, but this is representative of the timetable for each race:
2. Run for charity
This approach requires a fundraising minimum for guaranteed entry, and since each event partners with dozens to hundreds of official charities, you’re sure to find a cause that inspires you.
3. Channel your inner cheetah
Run fast enough to meet the time-based qualifying standards. Boston has no random lottery, and so a qualifying time is mandatory (see below; charity runners excepted). London’s Good For Age Entry is valid only for UK residents, while New York City is the only AWMM member that accepts a qualifying standard for the half marathon distance, albeit for in-person NYRR half marathons only.
4. Contact a tour operator
Reserve a package deal that includes travel, lodging and a guaranteed race entry. With a tour operator you avoid the lottery, plus you’ll know within days or weeks whether you’ve secured a spot. And if you do happen to win the official race lottery, any reputable tour operator will credit you the price of their guaranteed entry. Yes you’ll pay a bit of a premium for the convenience, but for those seeking a hassle-free way to control their own destiny — especially those who want to run with friends or family — this option may be the best bet.
Marathon Tours & Travel works closely with the AWMM team, and having traveled abroad with them several times we can vouch for their professionalism. Likewise, Fitness International Travel (FIT) and Sports Tours International both offer packages with guaranteed entries for London, Berlin, and Sydney.
5. Enter the second-chance drawing
To help athletes complete their Six Star journey, AWMM allots up to 2,000 slots (distributed across the seven World Marathon Majors) in a second-chance draw process to runners who have earned at least three of their six stars. To be eligible for the second-chance drawing, Six Star hopefuls must maintain an updated profile and claim their stars on the AWMM website. Eligible runners then receive an email inviting them to enter the drawing in advance of the appropriate Major.
Similarly, in January 2025 the AbbottWMM Global Run Club announced the return of Road To The Majors, a series of six virtual half marathons throughout the year, to give runners who have earned at least three of their six stars additional entries into the second-chance drawing for any Major they still need to complete. Registration for each virtual race costs $50.
NOTE: We recommend joining the official AbbottWMM Six Star Journey Facebook group and following each of the seven events on social media to stay informed of time-sensitive offers. Case in point the TCS New York City Marathon, in partnership with Strava, awards a limited number of guaranteed, non-complimentary entries to the next year’s marathon for runners who register for and complete a virtual (and verifiable) 26.2-mile run anywhere in the world during a specified timeframe (typically early November to coincide with the in-person marathon). Registration for this Virtual 26.2M opens in June via its own non-guaranteed entry drawing.
Presenting the Abbott World Marathon Majors
Tokyo Marathon
Mar 2, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 3.7 out of 5 (29 reviews)
The most populated metropolitan area on the planet is also home to one of its biggest, boldest, and most dynamic race-day experiences. Billed as “The Day We Unite,” the lone Asian member of the AWMM has a capacity of 37,500 marathoners (plus 500 10.7-km runners) and the highest male:female participant ratio of the series at just over 3:1. With its streamlined production and upwards of one million enthusiastic spectators who line the crowded course at every turn, Tokyo offers its runners a unique cultural adventure in one of the world’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities.
Click for details on Tokyo’s “Run with Heart” charity entry and “RUN as ONE” time-qualifying standards. Charity Runner entry typically opens on a first-come, first-served basis in late June or early July.
Cutoff time: Seven hours (two hours, ten minutes for wheelchair athletes) based on gun time, with the cutoff time enforced at each checkpoint due to reasons of traffic control, security, and event operation.
Boston Marathon
Apr 21, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 4.8 out of 5 (95 reviews) 🏆
Now in its 129th year, the world’s oldest annual marathon is the race at the top of every serious marathoner’s wish list. And the event — held each year on Patriots’ Day — lives up to the hype with top-notch choreography, raucous crowds and its renowned unicorn medal waiting to celebrate your achievement at the finish. But here’s the catch — Boston is the only member of the series with strict age- and gender-adjusted qualifying standards, while a fundraising minimum exists for those looking to qualify as charity runners. No matter how you get there, though, “Right on Hereford, left on Boylston” are two directions you won’t soon forget.
👉 Looking to qualify for Boston in 2026? Get started with our trusted guide to the top Boston Marathon qualifying races across North America.
Click for details on Boston’s official charity program. See below for time qualifying standards, updated for the 2026 race. For UK residents, a limited number of guaranteed entries are available for purchase each year on a priority basis from Sports Tours International Limited and on a lottery basis from 2:09 Events.
Cutoff time: Six hours from the time the last starter crosses the start line in Hopkinton.
TCS London Marathon
Apr 27, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 4.2 out of 5 (35 reviews)
With its densely packed field boasting all manner of costumed runners, London has earned a reputation as the ultimate 26.2-mile party. The course passes many of the city’s historic landmarks including Big Ben and Tower Bridge while finishing in front of Buckingham Palace. Runners agree that London is unrivaled for its quality of spectator support, with RaceRaves member Lorelei S. calling its crowds “the best on the planet”. At the same time it’s one of the most difficult races on the planet to get into, with an estimated acceptance rate of — this is not a typo — less than 5% of lottery entrants. Crikey!
Click for details on charity entry and Good For Age (exclusive to UK residents) time-qualifying standards.
Cutoff time: Currently 19:00 local time (BST), subject to the organizers’ discretion; in 2024 the “mass race” start time was 10:00 BST. Only competitors who complete the course before the cutoff time of 19:00 will be eligible for a finisher medal and inclusion in the official results.
TCS Sydney Marathon
Aug 31, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 3.7 out of 5 (12 reviews)
Few cityscapes worldwide boast the visual allure of Sydney Harbour, and the newest member of the AWMM smartly plays to that strength. Established in 2001, the TCS Sydney Marathon is the sole remaining legacy of the 2000 Summer Olympics. The rolling route (the hilliest of the Majors) showcases parks, commercial districts, and residential neighborhoods highlighted by a traffic-free crossing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And the course saves the best for last with arguably the most photogenic finish line in the business, a downhill finale ending at the steps of the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Click for details on charity entry and High Performance Program time-qualifying standards for sub-elite athletes (Australian/New Zealand citizens only).
Cutoff time: Seven hours, with cutoff checkpoints along the route.
BMW Berlin Marathon
Sep 21, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 4.3 out of 5 (75 reviews)
The fact that eight of the past nine men’s marathon world records (most recently in 2022) were set in Berlin speaks to the course’s fast and flat profile. As the first of three World Marathon Majors staged in the fall, Berlin typically offers ideal running weather on a course that showcases one of the world’s most historically significant cities. Though the crowded, narrow streets at times may feel more like a parade route than a marathon course, arguably no home stretch in the sport inspires such raw emotion as passing through the Brandenburg Gate with the Tiergarten finish line in sight.
Click for details on charity entry and time-qualifying standards.
Cutoff time: Six hours, 15 minutes after passing the start-line time measure mat; participants who do not meet this time limit must leave the course and continue on the sidewalk or ride in the broom wagon to the finish, and are not eligible to receive a medal, refreshment, massage or poncho.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Oct 12, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 4.7 out of 5 (166 reviews) 🏆
With both the men’s (2:00:35, 2023) and women’s (2:09:56, 2024) world records to its credit, Chicago can rightly claim the title of “City of Records.” Its fast, flat course takes runners on a scenic urban tour of ethnically diverse neighborhoods, while the city’s Midwestern hospitality shines through in jovial strangers congratulating you for hours after the race. And Chicago’s relatively sensible acceptance rates remain among the highest of the Majors. From its wide streets that afford ample elbow room to its spacious finish in Grant Park, Chicago offers everything you could want in a big-city race.
Click for details on charity entry and time-qualifying standards. To secure guaranteed entry, runners must meet age-graded qualifying standards or qualify for the event’s High Performance Program (limit 150 participants) which rewards the fastest sub-elite athletes. Chicago 2025 hopefuls must have met the time-qualifying standard between January 1, 2023 and the close of applications on November 21, 2024 or before the field reached capacity, whichever came first.
Cutoff time: Six hours, 30 minutes (approximately 15 minutes per mile) from start line to finish line; participants must meet this time limit in order to be recorded as an official finisher and to receive full on-course support from aid stations and traffic safety personnel.
TCS New York City Marathon
Nov 2, 2025
RaceRaves rating: 4.6 out of 5 (139 reviews)
Annually the largest marathon in the world, New York is the 800-pound gorilla of the series with a world-record 55,644 runners crossing its Central Park finish line in 2024. Its sprawling course traverses the city’s five boroughs, starting on the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge in Staten Island and passing through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before finishing in Manhattan. And like the city itself, the race attracts a decidedly international field, with runners from all 50 U.S. states and (in 2024) 137 countries. If you’re looking for 26.2 miles of memories, no race does “epic” on a grander scale than New York City.
Click for details on charity entry and time-qualifying standards for marathons and in-person NYRR half marathons.
Cutoff time: The race officially ends at 10:00pm local time (EST). Sweep buses will follow the marathon route at a pace of 7 hours (approximately 16 minutes per mile) after the final wave start; once these buses pass the streets will reopen to traffic, services such as aid stations and medical assistance will no longer be available, and participants on the course should move onto the sidewalks.
Age Group World Rankings
Complementing its long-time focus on professional athletes, in 2018 the series launched the AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Rankings to celebrate the achievements of age-group marathoners and “everyday champions.” Each year, marathon runners in nine separate age groups (ages 40–80+) can compete at any of 350+ Age Group Qualifying Races worldwide to earn an Automatic Qualifying Time. At the end of each qualifying period (Jan 1–Dec 31), the top-ranked age-group runners are invited to compete in the AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championship, which typically takes place in tandem with one of the seven World Marathon Majors.
For the sixth edition (qualifying period ending Dec 31, 2024), the World Championship will take place at the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov 2, 2025.
Conclusion
Whether you’re seeking the perfect first-time marathon or chasing the coveted Six Star Finisher Medal for completing the series, the Abbott World Marathon Majors offers something for every running enthusiast. If you’ve run one or more of these races, we and your fellow runners would love for you to post your review(s) and share your experiences here on RaceRaves!
(Updated Jan 23, 2025; originally published Jan 30, 2017)
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Author: Mike Sohaskey
Mike Sohaskey is the co-founder of RaceRaves, the premier online reviews community for runners to share their race experiences and find their next challenge. Mike honed his creative and critical thinking skills as a research scientist, earning a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford. He’s completed over 120 races — including 60+ marathons and ultras plus six Abbott World Marathon Majors — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.
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I’m hoping to run the NYC Marathon for a charity this year – can’t wait to take it all in.