World Majors

THE WORLD MARATHON MAJORS, A GATHERING OF THE BEST MARATHONS IN THE WORLD

The "WMM" were created in 2006. The goal of this initiative was to create a championship bringing together the 5 most legendary marathons ✨. Now numbering 7, with the addition of the Tokyo Marathon 🇯🇵 in 2012 and the Sydney Marathon 🦘 in 2024, they also include the Olympic marathon or the World Championships marathon in the years when they take place. Athletes compete over a rolling year: one edition ends where it began. Not clear? For example, the 2017 season started at the London Marathon 2017 🎡 and ended at the London Marathon 2018.

Points are awarded to the top 5 in each race. Then, the two best performances of each runner are taken into account to establish the final ranking. Suffice to say, only the most seasoned athletes make it in! However, if you still want to make competition history 🏆, all you have to do is finish the 7 marathons. Indeed, everyone who completes these daunting races wins this magnificent medal 🏅 and enters the official website database ! Anyone can take part: there is even a special category dedicated to wheelchair users ♿️. However, the huge popularity of these events and the limited number of spots make registration very difficult... 😔

(Photo credit: ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS)

Now that you know everything about the organization, let us introduce you to the 7 giants:

THE TOKYO MARATHON

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Hundreds of skyscrapers 🏙, giant billboards, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, winding alleys, cutting-edge shops 🛍, arcade halls: welcome to Tokyo 🇯🇵 ! It’s within this architectural chaos that the soul of Japan’s capital was built. And when modernity flirts with tradition, it can be (very) surprising 😲. In Tokyo, you discover very different neighborhoods, each with its own life, scents, colors, and distinctive pace.

It is in this metropolis with extraordinary energy that, since 2007, the legendary Tokyo Marathon 🔥 has taken place. The course was designed to help you discover the contrasting facets of the Japanese capital. Runners start the 42.195 km, in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, before setting off to explore the city’s different neighborhoods 🔎. Passing by the Imperial Palace 🏯 or the Kaminarimon ⛩ will leave no participant indifferent. A few strides later, it’s the sheer scale of the Tokyo Skytree 🏙 and the Tokyo Tower 🗼 that will leave a lasting impression. Finally, the Hibiya Park adds a bit of greenery to the hearts 💚 of the marathoners, who will surely need it before crossing the finish line at Tokyo Station 🛤.

For the 2023 edition of the Tokyo Marathon, Kenya 🇰🇪 takes gold on the women’s side, with Rosemary Wanjiru finishing in 2 hours 16 minutes and 28 seconds. Ethiopia wins for the men, with Deso Gelmisa dominating the race in 2 hours 05 minutes and 22 seconds 🥇.

The crazy anecdote 😮: anyone who manages to break the world record at this marathon will take home the tidy sum of €220,000 ! 🤑

(Credit: Tokyo Marathon Foundation)

THE BOSTON MARATHON

Monday, April 21, 2025

Often overlooked by travelers heading to the U.S. East Coast, Boston is nonetheless the flagship city of New England, and the historic cradle of the United States 🇺🇸. Full of charm with its remnants of the colonial era, its historic sites and its countless museums 🖼, art and culture are part of the city’s DNA 😍.

In spring, when snow ❄ gives way to blossoming trees 🌸, the Boston Marathon awakens from its long hibernation 😴. For Bostonians, this event is a true symbol. With its first edition in 1897, it is considered the oldest marathon in the world 👨‍🦳 and is traditionally held on Patriot’s Day (every 3rd Monday of April). Its dozens of rolling kilometers and its 150 m of elevation gain make this marathon a particularly tough race. Historically, the race starts on Main Street in the town of Hopkinton, then crosses Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley and Newton. Between km 30 and 35, you’ll have to endure Heartbreak Hill , a climb capable of crushing even the boldest 📈. But we promise: once at the top, a stunning panoramic view over all of Boston will make you forget the pain of the ascent 🤓. Once in the heart of downtown, it’s the unique beauty of Bean Town (yes, that’s the nickname for Boston) that will light the runners’ way to the finish, at the foot of the public library 📚.

The crazy anecdote 😮: the Boston Marathon of 1966 entered legend with the participation of Roberta Gibb. While a woman’s presence in a marathon 🏃‍♀️ seems normal today, this brave American had to disguise herself as a man to take part, sparking the organizers’ fury. Many documentaries recount this powerful moment in feminism in the USA 👏.

(Credit: Boston Marathon)

THE SYDNEY MARATHON

Sunday, August 31, 2025

The largest metropolis in Australia is the newest recruit to the "World Marathon Majors" 🏆. This marathon is the legacy of the 2000 Olympic Games, which, little by little, has ended up attracting 25,000 participants at its latest edition in 2024 🙌. Cosmopolitan, cheerful, lively, and buzzing with energy, Sydney is the city where anything is possible 😍. Passing through the most famous neighborhoods of this city on the southeast coast of Australia, the course offers runners and spectators a Premium tour of the place. From the Sydney Harbour Bridge 🌉 to the CBD - Sydney’s business district 🏙️ via the famous Royal Botanic Garden ⛲️, the course turns many heads! Arriving in the east of the lovely city, mental toughness becomes crucial! The course becomes hilly for about fifteen kilometers up to Centennial Park! 🫢 The pack can count on the end of the route to be a real feast for the eyes, with a flat, wide surface all the way to the Sydney Opera House. There, the crowd goes wild and the atmosphere is insane, giving every runner an unforgettable memory 🎉. 

The crazy anecdote 😮: In 1969, Australian Derek Clayton set a marathon world record in 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 33 seconds, an impressive feat for the time 💥. This record remained unbeaten for more than 12 years and marked a turning point in our understanding of the limits of human endurance running 🤓.

Bonus anecdote 😎: This marathon is the only World Major you can sign up for like a “classic” race! No lottery or organized travel package to book to secure a bib. For the Sydney Marathon, you’ll simply need to go to their website and pay for your bib! 😉 You’ll still need to be quick, because bibs sell out like hotcakes 🥐.

(Credit: Sydney Marathon)

THE BERLIN MARATHON

Sunday, September 21, 2025

A capital in constant transformation, modern, tolerant, powerful, vibrant, fragmented, inventive... adjectives jostle to describe Berlin 🇩🇪. Its architectural diversity and chaotic urban planning give it a unique charm 😍. You can visit this unfinished beauty day or night, walking 🚶‍♀️, dancing 💃🏻 and even running 🏃‍♀️ (a 42.195 km for example 😉).

The Berlin Marathon (BMW Berlin-Marathon by its real name) is known for its flat course (ideal for records ⌚) and its sumptuous route that winds through the city streets 🏙. The Reichstag, the Schöneberg Town Hall, the Diocese of Berlin, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate are all monuments steeped in history that can be admired in time with the runners’ strides 👟.

The crazy anecdote 😮: Roberto Madrazo, a candidate for the Mexican presidency 🇲🇽, finished the 2007 marathon in 2 hours 47 minutes and 57 seconds, a remarkable performance. So remarkable that it raised suspicions. After checks, it turned out the politician seemed to have disappeared for 15 km, before miraculously reappearing less than 10 km from the finish 🏁. A magic trick 🪄 that earned him a disqualification.

(Credit: BMW Berlin Marathon)

THE LONDON MARATHON

Sunday, April 27, 2025

About a hundred kilometers from our shores, London and its electrifying streets intrigue, fascinate, but never grow old. “The whole world in one city”—that’s how Ken Livingstone described the British capital 🇬🇧. With its centuries of history and mixing, the World City is said to be a place you should visit at least once in your lifetime. And there are plenty of reasons why. A place of contrasts, it charms with its strong blend of cultures and traditions, as well as its architecture that combines prestigious history with modernity. From Buckingham Palace 🏰 to the skyscrapers of the City 🏙, via Chinatown, the big smoke 🌫 is full of surprises 🎁.

City of Sherlock Holmes 🔎 and rock 🎸, London is also world-famous for hosting one of the most prestigious sporting events in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧: the TCS London Marathon 🏃. Each year, the same frenzy takes over the streets of London. Flat and fast, the race starts at Greenwich Park near the neighborhood of Blackheath. It then leads runners to immerse themselves in the heart of this 🌆 creative, avant-garde city deeply rooted in its history. Cutty Sark, The Shard, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, London Eye, Big Ben, the Parliament or Buckingham Palace 👸 are just some of the monuments and famous neighborhoods you can discover along the way 😍. But the soul of this marathon lies above all in its charitable spirit 🤝. With ¾ of competitors running the 42.195 km of London for a good cause, the TCS London Marathon tops the list of the most profitable annual charity events in the United Kingdom 🎗.

The crazy anecdote 😮: during the 1908 marathon, organizers had to deal with a rather special request. King 🤴 Edward VII wanted the start to take place from the terrace of Windsor Castle 🏰 and the race to end right in front of the royal box at the White City Stadium 🏟️. The organizers complied with His Majesty’s demands and redesigned the race. The final course measured exactly... 42.195 km ! It was indeed the British crown that gave rise to this now-mythical distance.

(Credit: kovop58)

THE CHICAGO MARATHON

Sunday, October 12, 2025

In the heart of the industrial Midwest, stands the astonishing city of Chicago 🇺🇸. Benefiting from an extraordinary location on the shore of Lake Michigan, the Windy City, as Americans like to call it, surprises with its architecture, its diversity, its history, and its legends. This is where chewing gum 🍬, pinball, roller skates 🛼, and the contraceptive pill 💊 were invented. It’s also in Chicago that Barack Obama worked as a social worker before becoming an Illinois senator and the first Black President of the United States. This book open place that only asks to be read seen is a true American bestseller 📖. In summary, you won’t be able to resist climbing to the top of the Hancock Tower to enjoy an extraordinary panorama, and your long evenings will be lulled by a musical journey through the roots of Chicago blues 🎷. Finally, the multitude of parks 🏞 will make you forget you’re in a city of nearly 3 million inhabitants and will make you want to reread this beautiful story.

Every second Sunday of October, while temperatures struggle to rise above 0°C ❄️, Chicago wakes up gently >loudly from its short night 😴. It is indeed preparing to welcome into its streets thousands of athletes from all 4 corners of the world 🌎 to take part in the famous Bank Of America Chicago Marathon. Everything begins in Millennium Park 🌳 where excitement is at its peak for the start 🏁. State Street then comes alive under the runners’ strides, who won’t fail to marvel (between two breaths) at the Chicago Theatre 🎭. The Lake Michigan shoreline, the Lincoln Park, the cosmopolitan neighborhoods of Little Italy and Chinatown will in turn be shaken for many minutes. But before the marathon storm comes to a stop 🌪, the straight line of the Magnificent Mile 🛣 will also be rattled by this surge of runners eager to battle it out. Only after 42.195 km of effort will Chicago be able to exhale, as its strange visitors reach the end of their exhausting journey at Grant Park, a historic place in the city that hosted the 1893 World’s Fair.

The crazy anecdote 😮: during the 2007 edition, Kenyan 🇰🇪 Patrick Ivuti finished ahead of Moroccan 🇲🇦 Jaouad Gharib by less than one hundredth of a second!

(Credit: Bank of America Chicago Marathon)

THE NEW YORK MARATHON

Sunday, November 2, 2025

New York: even those who have never set foot there already know it. As the backdrop for countless stories on paper and on screen, the Big Apple 🍎 is an iconic figure of an entire country. Visiting NYC 🇺🇸 means being dazzled by the elegant Statue of Liberty 🗽, the bright lights of Times Square, the immensity of the Empire State Building 🏙, or the green oasis known as Central Park 🏞.

In this city where anything is possible, an iconic event coveted by runners from all over the world takes place every year 🌎: the New York Marathon (its real name: the TCS New York City Marathon) 🏃‍♀️. The race is famous for its route that crosses the city’s 5 emblematic boroughs, including Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Manhattan. But beware: behind this tourist-stroll appearance, the 42.195 km of the Big Apple feature around 300 m of elevation gain that will set everyone’s calves on fire 😉. And since we’re talking about an iconic marathon, we break down the New York course with a perfectly crafted recap right here 👈.

The crazy anecdote 😮: in 2018, Kaitlyn Curran found a lovely surprise halfway through. Her partner was waiting for her on the Pulaski Bridge to propose! A memorable proposal that went viral at the time 💒.

(Credit: nyrr)

Running a major marathon is a personal challenge—but not only that. The selective registration conditions can discourage more than a few! 😢 But fortunately for runners, this mythical distance can be run at many exceptional events 🎉. The Rome Marathon 🇮🇹, Madrid 🇪🇦, or Copenhagen 🇩🇰 are marathons well worth the trip! Closer to home, the marathons of Brussels 🇧🇪 and Geneva 🇨🇭 also represent great challenges to take on. Whether in France 🇨🇵 or abroad, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for 👟.