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 compiling 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 these 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. Needless to say, only the most seasoned athletes make it in! However, if you still want to make competition history 🏆, you just need to finish all 7 marathons. Indeed, everyone who completes these daunting races wins this gorgeous medal 🏅 and gets entered into the official website’s database ! Anyone can take part: a special category is even dedicated to people racing in wheelchairs ♿️. However, the huge popularity of these events and the limited number of spots make registration very complicated... 😔

(Photo credit: ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS)

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

THE TOKYO MARATHON

Hundreds of skyscrapers 🏙, giant billboards, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, mazes of narrow streets, cutting-edge shops 🛍, arcade halls : welcome to Tokyo 🇯🇵 ! It’s amid such architectural chaos that the soul of the Japanese capital was built. And when modernism flirts with tradition, it can be (very) surprising 😲. In Tokyo, you discover contrasting neighborhoods, each with its own life, smells, colors, and distinctive rhythm.

It is in this metropolis with extraordinary energy that, since 2007, the legendary Tokyo Marathon 🔥 has taken place. The course was designed to show you the different contrasting facets of the Japanese capital. Runners set off on the 42.195 km, facing the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, before heading out to explore the city’s various districts 🔎. Passing in front of 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 make a lasting impression. Finally, the Hibiya Park adds a touch of green to the heart 💚 of the marathoners, who will really 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 in the men’s race, with Deso Gelmisa dominating in 2 hours 05 minutes and 22 seconds 🥇.

The crazy anecdote 😮: anyone who manages to break the world record in this marathon will win the handsome sum of €220,000 ! 🤑

(Credit: Tokyo Marathon Foundation)

THE BOSTON MARATHON

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

In spring, when snow ❄ gives way to blossoming trees 🌸, the Boston Marathon wakes up from its long hibernation 😴. For Bostonians, this event is a true symbol. With a first edition in 1897, it is considered the oldest marathon in the world 👨‍🦳 and is traditionally held on Patriot’s Day (every 3rd Monday in April). Its rolling tens of kilometers and its 150 m D+ make this marathon a particularly difficult challenge. 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 face Heartbreak Hill, a climb capable of crushing 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 the downtown, it’s the quirky beauty of Bean Town (yep, that’s Boston’s little nickname) that will light the runners’ way to the finish, at the foot of the public library 📚.

The crazy anecdote 😮: the Boston Marathon of 1966 went down in legend with the participation of Roberta Gibb. While seeing a woman 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

The largest metropolis in Australia is the newest recruit to the "World Marathon Majors" 🏆. This marathon is the legacy of the 2000 Olympic Games, and little by little it ended up attracting 25,000 participants at its latest edition in 2024 🙌. Cosmopolitan, cheerful, lively and buzzing with energy, Sydney is the city of all possibilities 😍. Passing through the most famous neighborhoods of this city on the south-east 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 🏙️ and via the famous Royal Botanic Garden ⛲️, the course turns plenty of heads! When you reach the East of the lovely city of Australia, mental toughness becomes crucial! The route turns hilly for about fifteen kilometers all the way to Centennial Park! 🫢 The pack can count on the end of the course to feast their eyes, with a flat and 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 human limits in distance running 🤓.

Bonus anecdote 😎: This marathon is the only one of the World Majors that you can enter like a “classic” race! No lottery and no organized trip to book to secure a bib. For the Sydney Marathon, you’ll simply have 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

A capital in constant transformation, modern, tolerant, powerful, vibrant, fragmented, inventive... adjectives jostle to describe Berlin 🇩🇪. Its architectural diversity and disorderly urban planning give it a special charm 😍. You can visit this unfinished beauty by 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 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 you can admire to the rhythm of 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

About a hundred kilometers from our shores, London and its electrifying streets intrigue, fascinate, and never grow old. “The whole world in one city” is how Ken Livingstone described the British capital 🇬🇧. With its centuries of history and mixing, the World City is said to be a place you must visit at least once in your life. And the reasons are many. A city of contrasts, it charms with its strong blend of cultures and traditions, but also with its architecture combining prestigious history and modernity. From Buckingham Palace 🏰 to the buildings of the City 🏙, via Chinatown, the Big Smoke 🌫 is full of surprises 🎁.

City of Sherlock Holmes 🔎 and rock 🎸, London is also world-renowned for hosting one of the most prestigious sporting events in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧: the TCS London Marathon 🏃. Every year, the same frenzy takes over the streets of London. Flat and fast, the race starts in Greenwich Park near the district of Blackheath. It then leads runners to immerse themselves in the heart of this 🌆 creative, avant-garde city that is 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 kilometers 😍. But the soul of this marathon lies above all in its charitable 🤝 nature. 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 lucrative annual charity events in the United Kingdom 🎗. And beyond being generous with charities, the event is generous with runners too! Its ultra-fast course saw the new marathon world record set at 1h 59min and 30sec 🏆. A performance by Sabastian Sawe 🎩.

The crazy anecdote 😮: during the 1908 Marathon, the organizers had to deal with a somewhat special request. King 🤴 Edward VII wanted the start to take place from the terrace of Windsor Castle 🏰 and for the race to finish right in front of the royal box at the White City Stadium 🏟️. The organizers complied with His Majesty’s demands and reshaped the race. The final course measured exactly... 42.195 km ! It is indeed the British crown that is behind this distance that has become legendary.

(Credit: kovop58)

THE CHICAGO MARATHON

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 nickname it, surprises with its architecture, its diversity, its history, and its legends. It was here that chewing gum 🍬, pinball, roller skates 🛼, and even the birth control pill 💊 were invented. It’s also in Chicago that Barack Obama worked as a social worker before becoming an Illinois senator and the 1st Black President of the United States. This book place, open and just waiting to be read seen, is a true American bestseller 📖. In summary, you won’t be able to resist the urge to climb 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, as temperatures struggle to rise above 0°C ❄️, Chicago wakes up gently loudly from its short night 😴. It is indeed getting ready 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 starts in Millennium Park 🌳 where the excitement is at its peak for the start 🏁. State Street then erupts under the runners’ strides, who won’t fail to marvel (between two breaths) at the Chicago Theatre 🎭. The shores of Lake Michigan, 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 an end, the straightness of the Magnificent Mile 🛣 will also be rocked by this frenzy of runners ready to battle it out. Only after 42.195 km of effort will Chicago be able to breathe, 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

New York—those who have never set foot there already know it. A backdrop for countless stories on paper and on screen, the Big Apple 🍎 is the emblematic figure of an entire country. Visiting NYC 🇺🇸 means being dazzled by the elegant Statue of Liberty 🗽, the luminous 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 worldwide 🌎 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: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. But beware: behind this apparent tourist stroll, the 42.195 km of the Big Apple pack around 300 m D+ 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 summary 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 moment 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 legendary 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 sure to find what you’re looking for 👟.