From the Sydney Marathon to the Boston Marathon, what are the seven Marathon Majors?
With the announcement that the Sydney Marathon is joining the exclusive list, Olympics.com takes you on a whistle-stop tour of the seven annual Marathon Majors.
Athletics
Over 800 marathons are organised every year but only six have been able to call themselves a Marathon Major. All that has changed with the Sydney Marathon joining that exclusive group after an announcement on 3 November.
Marathon Majors are the pinnacle of annual marathon running, with the elite of the elite (as well as a host of avid amateur runners) testing their mettle on the challenging courses in the cities of Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York and, now, Sydney.
For many just running one Marathon Major represents the fulfilment of a dream. However, some elite and amateur runners set themselves an even loftier goal: to complete the set.
Until now, this would have resulted in the acquisition of a Six Star Medal. However, with Sydney added to the roster, there is now one more Major in which runners can participate in their quest for 42.195km glory.
So what are the Marathon Majors, when do they take place and who holds the course records in each? Read on to find out on Olympics.com.
Everything you need to know about the seven Marathon Majors
Sydney Marathon
The Sydney Marathon was added to the list of Majors on 3 November 2024, making it the first new Marathon Major since Tokyo achieved that status in 2012.
Taking in some of the most iconic landmarks in the Australian city, including the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, the marathon is a mixture of roads, parks and hills that will represent a new type of challenge for veterans of the Majors.
The marathon also has strong Olympic roots, with the first taking place in 2001 on the same route as the marathon at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000.
Unlike the Chicago Marathon, which features a “loop” course (starting and ending in the same place), the Sydney Marathon features a point-to-point course that begins in Bradfield Park and ends at the Sydney Opera House.
The Sydney Marathon features the most elevation of any Marathon Major at 316 metres. However, even that is over a quarter less than the elevation at the last Olympic Games in Paris, which featured a course with a total elevation of 436 metres.
Sydney Marathon men’s course record: Brimin Kipkorir, Kenya: 2:06:18 (2024)
Sydney Marathon women’s course record: Workenesh Edesa, Ethiopia: 2:21:41 (2024)
Date of next race: 31 August 2025
Tokyo Marathon
The youngest marathon on the list, having first been held in 2008, Tokyo is also the first Major to take place each year on the first Sunday in March.
Both course records in Tokyo were set in 2004, with Kenya’s Benson Kipruto and Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede rising to the top of the standings.
Other notable winners include the great Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei, who both won the 2021 race, which took place in March 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The marathon takes in some of the most iconic sights in Tokyo, including the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and the old town of Asakusa.
Tokyo Marathon men’s course record: Benson Kipruto, Kenya: 2:02:16 (2024)
Tokyo Marathon women’s course record: Sutume Kebede, Ethiopia: 2:15:55 (2024)
Date of next race: 2 March 2025
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is steeped in history and is the longest-running annual marathon on the planet, having first taken place in 1897.
The race takes place on Patriots Day on the third Monday in April and first came to life after the original organisers took inspiration from the Olympic marathon of a year earlier at Athens 1896.
Today, the nature of the course has become the stuff of legends, with its grueling hills having paid to the aspirations of some of the greatest runners in history.
While many course records have been falling rapidly in recent years, Boston’s men’s record was set all the way back in 2011 and the women’s in 2014, making them some of the most longstanding in the world of Marathon Majors.
Boston Marathon men’s course record: Geoffrey Mutai, Kenya: 2:03:02 (2011)
Boston Marathon women’s course record: Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia: 2:19:59 (2014)
Date of next race: 21 April 2025
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the Elite Men's Marathon during the 2023 TCS London Marathon on April 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
London Marathon
One of the most beloved - and rapid - Marathon Major courses can be found in London, where a total of seven world records have been set.
The course runs past many of the most famous sights of England’s capital, including the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, where the race ends.
The London Marathon first took place in 1981 after Olympic 3,000m steeplechase gold medallist Chris Brasher was inspired to create a race based on his experiences running the New York City Marathon in the late 1970s.
The race gained World Marathon Majors status in 2006 and continues to attract the world’s top talent every year.
London Marathon men’s course record: Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya: 2:01:25 (2023)
London Marathon women’s course record: Paula Radcliffe, United Kingdom: 2:15:25 (2003)
Date of next race: 27 April 2025
Berlin Marathon
One thing that stands out about the Berlin Marathon course is that it’s fast. Blisteringly fast.
In fact, with 13 world records recorded on the streets of Berlin, the marathon is considered by many to be the fastest on the planet.
The last of those records was set in 2024 as Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia stormed to victory in the women’s race in a time of 2:11:53. Just a year earlier, the great Kipchoge set his own world record there with a time of 2:01:09.
Both of these records have since been surpassed, however, that does not detract from the fact that runners aiming for the very best times they are capable of producing will often be drawn to the flat, speedy surfaces of Berlin.
Berlin Marathon men’s course record: Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya: 2:01:09 (2022)
Berlin Marathon women’s course record: Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia: 2:11:53 (2023)
Date of next race: 21 September 2025
Chicago Marathon
While its history dates all the way back to 1905, the Chicago Marathon in its current format first took place in 1977.
Now, some 40,000 amateur and elite runners take part in the race - a far cry from the 4,200 who were on the starting line of the first edition.
Unlike the Sydney Marathon, the Chicago Marathon features a looped course, meaning the start and finish lines are in the same location.
The Chicago Marathon can also lay claim to being one of the fastest marathons on the globe, with both the current men’s and women’s marathon world records having been set on the course.
Chicago Marathon men’s course record: Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya: 2:00:35 (2023)
Chicago Marathon women’s course record: Ruth Chepngetich: 2:09:56 (2024)
Date of next race: 12 October 2025
New York City Marathon
The last - and largest - Marathon Major of the year is the New York City Marathon. Around 50,000 runners (elite and amateur combined) take part in the race, which winds through all five boroughs of the Big Apple.
The New York City Marathon has also seen its fair share of world records, with all four set by female athletes, including an incredible three in a row by Norway’s Grete Waitz between 1978 and 1980.
As with many of the other marathons on the list, New York’s Major takes in some breathtaking sights including Central Park, Staten Island and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
New York City Marathon men’s course record: Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia: 2:04:58 (2023)
New York City Marathon women’s course record: Margaret Okayo, Kenya: 2:22:31 (2003)
Date of next race: 2 November 2025