The World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on eight major marathon races recognised as the most high-profile on the calendar, the series comprises annual races (in order of their founding) for the cities of Boston (1897), New York (1970), Berlin (1974), Chicago (1977), London (1981), Cape Town (1994), Sydney (2000), and Tokyo (2007).
In addition, the World Marathon Majors includes the results of any major global championship marathon held in that year. These races are the biennial World Athletics Championships Marathon, and the quadrennial Olympic Games Marathon.
History
Each World Marathon Majors series originally spanned two full calendar years; the second year of a series overlapped with the first year of the next. Starting in 2015, each series began with a defined city race and ended with the following race in the same city. So, series IX started in February 2015 at the 2015 Tokyo Marathon and ended there in February 2016 at the 2016 Tokyo Marathon. Series X started at the 2016 Boston Marathon and finished at the 2017 Boston Marathon. Series XI started at the 2017 London Marathon and finished at the 2018 London Marathon.
Initial major sponsor Abbott Laboratories added its name in 2015. On April 26, 2017, Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd., one of the leading Chinese private conglomerates, announced a ten-year strategic partnership aimed at the continued growth and development of marathon events worldwide.
Beginning with Series X at the 2016 Boston Marathon, wheelchair competitions were added for men and women.
At the end of each of the first 10 WMM series the leading man and woman each won $500,000, making a total prize of one million U.S. dollars. Beginning with Series XI, the prize structure was revised so that for men and women first place became $250,000, second place $50,000 and third place $25,000. In the wheelchair division the prize money for men and women is $50,000 (first), $25,000 (second) and $10,000 (third).
Races
The World Marathon Majors began in 2006 with five races: Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York. The Tokyo Marathon, which had been created in 2007 as the successor to two previous marathons, was added as the sixth WMM in 2013. Tokyo was the first race in the series from outside North America or Europe, and its late February/early March date made it the first race of the calendar year for the series.
In November 2024, it was announced that the Sydney Marathon would be added as the seventh race in the World Marathon Majors. The inaugural Sydney event in the series was on August 31, 2025. The Cape Town Marathon passed the first stage of candidacy approval for WMM inclusion in 2024,; it was confirmed as the eighth race in the series in June 2026. Its first race as part of WMM will be on May 23, 2027, placing it fourth in the calendar year between London and Sydney.
In 2024, the Shanghai Marathon was announced as a WMM candidate and began a three year evaluation process.
Scoring system
Athletes who competed in the marathons originally received points for finishing in any of the top five places (1st place: 25 points; 2nd place: 15 points; 3rd place: 10 points; 4th place: 5 points; 5th place: 1 point). Their four highest ranks over the two-year period were counted; if an athlete scored points in more than this number, the athlete's four best races were scored. To be eligible for the jackpot, an athlete had to compete in at least one qualifying race in each calendar year of the series.
In 2015, the scoring was revised (1st place: 25 points; 2nd place: 16 points; 3rd place: 9 points; 4th place: 4 points; 5th place: 1 point). The two highest ranks during the scoring period would be counted, with only the best two if more than that number.
For the first three series if there were equal top scores at the end of the competition the tiebreakers were head-to-head competition and, if necessary, a majority vote of the five WMM race directors. This happened in the 2007–08 women's competition.
Beginning in the 2009–10 season, following best head-to-head record, the following tie-breakers were implemented, in descending order: the person who scored points in the fewest races, the person who won the most qualifying races during the period, the person with the fastest average time in their scoring races, and a majority vote of the six-race directors. If the final circumstance is necessary, the race directors could award the title jointly.
Major marathons by year
The following marathons have been part of the series in each year:
Nation, most winners – 52, Kenya (men); 35, Kenya (women)
Six star finishers
Six star finishers are marathoners who have completed the first six races (by join date) in the World Marathon Majors (Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Tokyo). The Six Star Finisher Medal was introduced in 2016 following the addition of Tokyo to WMM. In July 2018 a "Reach for the Stars" campaign was launched wherein a runner could claim a star for each WMM race completed. The system allows runners to create a profile, search for their ‘stars’ and add them to their page.
After the addition of Sydney (2024) and Cape Town (2026) to WMM, the Six Star medal remained in place for the original six races only. Pending the potential addition of Shanghai to WMM, Abbott World Marathon Majors announced that they would create a new Nine Star medal for the expanded race series.
As of the completion of the London Marathon in April 2025, 22,480 runners from 139 nations had become Six Star Finishers.[citation needed]
↑The 2020 Berlin Marathon was originally scheduled for 27 September, but cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany to prevent large gatherings.
↑The 2020 Chicago Marathon was originally scheduled for 11 October, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
↑The 2020 New York City Marathon was originally scheduled for 1 November, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
↑Diana Kipyogei (KEN) was the original winner, but she was disqualified for a doping violation.
12Liliya Shobukhova (Russia) was the original winner in Series IV and V but she was disqualified from competition for a doping violation in April 2014 and all her results from 9 October 2009 have been annulled.
↑Rita Jeptoo (Kenya) won four races in the 2013–14 series but gave positive A and B samples in an out-of-competition test in September 2014.
↑Jemima Sumgong (Kenya), who won two races in 2016 but gave a positive sample in an out-of-competition test in February 2017.
↑"Tokyo Marathon 2021 Postponed". Tokyo Marathon Foundation. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021. Due to postponement of the 2021 event, the 2022 event will not take place.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
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