🏃the marathon majors, and how you get in

abbott's lineup, translated out of the marketing language. cape town just got confirmed as number eight, doesn't count toward six star until the 2027 race though

01
Tokyo Marathon (March)
lottery only and it's brutal - under 10% odds most years. no time-qualifier bypass here
02
Boston Marathon (April)
the one major with no general lottery - it's a BQ or a charity bib, and hitting your BQ isn't even a guarantee most years
03
London Marathon (April)
ballot plus a 'good for age' time route plus charity, and the charity minimums here are some of the steepest of the seven
04
Sydney Marathon (August)
newest of the seven, added in 2025. first major in the southern hemisphere and still figuring out its own entry system
05
Berlin Marathon (September)
flattest of the seven, which is why the world records keep happening here. lottery plus a time-qualifier path
06
Chicago Marathon (October)
07
New York City Marathon (November)
runs on a 9+1 program - nine NYRR races plus one volunteer shift gets you a guaranteed spot the next year. slow but no luck involved
08
Six Star Finisher medal
finish the original six (sydney, cape town don't count yet) for the medal. tens of thousands worldwide now, still a small club
09
Charity bibs
every major sells some every year. the most expensive way in, but the only guaranteed one when your ballot luck runs out
10
Cape Town Marathon (October)
confirmed as major number eight in 2026, Africa's first. doesn't officially join the series until the 2027 race though

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