Run the World

From the spring streets of Tokyo to the five boroughs of New York, from Beijing's Chang'an Avenue to the banks of London's Thames, a few race series sit at the top of every marathoner's wish list. Here are the World Marathon Majors, the China Marathon Majors and the European Marathon Classics, and every race in each series.

World Marathon Majors

The Abbott World Marathon Majors are the world's best-known marathon series. Finish the original six, Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York, to become a Six Star Finisher and earn the Six Star medal. Sydney and Cape Town have since joined and Shanghai is under assessment, so the Majors are expanding to nine races, with a Nine Star medal planned.

• Tokyo Marathon: Held in early March, it starts at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and passes city landmarks such as Asakusa and Ginza.
• Boston Marathon: The world's oldest annual marathon, held each April on Patriots' Day and famous for entry by qualifying time.
• London Marathon: Held in late April, it follows the Thames across Tower Bridge and finishes on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
• Berlin Marathon: Held in late September on a flat, fast course that has produced multiple men's world records, finishing through the Brandenburg Gate.
• Chicago Marathon: Held in early October, it starts and finishes in Grant Park on a flat course through 29 neighbourhoods.
• New York City Marathon: Held on the first Sunday of November, it starts on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, runs through all five boroughs and finishes in Central Park.
• Sydney Marathon: A legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, it crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finishes near the Opera House; it became the seventh Major in 2025.
• Cape Town Marathon: The first Major in Africa, held each May and confirmed as the eighth Major in June 2026.
• Shanghai Marathon: Starting on the Bund, it is a Majors candidate and will become the ninth Major if it passes its assessment at the December 6, 2026 race.

For the Six Star rules, entry and a detailed guide to every race, see World Marathon Majors.

China Marathon Majors

The China Marathon Majors were created by the Chinese Athletics Association and began with the 2017–2018 season, bringing together four of the country's most iconic city marathons. Finish all four within one Majors cycle to earn the China Marathon Majors finisher medal.

• Chongqing Marathon: Starting and finishing at Yanyu Park on Nanbin Road, it runs along the Yangtze riverside road on a rolling course through the mountain city.
• Wuhan Marathon: Held in spring during cherry blossom season, its course links the Yangtze, the Han River, the East Lake Greenway and the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge.
• Beijing Marathon: Founded in 1981, China's oldest marathon starts at Tiananmen Square and heads north along Chang'an Avenue and the central axis.
• Guangzhou Marathon: Held each December, it starts at Tianhe Sports Center, follows the Pearl River past Canton Tower and finishes at Haixinsha.

For race dates, course features and the finisher medal, see China Marathon Majors.

European Marathon Classics

The European Marathon Classics, launched in 2026, link the classic marathons of eight European cities. It is free to join with no time limit; finish any five different cities to earn the Master Medal, and races you have run in the past count too.

• Rome Marathon: Held each March, it starts beside the Colosseum and finishes at the Circus Maximus, running through the ruins of the ancient city.
• Vienna City Marathon: Held each April, Vienna is where the series was launched, and the race finishes on the Ringstrasse in the city centre.
• London Marathon: The only World Marathon Major among the eight and one of the largest marathons in the world.
• Madrid Marathon: Held in late April at about 650 m altitude on a rolling course, with live bands cheering along the way.
• Copenhagen Marathon: Held each May on a flat loop through the city centre and along the canals, in cool weather.
• Warsaw Marathon: Held in late September, Poland's oldest marathon starts and finishes beside the Palace of Culture and Science.
• Lisbon Marathon: Held on a Saturday each October, it runs from the coast along the Atlantic and the Tagus into Lisbon, finishing at Praça do Comércio.
• Frankfurt Marathon: Held in late October on a flat, fast course, finishing on a red carpet inside the Festhalle.

For the medal rules, a detailed guide to all eight races and race tips, see European Marathon Classics.

One race, two series

The London Marathon belongs to both the World Marathon Majors and the European Marathon Classics, so one finish counts for both. The Shanghai Marathon is currently a World Marathon Majors candidate and is not one of the four China Marathon Majors races.

2026 race calendar

Date	Race	Series
January 18	Chongqing Marathon	China Majors
March 1	Tokyo Marathon	World Majors
March 22	Wuhan Marathon	China Majors
March 22	Rome Marathon	European Classics
April 19	Vienna City Marathon	European Classics
April 20	Boston Marathon	World Majors
April 26	London Marathon	World Majors, European Classics
April 26	Madrid Marathon	European Classics
May 10	Copenhagen Marathon	European Classics
May 24	Cape Town Marathon	World Majors
August 30	Sydney Marathon	World Majors
September 27	Berlin Marathon	World Majors
September 27	Warsaw Marathon	European Classics
October 10 (Saturday)	Lisbon Marathon	European Classics
October 11	Chicago Marathon	World Majors
October 18	Beijing Marathon	China Majors
October 25	Frankfurt Marathon	European Classics
November 1	New York City Marathon	World Majors
December 6	Shanghai Marathon	World Majors candidate
December 20	Guangzhou Marathon	China Majors

Race days are announced each year by each race; check the official announcements.