What are the World Marathon Majors?
The Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) is a series of city marathons, not a single race. At the elite level, runners and wheelchair racers score points across the year's races for the title of series champion.[3] The current rules name seven scoring Majors — the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon — plus the Olympic or Paralympic marathon and the marathon at the World Athletics or World Para Athletics Championships.[2] For mass participants the series runs the Six Star medal for finishing the six original Majors, and it operates an age-group world ranking for runners aged 40 and over.[6][3]
Who organizes the World Marathon Majors?
The series is run by Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM); its chief executive, Dawna Stone, announced Cape Town's admission to the series.[7] Abbott became the first title sponsor, and the series was renamed the Abbott World Marathon Majors from 2015.[9] The series' rules count the marathon at the championships of World Athletics as a scoring race.[2]
When is the series held, and where?
The series now runs on the calendar year, "beginning at the Tokyo Marathon and finishing at the TCS New York City Marathon".[2] The Majors are held in Asia, North America, Europe and Australia; the Sydney Marathon's first edition as a Major was on 31 August 2025.[6] The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon joins in 2027 as the eighth member, with its race on 23 May 2027.[7] The series' About page lists Shanghai's candidacy as ongoing.[10] On 27 September 2026 the series' leaderboard is for Series XVIII, the 2026 series, which is in progress.[4]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (XVIII) | — in progress | Series XVIII, Tokyo to New York — in progress |
| 2025 (XVII) | Sabastian Sawe · Tigst Assefa, Hellen Obiri & Sharon Lokedi | Wheelchair: Marcel Hug · Susannah Scaroni |
| 2024 (XVI) | Benson Kipruto · Hellen Obiri | Wheelchair: Marcel Hug · Catherine Debrunner |
| 2022–23 (XV) | Kelvin Kiptum · Sifan Hassan | Wheelchair (printed as Series XV, 2023): Marcel Hug · Catherine Debrunner |
| 2021–22 (XIV) | Eliud Kipchoge · Gotytom Gebreslase | Wheelchair (printed as Series XIII, 2022): Marcel Hug · Susannah Scaroni |
| 2019–21 (XIII) | Albert Korir · Peres Jepchirchir & Joyciline Jepkosgei | Wheelchair: Marcel Hug · Manuela Schär |
| 2018–19 (XII) | Eliud Kipchoge · Brigid Kosgei | Wheelchair: Daniel Romanchuk · Manuela Schär |
| 2017–18 (XI) | Eliud Kipchoge · Mary Keitany | Wheelchair: Marcel Hug · Manuela Schär |
| 2016–17 (X) | Eliud Kipchoge · Edna Kiplagat | Wheelchair: Marcel Hug · Tatyana McFadden; women's title awarded after the Jemima Sumgong case |
| 2015–16 (IX) | Eliud Kipchoge · Mary Keitany | No wheelchair series |
| 2013–14 (VIII) | Wilson Kipsang · Edna Kiplagat | No wheelchair series; women's title awarded after the Rita Jeptoo case |
Rows are series, labelled by the series' own window and number. Pool: men's champion · women's champion. Host cities column: wheelchair champions, men's · women's (series from 2016). The 2025 row is the roll's current-champions block. Names as the series' roll of honour prints them.[1]
Since when does it exist?
Abbott's 2014 announcement states that the series was established in 2006, its inaugural two-year series launching "at the 110th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2006".[9] The format has changed by dated decision. On 20 February 2015 the series announced a one-year cycle in place of two-year series, with Series IX to begin at the 2015 Tokyo Marathon; the Series VIII before it had run from Tokyo on 24 February 2013 to New York on 2 November 2014.[8] The wheelchair series, with its own prize purse, began with Series X in 2016.[2] From Series XVI the roll of honour labels each series by a single calendar year, 2024.[1]
How do athletes qualify for the series title?
The series' rules govern eligibility for its title rather than entry to the races. Points go to the top five at each qualifying race — 25, 16, 9, 4 and 1 — and "points from a maximum of two Qualifying Races will be counted" for able-bodied athletes; for wheelchair athletes in 2026 the best five scores from seven races count. The rules add that "an athlete must start in at least two Qualifying Races over the cycle to be eligible for the prize". Ties go to head-to-head record, then qualifying-race wins, then a majority vote of the race directors.[2]
Why does it matter?
The measurable proxy is prize money. The 2015 announcement set "a $1 million prize purse split evenly by the men's and women's champions", paid in instalments over five years.[8] The current rules state that prize money is awarded at the end of the year to the top five in the standings, without giving the amounts on the page (see prize money and athlete pay).[2] The inclusion of the Olympic, Paralympic and World Athletics Championships marathons as scoring races ties the series to those titles.[2]
Who competes?
Four divisions contest the series: men, women, men's wheelchair and women's wheelchair. The roll of honour records doping cases by instrument: Liliya Shobukhova's results from 9 October 2009 were annulled after a ban in April 2014, so the Series IV and V titles went to Irina Mikitenko and Edna Kiplagat; the Series VIII title was awarded to Edna Kiplagat after Rita Jeptoo gave positive A and B samples in an out-of-competition test in September 2014; and the Series X title went to Edna Kiplagat after the doping investigation and legal process against Jemima Sumgong.[1] For Series XVII, 2025, the series' current-champions listing names three joint women's champions, Tigst Assefa, Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi.[5]
References
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Elite Series champions (roll of honour). Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Elite Series: how it works. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — official site. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Series XVIII leaderboards. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Elite Series: current champions. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Sydney Major. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Sanlam Cape Town Marathon becomes a Major. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — New race series format to debut at Tokyo Marathon (20 February 2015). Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — Abbott first-ever title sponsor of World Marathon Majors (2014). Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Abbott World Marathon Majors — About. Accessed 2026-09-27.