World Marathon Majors
Championship-style competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on seven major marathon races recognised as the most high-profile on the calendar, the series comprises annual races for the cities of Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York.
 | |
| Sport | Marathon running |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| No. of teams | individual sport |
| Official website | www |
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.[1]
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.[2] 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).
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.[3] Also in November 2024, the Cape Town Marathon passed stage 1, with stage 2 evaluation set for October 2025 and possible inclusion as a major in 2026.[4] Earlier in 2024, the Shanghai Marathon was announced as a major candidate and began the three year evaluation process.[5][6]
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:
Major marathons champions
Men's
Women's
Men's wheelchair
Women's wheelchair
World Marathon Majors champions list
Men's
| Titles | Winner | Tokyo Marathon | Boston Marathon | London Marathon | Sydney Marathon | Berlin Marathon | Chicago Marathon | New York City Marathon | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 |  Eliud Kipchoge | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2014–2023 |
| 5 | Wilson Kipsang | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2012–2017 |
| 4 | Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2006–2008 |
 Haile Gebrselassie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2006–2009 | |
| Geoffrey Mutai | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2011–2013 | |
| Benson Kipruto | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2021–2025 | |
| 3 | Martin Lel | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2007–2008 |
| Samuel Wanjiru | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2009–2010 | |
| Tsegaye Kebede | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2010–2013 | |
| Dennis Kipruto Kimetto | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2013–2014 | |
| Lelisa Desisa | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2013–2018 | |
| Dickson Chumba | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2014–2018 | |
| Evans Chebet | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2022–2023 | |
| 2 |  Marílson Gomes dos Santos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2006–2008 |
 Meb Keflezighi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2009–2014 | |
| Patrick Musyoki | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2010–2011 | |
| Kenenisa Bekele | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2016–2019 | |
| Geoffrey Kamworor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2017–2019 | |
| Lawrence Cherono | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2019 | |
| Birhanu Legese | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2019–2020 | |
| Sisay Lemma | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2021–2024 | |
| Kelvin Kiptum | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2023 | |
| John Korir | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2024–2025 | |
| Sabastian Sawe | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2025 | |
| Tadese Takele | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2025–2026 |
Women's
| Titles | Winner | Tokyo Marathon | Boston Marathon | London Marathon | Sydney Marathon | Berlin Marathon | Chicago Marathon | New York City Marathon | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mary Keitany | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2011–2018 |
| 6 | Brigid Kosgei | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2018–2026 |
| 4 |  Irina Mikitenko | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2008–2009 |
| Aberu Kebede | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2010–2016 | |
| Edna Kiplagat | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2010–2021 | |
| Florence Kiplagat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2011–2016 | |
| Hellen Obiri | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2023–2025 | |
| 3 | Rita Jeptoo | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2006–2013 |
| Atsede Baysa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2010–2016 | |
| Gladys Cherono | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2015–2018 | |
| Ruth Chepng'etich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2021–2024 | |
| Peres Jepchirchir | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2021–2024 | |
| Tigist Assefa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2022–2025 | |
 Sifan Hassan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2023–2025 | |
| 2 | Gete Wami | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2006–2007 |
| Berhane Adere | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2006–2007 | |
 Lidiya Grigoryeva | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2007–2008 | |
 Paula Radcliffe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2007–2008 | |
| Priscah Jeptoo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2013 | |
| Tirfi Tsegaye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2014 | |
| Birhane Dibaba | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2015–2018 | |
| Joyciline Jepkosgei | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2019–2021 | |
| Sharon Lokedi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2022–2025 | |
| Rosemary Wanjiru | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2023–2025 | |
| Sutume Kebede | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2024–2025 |
Winners by season
The winners by season listed below.[15]
Men's series winners
Women's series winners
Men's wheelchair series winners
| Season | No. | Start event | Final event | Winner | Country | Points | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | X | 2016 Boston | 2017 Boston | Marcel Hug |  Switzerland | |||
| 2017–18 | XI | 2017 London | 2018 London | Marcel Hug (2) | Switzerland | |||
| 2018–19 | XII | 2018 Berlin | 2019 Berlin | Daniel Romanchuk |  United States | |||
| 2019–21 | XIII | 2019 Chicago | 2021 New York City | Marcel Hug (3) | Switzerland | |||
| 2022 | XIV | 2021 Tokyo[h] | 2022 New York City | Marcel Hug (4) | Switzerland | |||
| 2023 | XV | 2023 Tokyo | 2023 New York City | Marcel Hug (5) | Switzerland |
|||
| 2024 | XVI | 2024 Tokyo | 2024 New York City | Marcel Hug (6) | Switzerland |
[25] | ||
Women's wheelchair series winners
| Season | No. | Start event | Final event | Winner | Country | Points | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | X | 2016 Boston | 2017 Boston | Tatyana McFadden | United States | |||
| 2017–18 | XI | 2017 London | 2018 London | Manuela Schär | Switzerland | |||
| 2018–19 | XII | 2018 Berlin | 2019 Berlin | Manuela Schär (2) | Switzerland | |||
| 2019–21 | XIII | 2019 Chicago | 2021 New York City | Manuela Schär (3) | Switzerland | |||
| 2022 | XIV | 2021 Tokyo[h] | 2022 New York City | Susannah Scaroni | United States | |||
| 2023 | XV | 2023 Tokyo | 2023 New York City | Catherine Debrunner | Switzerland |
|||
| 2024 | XVI | 2024 Tokyo | 2024 New York City | Catherine Debrunner (2) | Switzerland |
[25] | ||
Majors milestones
- Most victories – 13, Eliud Kipchoge (men); 7, Mary Keitany (women)
- Most scoring races – 13, Tsegaye Kebede, Wilson Kipsang (men); 14, Edna Kiplagat, Mary Keitany (women)
- Most lifetime scoring points – 265, Eliud Kipchoge (men); 234, Mary Keitany (women)
- Youngest winner – 20 years 281 days, Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (men); 20 years, 253 days, Xue Bai (women)
- Youngest point scorer – 18 years 302 days, Tsegaye Mekonnen (men); 19 years 233 days, Ayaka Fujimoto (women)
- Oldest winner – 38 years 350 days, Meb Keflezighi (men); 41 years 330 days, Edna Kiplagat (women)
- Oldest point scorer – 41 years 313 days, Kenenisa Bekele (men); 41 years 330 days, Edna Kiplagat (women)
- Nation, most winners – 52, Kenya (men); 35, Kenya (women)
Six star finishers
Six star finishers are marathoners who have completed six of the World Marathon Majors (without including Sydney). In 2016 following the Tokyo Marathon a Six Star Finisher Medal was introduced.[30] 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.[31]
Following the TCS London Marathon in April, 2025, the verified total of Six Star Finishers was 22,480 from 139 total nations.
See also
Notes
- The 2012 New York Marathon was originally scheduled for 4 November, but cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.[7]
- The 2020 Boston Marathon was originally scheduled for 20 April, then postponed to 14 September and later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
- Postponed from 26 April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The 2020 Berlin Marathon was originally scheduled for 27 September, but cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany to prevent large gatherings.[9]
- The 2020 Chicago Marathon was originally scheduled for 11 October, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]
- The 2020 New York City Marathon was originally scheduled for 1 November, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
- Postponed from 2 and 9 August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
- Ran in 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic
- Postponed by one year due to COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
- Diana Kipyogei (KEN) was the original winner, but she was disqualified for a doping violation.[14]
- Liliya 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.[26]
- 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.[28]
- Jemima Sumgong (Kenya), who won two races in 2016 but gave a positive sample in an out-of-competition test in February 2017.[29]