ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS
CHICAGO IS YOUR START LINE IN
ABOUT THE WORLD MARATHON MAJORS
For runners across the globe, competing in an Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) race is a significant accomplishment. Seven of the largest and most renowned road races in the world – Tokyo, Boston presented by Bank of America, TCS London, Sanlam Cape Town, TCS Sydney, BMW BERLIN, Bank of America Chicago and TCS New York City Marathons – make up AbbottWMM. The organization delivers several unique benefits to runners:
- Unparalleled experiences: operational excellence at each race ensures a premium race-day journey for runners
- Championship Series: professional athletes competing in AbbottWMM qualifying events compete for a prize purse every year
- Advancement of marathoning: AbbottWMM organizers aggressively champion anti-doping protocols and other efforts to move the sport forward
The inaugural series began in Boston in April 2006 and concluded at the New York City Marathon in November 2007. To learn more and to view the current Abbott World Marathon Majors leader boards visit worldmarathonmajors.com.
ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS MARATHON TOURS & TRAVEL AGE GROUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon serves as a qualifier for the AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships. The Age Group World Championships are held annually to determine the best age group runners in the world. In 2027, it will take place within the Tokyo Marathon.
Participants can qualify for the Age Group World Championships by any of the below methods.
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TOP RANKED ATHLETES
The top athletes in the Age Group World Rankings in each age group will be invited to the World Championships when the rankings season closes. The rankings season runs from January 1 to December 31 each year. Please note you must be registered on AbbottWMM.com to receive an invite. Create a profile on AbbottWMM.com.
In 2024, more than 370 marathons worldwide supplied their results to Abbott World Marathon Majors for their athletes to be included in the rankings. View the rankings.
The exact number of athletes for each age group each year will be dependent on the field size for the championship.
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AUTOMATIC TIME QUALIFICATION
Any athlete achieving the Automatic Qualifying Times listed below will receive an automatic invitation to the 2026 world championships. Please note you must be registered on AbbottWMM.com to receive an invite. Create a profile on AbbottWMM.com.
Age Group Male Female 40-44 2:35 3:04 45-49 2:42 3:12 50-54 2:48 3:20 55-59 2:57 3:32 60-64 3:10 3:49 65-69 3:26 4:13 70-74 3:40 4:32 75-79 4:06 5:15 80+ 4:40 5:30 -
THE GLOBAL MARATHON
The Abbott World Marathon Majors Global Run Club hosts two Global Marathon events (spring and fall) where up to 200 runners completing each event will have the chance to qualify for the 2026 World Championship. Learn more about the Global Marathon.
