How to Get Into the World Marathon Majors

The World Marathon Majors are the eight most prestigious marathon races on the planet: Tokyo, Boston, London, Cape Town, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. They attract hundreds of thousands of applicants each year, and for good reason — these races are bucket-list experiences that combine world-class competition with incredible city energy.

I've run five of the eight (Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, and London). Each one has been a completely different experience. Here's what I've learned about getting in, and what to know before you apply.

The Eight Majors at a Glance

Listed in the order they're run through the year. Tap any race for its 2027 entry routes and deadlines, or see every ballot date in one table.

How to Actually Get In

Every Major has a different entry process, but most fall into a few categories. Understanding these will save you a lot of confusion — and once you know which route you're taking, the 2027 ballot dates tell you exactly when to act. Most of these windows are only a week or two long, so knowing them in advance is half the battle.

1. Lottery (Most Common)

New York, Chicago, Berlin and Tokyo run a lottery, and London, Sydney and Cape Town run the same thing under the name "ballot". You enter during the registration window, pay a small fee, and wait. Acceptance rates vary wildly:

• Tokyo: Very low. Over 300,000 people apply for ~38,000 total spots, but a significant portion of those go to charity runners, tour operators, ONE TOKYO members, and semi-elite qualifiers. General lottery acceptance is estimated at below 10%.
• London: Very low. A record 1,338,544 people applied for the 2027 ballot. The race fields 100,000 runners across the two days, 45,000 on the Saturday and 55,000 on the Sunday, so even if every place came from the ballot the rate would be 7.5%. It does not: charity, Good for Age and club entries take a large share, so the real ballot figure is lower. London does not publish the split. International runners have slightly better odds through tour operators.
• Cape Town: Unknown, Cape Town hasn't published application numbers or acceptance rates. Two-thirds of all entries are reserved for African runners, so international applicants compete for roughly a third of the field.
• Sydney: The most forgiving Major ballot. Sydney's 2026 ballot received 123,000+ applications for ~40,000 spots (~33% acceptance), down from ~44% in 2025. Odds are tightening as the race gains visibility as a WMM.
• Berlin: Roughly 20%. Berlin doesn't publish official figures, but this is the widely cited estimate. Opens in the fall for the following September race.
• Chicago: Around 20–25%, the most favorable lottery odds of any Major, though demand has grown significantly (200,000+ applicants for 2026).
• New York: Around 3–4% for non-guaranteed general entry. Odds have collapsed in recent years as demand has surged past 125,000+ applicants. The most reliable guaranteed path is still the 9+1 program, 9 qualifying NYRR races plus a volunteer shift, though entry is non-complimentary and from the 2027 program year the program is capped at the 15,000+ members drawn each year.

My advice: apply to multiple races each year. The lotteries are independent, so there's no downside to having applications in for several at once.

2. Qualifying Times

Boston is the only Major that requires a qualifying time (BQ). The standards depend on your age and gender — for example, a woman aged 18-34 needs to run 3:25:00 or faster. You can find the full list of qualifying times on the BAA's official page. And because the race is oversubscribed, most years you need to beat the standard by 4-7 minutes to actually get accepted.

The net downhill rule: Starting with the 2027 Boston Marathon, the BAA is applying time penalties to qualifying times run on courses with significant net downhill. If your qualifying race drops 1,500-2,999 feet in elevation, 5 minutes get added to your submitted time. For courses dropping 3,000-5,999 feet, it's a 10-minute penalty. Courses with 6,000+ feet of net downhill won't count at all. This means races like CIM and St. George, which have long been popular BQ courses, now carry a built-in disadvantage. Flat courses — Chicago, Houston, Grand Rapids — become even more attractive for qualifying.

New York, Chicago, and Berlin also offer guaranteed entry for runners who meet certain time standards, bypassing the lottery entirely. These times are generally faster than Boston's qualifying standards. London runs its own version called Good for Age — a separate allocation for runners who hit an age-graded standard, open to UK residents only, with applications for the 2027 race opening in October 2026.

Quick tip: If Boston is the goal, target a flat, fast fall race — Chicago, Indianapolis Monumental, or Grand Rapids. Cooler weather, genuinely flat courses, and no downhill penalty. Mind the timing, though: registration closes before fall racing season, so a fall 2026 marathon qualifies you for Boston 2028, not 2027. To make the 2027 field, your qualifying time needed to be run by September 18, 2026.

3. Charity Entries

All eight Majors offer guaranteed entries through affiliated charities. You commit to raising a minimum amount in exchange for a guaranteed bib:

• Tokyo: ¥100,000 to ¥350,000, about $670 to $2,350
• Boston: $750 to $15,000+ depending on the partner
• London: £2,500
• Berlin: roughly €1,500 to €2,500
• New York: $3,000 to $3,500 depending on the partner tier, often higher

Boston's Official Charity Program alone accounts for close to 10% of the field. This is the most reliable way into any Major if the lottery doesn't go your way.

Running for a charity you care about adds a layer of meaning to the race. Several of my athletes have gone this route and said it made the experience even more memorable.

4. Tour Operators & Travel Packages

Every Major except Boston runs an official tour operator program — London, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Chicago, and New York all sell packages that include guaranteed entry plus travel and hotel. They're not cheap, but they're a legitimate way in, and operators often still have entries long after the lottery has closed. Especially useful for London, where the ballot odds are brutal. Boston works with operators only on a limited basis, so don't count on it.

5. Abbott WMM Draw

If you've completed three or more Majors and registered on worldmarathonmajors.com, you're eligible for the Abbott WMM Race Draws, a separate guaranteed-entry lottery most runners don't know about. Every draw opens at once in early January and is managed through the Runner Portal. Each race then closes and draws on its own date, spread from April through August.

Eligibility runs from three to six completed Majors for most races; Tokyo and Boston set a higher bar of four to six. You can't enter the draw for a race you've already run, and runners who have completed all seven are out entirely. A Six Star Finisher is therefore still eligible for the Sydney draw. Because the pool is limited to runners still chasing stars rather than the general public, the odds are meaningfully better than the public lotteries. Enter every draw you qualify for, but note you can only win one entry per calendar year.

Which Major Should You Run First?

If you're choosing your first Major, here's how I'd think about it:

• Best for a first marathon: Chicago. Flat course, great crowd support, well-organized, and the most favorable lottery odds.
• Best for a PR: Berlin. The flattest course of the Majors and historically the fastest in the world. If you want to chase a time, this is where to do it.
• Best for the experience: New York. Nothing compares to running through all five boroughs with two million people cheering. It's hilly and not fast, but the energy is unmatched.
• Best for earning your spot: Boston. There's nothing like crossing a finish line you qualified for. The point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boylston Street is iconic.
• Best for an international adventure: Tokyo. Incredibly well-organized, unique culture, and the crowd support is unlike anything in the US.
• Best for charity running: London. The UK marathon culture is deeply tied to charity fundraising, and the crowd energy reflects it.
• Best for something new: Cape Town. The first Major in Africa, debuting in 2027, on a fast scenic course under Table Mountain.
• Best for your odds: Sydney. The ballot is newer and less saturated than the other Majors, and it's still reachable through charity and travel package entries. A gorgeous course with a fraction of the competition pressure.

A Few Things I Wish I'd Known

Book early. Hotels near the start or finish sell out months in advance, especially for New York and London. As soon as you get accepted, book accommodation.

Don't skip the expo. Every Major has a pre-race expo where you pick up your bib. It's also where you'll start soaking in the race atmosphere. Budget at least an hour or two.

Respect the course. These are big-city races with millions of spectators and elite fields. Don't go out too fast because the crowd energy pulls you forward. Stick to your plan.

Apply broadly, plan specifically. Put your name in for multiple lotteries, and when one hits, build your training plan around that race's specific course and conditions. Don't try to peak for everything at once.

The Bottom Line

The World Marathon Majors are worth the effort. Whether you qualify, win the lottery, or fundraise your way in, crossing the finish line at one of these races is a career highlight. Start by picking one that excites you, enter the lottery, and build your training from there.

If you want help building a training plan for a specific Major — whether it's qualifying for Boston or preparing for your first big-city marathon — that's exactly what I do. Let's talk.

Dates marked ~ are projected from the last confirmed cycle. Always verify on the official race website.