Here we go again!

The 2025 Abbott World Marathon Majors are about to swing into action, and it is going to be a ground-breaking year for the community.

I feel like I can talk about records tumbling and history being made every time I sit down to write one of these welcome letters for the magazine, and that’s because it’s true!

This year is going to be our first as a family of seven, with the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS making its debut as a Major on August 31. It’s amazing to think we will soon have hundreds, if not thousands, of runners appearing in our new Seven Star Hall of Fame.

Before that, we have an astonishing lineup of athletes preparing for battle in the elite races this coming spring. The recruitment teams in Tokyo, Boston and London have assembled the strongest fields we have ever seen, which promises to give us some thrilling contests to enjoy in all three cities.

Alongside the inspiring feats we will see from our elite competitors, we are gearing up to celebrate passing 20,000 Six Star Finishers this season. It’s likely that this will happen in Tokyo, where we are expecting more than 2,500 of you to collect that famous medal on March 2.

Staff members from our team alongside others from across the seven races will be helping to celebrate that moment with you, and it’s always one of my favorite sights to see a race director from one city welcoming runners across a finish line thousands of miles away from their own.

It emphasizes to me that we are truly a global family, and I cannot wait to enjoy some of those celebrations with you in so many parts of the world this year.

Dawna Stone, CEO, Abbott World Marathon Majors

The Image

Lookout London: Jacob Kiplimo stuns the world with a time of 56:42 in Barcelona to break the world half marathon record. With the men’s world record in the marathon now perilously close to the two-hour barrier, could the young Ugandan be the man to do it? Kiplimo will make his marathon debut at the TCS London Marathon in April.

Photograph: Associated Press/Alamy Stock

THE WARMUP

The latest news from around the Majors

TOKYO

You could win a Tokyo 2026 entry!

Tokyo want YOU to join their Interview Relay Campaign that aims to bring together inspiring stories from people connected to the Tokyo Marathon! The race will be sharing 42 stories that capture the spirit and passion behind he event, and 10 lucky participants who share their stories will receive an entry to the 2026 race!
More information

BOSTON

Obiri begins defence in search of treble

Abbott World Marathon Majors Women's Series XVI champion Hellen Obiri will launch the defence of her crown at the 2025 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. Obiri is also bidding to win three Boston titles in a row. If she can do it, the Kenyan will become only the fifth woman to achieve the feat in 129 years.

LONDON

Ruth ready to rip it up on London's streets

Women's world record holder Ruth Chepng'etich is among a glittering field for the 2025 TCS London Marathon. The Kenyan wowed crowds in Chicago last October when she stopped the clock at 2:09:56, and now faces a galaxy of stars including Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and second fastest women ever, Tigst Assefa, on April 27.

SYDNEY

Seven star hopefuls heading for Sydney in large numbers

More than 800 runners will earn their seventh Abbott World Marathon Majors star when they complete the 2025 TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS. In its first year as a Major, the race attracted over 80,000 applications to its ballot, with the race aiming to hit 35,000 runners on the start line in North Sydney this August.

BERLIN

Relive Berlin's record 50th race

After setting a finisher world record with 54,280 runners across the line in September (subsequently beaten by New York City!), the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON's historic day has been captured in the race's Finisher Magazine, with stories on athletes from many of the 161 nations who took part.
READ MORE

CHICAGO

Chicago's charity total smashes record

In 2024, Bank of America Chicago Marathon participants raised $36 million for local, national and global non-profits, the highest fundraising total in event history. Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski said. “The funds raised by each runner allows the impact of the race to reach far beyond the finish line. We’re excited to continue to grow this tradition and support the incredible work being done by so many organizations.”

NEW YORK

Big Apple greener than ever before

The inaugural New York Road Runners' Team for Climate raised nearly $800,000 in 2024. In a historic first for the TCS New York City Marathon, the funds raised offset the entire carbon footprint of the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon (based on measurement of the 2023 race) which became the world’s largest marathon ever with 55,642 athletes (sorry, Berlin!).
FULL STORY