What are the 6 World Marathon Majors? How many runners have completed all six?
As the Boston Marathon gets underway, we look at the six major marathons in the world and the people who have done them all.
Every city of any size has an annual marathon. From Madrid to Baton Rouge, runners line up around the world to run, or often walk, 26.2 miles. From the serious runner, to professionals in training, to groups of friends enjoying a day out, the contestants come from all walks of life.
Of the more than 1,100 marathons run in America alone, the oldest marathon still extant is the Boston Marathon, which kicked off in 1897. Listed as one of the six great world marathons, Boston is joined by London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, and New York as the most prestigious of the events on the planet.
The current men’s world record of 2 hours 01 minute and 9 seconds was set by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, while Brigid Kosgei’s women’s world record of 2 hours 14 minutes and 4 seconds was set at the 2019 edition of the Chicago Marathon.
While the vast majority of people would love to take part in any marathon, a select group have made it their mission to compete in all six of the major ones. Doing so puts them in an exclusive club and earns them a Six Star Medal.
As of the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, there have been more than 11,000 runners to have completed this challenge, with 96 runners navigating the Six Star journey more than once.