Seven races · seven editions

The World Marathon Majors

Six stars is not a race.

It is a decade of a life, in most cases: entry ballots that do not come off, a qualifying time chased for years, flights booked around a start date, and six mornings in six cities where the same nerves arrive in a different language.

We hold finished editions for all seven Majors, each drawn from the official course and set with your name, your time and the date you ran it. From £29, designed in London and made to order.

The seven, in the order you meet them

Palette
  1. March
    Tokyo Marathon

    The first Major of the year, and the one that opens the season.

  2. April
    Boston Marathon

    The only Major you cannot simply enter. Boston asks for a qualifying time first.

  3. April
    London Marathon

    Rotherhithe, the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, the Embankment, the Mall.

  4. August
    Sydney Marathon

    The newest Major, added in 2025, and the first in the southern hemisphere.

  5. September
    Berlin Marathon

    Flat, fast, and the course runners go to when they want the time on the clock.

  6. October
    Chicago Marathon

    A loop through twenty-nine neighbourhoods, and flat almost the whole way.

  7. November
    New York City Marathon

    Five boroughs, five bridges, and the last Major of the year.

What is changing

The series is growing for the first time in over a decade. Sydney became the seventh Major in 2025 and the first in the southern hemisphere.

The Shanghai Marathon faces its own second assessment in December 2026 and could become the ninth.

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon becomes the eighth in 2027, Africa’s first, after passing its second evaluation at the 2026 race.

One thing worth knowing before you plan around it: there is no Seven Star Medal. AbbottWMM has been explicit that Sydney finishers earn a star but that the Six Star Medal stands as it is, with a Nine Star Medal the next award it intends to introduce.

We hold course data for both Cape Town and Shanghai, so either route can be drawn now in the configurator. Shanghai already has a finished edition; Cape Town does not yet.

Questions

Do you make prints for all the World Marathon Majors?

Yes, all seven. Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York each have a finished edition drawn from the official course, and each can be personalised with your name, finish time, date and bib number.

How many World Marathon Majors are there?

Seven, as of 2026: Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Sydney was added in 2025 as the seventh and the first Major in the southern hemisphere. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon becomes the eighth in 2027, and the Shanghai Marathon is a candidate that could follow as the ninth.

Is there a Seven Star medal?

No. Abbott World Marathon Majors has confirmed that runners who complete Sydney from 2025 earn a star, but that no Seven Star Medal exists. The Six Star Medal remains the award for the original six, and AbbottWMM has said a Nine Star Medal is the next milestone it intends to introduce.

Will you make a Cape Town print when it becomes a Major?

We already hold verified course data for the Cape Town Marathon, so the route can be drawn now through the configurator. A ready-made edition with its own artwork is a separate piece of work and is not finished yet.

Can I put my six star finish on the print?

You can personalise any print with your name, your finish time, the race date and your bib number. The prints are made one at a time, so a set bought together can be matched for palette and size.

URBANLINES is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by Abbott World Marathon Majors or any of the races listed here. Race names are used descriptively, to identify the course each print depicts. Ran a race that is not a Major? The full library holds 656 races across 73 countries.