YEAH. Issue 03 · The Majors
Contents

The Majors.

Issue 03 · 25 September 2026

Eight marathons, from Tokyo to New York. Where they came from, why records fall in only three of them, what it takes to run them all, and what the shoes changed.

  1. Tokyo

    Finished. Won by Tadese Takele in 2:03:37 and Brigid Kosgei in 2:14:29.

    Runners pass the Kaminarimon gate in Asakusa during the 2012 Tokyo Marathon.

    Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  2. Boston

    Finished. Won by John Korir in 2:01:52 and Sharon Lokedi in 2:18:51.

    The painted starting line on Main Street in Hopkinton.

    Photo: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  3. London

    Finished. Won by Sabastian Sawe in 1:59:30 and Tigst Assefa in 2:15:41.

    Runners cross Tower Bridge during the 2021 London Marathon.

    Photo: DanHuddleston, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  4. Cape Town

    Finished. Won by Mohamed Esa in 2:04:55.

    The lead pack on Victoria Road at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon.

    Photo: Axxter99, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  5. Sydney

    Finished. Won by Addisu Gobena in 2:04:42 and Peres Jepchirchir in 2:18:31.

    The women’s marathon field crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the 2000 Olympic Games.

    Photo: Grahame Edwards, City of Sydney Archives, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  6. Chicago

    In 16 days

    Runners cross the Chicago River beside the Marina City towers at the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

    Photo: Steven Dahlman, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  7. New York

    In 37 days

    Runners round onto the Queensboro Bridge from Queens during the 2013 New York City Marathon.

    Photo: Jim.henderson, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Five down, three to go.

Tokyo, Boston, London, Cape Town and Sydney have been run; Berlin, Chicago and New York are still to come.

When do the Majors run?

Eight races, from Tokyo in March to New York in November. Pick a race for its winners or its countdown, and add the next ones to your calendar.

Today
  1. Tokyo Finished

    Won by Tadese Takele 2:03:37 and Brigid Kosgei 2:14:29. 37,268 finishers. Source

  2. Boston Finished

    Won by John Korir 2:01:52 and Sharon Lokedi 2:18:51. The 130th race, on Patriots’ Day; 29,033 finishers. Source

  3. London Finished

    Won by Sabastian Sawe 1:59:30 and Tigst Assefa 2:15:41. Both world records; 59,830 finishers, the largest marathon ever run. Source

  4. Cape Town Finished

    Won by Mohamed Esa 2:04:55. A course record for Esa. Its finishers’ stars count: the race became a Major for 2027. Source

  5. Sydney Finished

    Won by Addisu Gobena 2:04:42 and Peres Jepchirchir 2:18:31. Its second race as a Major. Source

  6. Berlin In 2 days

    The 52nd race. A course record for Assefa, 49 seconds under her own 2023 world record, and the third-fastest women’s marathon ever. Source

  7. Chicago In 16 days

    The 48th race, with a record field of more than 55,000 expected. Source

  8. New York In 37 days

    Fifty years of the five-borough course, and its first route change in 15 years. Source

Dates and results from each organizer; 2026 winners are the open-division champions. Countdowns follow your device’s date; results cover races run by 25 September 2026. Berlin has not announced its 2027 date.

What is each Major like?

Five big-city marathons formed the World Marathon Majors on 23 January 2006: Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Tokyo joined in 2013. Sydney became a Major in November 2024 and first raced as one in 2025. Cape Town runs its first race as a Major on 23 May 2027, and Shanghai is under assessment.

Tokyo

March · first race 2007

Kaminarimon, the great red gate of Sensō-ji in Asakusa, with its giant lantern.
Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. The line follows the organizer’s 2026 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Runs past the Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa to a finish at Tokyo Station, under the theme “The Day We Unite”. It regularly makes more Six Star finishers than any other Major: 2,094 in 2026 alone.

Runners pass the Kaminarimon gate in Asakusa during the 2012 Tokyo Marathon.
Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped

Point to point · 37,268 finishers in 2026 · Major since 2013

AbbottWMM · Tokyo Marathon 2026 · Six Star stats

Run this course: Tokyo

2 km
The Tokyo course, drawn to scale, north up. The line follows the organizer’s 2026 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Boston

April · first race 1897

A dense field of runners on a tree-lined road past Wellesley College during the 2014 Boston Marathon.
Photo: Gr5555, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. The line is the race’s OpenStreetMap route. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fifteen runners started the first race in 1897. Boston brought in qualifying times in 1970. Halfway, Wellesley College students line the road in the “Scream Tunnel”; later comes Newton’s last climb, Heartbreak Hill, named by a reporter in 1936.

The painted starting line on Main Street in Hopkinton.
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped

Point to point · 29,033 finishers in 2026 · Major since 2006

B.A.A. history · Wellesley College · B.A.A. 2026 statistics

Run this course: Boston

5 km
The Boston course, drawn to scale, north up. The line is the race’s OpenStreetMap route. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

London

April · first race 1981

Tower Bridge lit at dawn, reflected in the Thames.
Photo: Fuzzypiggy, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. The line follows the organizer’s 2026 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Founded after Chris Brasher ran New York in 1979 and called it “part of the greatest folk festival the world had seen”. The first men’s race ended in a tie, the winners hand in hand. In 2026 it became the largest marathon ever run, with a crowd of runners in costume chasing Guinness records.

Runners cross Tower Bridge during the 2021 London Marathon.
Photo: DanHuddleston, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped

Point to point · 59,830 finishers in 2026 · Major since 2006

London Marathon Events: the first race · London Marathon Events: 2026 record

Run this course: London

2 km
The London course, drawn to scale, north up. The line follows the organizer’s 2026 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Cape Town

May · first race 1994

Table Mountain above Cape Town’s City Bowl at dawn.
Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. The line is the organizer’s 2024 course, the latest published; the 2026 route follows it. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Africa’s first Major, from 23 May 2027. It keeps two-thirds of its entries for African runners. Near 30 km it passes City Hall, where Nelson Mandela spoke in 1990; the last kilometres are the Sea Point “Loop of Death”.

The lead pack on Victoria Road at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon.
Photo: Axxter99, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped

Starts and finishes in Green Point · About 27,000 runners expected for the May 2026 race (pre-race figure) · Major from 2027

Cape Town Marathon: Africa’s first Major · Spectator guide 2026 · 2026 race release

Run this course: Cape Town

2 km
The Cape Town course, drawn to scale, north up. The line is the organizer’s 2024 course, the latest published; the 2026 route follows it. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Sydney

August · first race 2001

The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge at dusk.
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. The line follows the organizer’s 2026 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Starts where the Sydney 2000 Olympic marathon started, crosses the Harbour Bridge and finishes in front of the Opera House. It bills itself as the last participant legacy of those Games.

The women’s marathon field crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the 2000 Olympic Games.
Photo: Grahame Edwards, City of Sydney Archives, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped

Point to point · 32,963 finishers in 2025 · Major since 2025

Sydney Marathon: about us · Sydney Marathon: 2025 finishers

Run this course: Sydney

2 km
The Sydney course, drawn to scale, north up. The line follows the organizer’s 2026 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Berlin

September · first race 1974

Straße des 17. Juni runs through the Tiergarten to the Brandenburg Gate, seen from the Victory Column.
Photo: Volodymyr Vlasenko, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. The line follows the organizer’s 2025 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Began with 286 runners in the Grunewald forest. In 1990, days before German reunification, it ran through the Brandenburg Gate for the first time. Since 2003 the gate has come just before the finish.

The Quadriga on top of the Brandenburg Gate.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Berlin, Brandenburger Tor -- 2019 -- 6335” / CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and cropped

Loop · 48,351 ranked runners in 2025 · Major since 2006

Berlin Marathon history · Berlin 2025 results (our count)

Run this course: Berlin

2 km
The Berlin course, drawn to scale, north up. The line follows the organizer’s 2025 course on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Chicago

October · first race 1977

Chicago’s skyline above Grant Park.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. No official line is published; ours follows the certified route on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Planned at a YMCA in 1976; 4,200 local runners started the first race. The loop starts and ends in Grant Park and passes through 29 neighborhoods. Its runners raised a record $47.1 million for charity in 2025.

Runners cross the Chicago River beside the Marina City towers at the 2010 Chicago Marathon.
Photo: Steven Dahlman, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped

Loop · More than 54,000 finishers in 2025 · Major since 2006

AbbottWMM · Chicago 2025 post-race release · Chicago press releases

Run this course: Chicago

5 km
The Chicago course, drawn to scale, north up. No official line is published; ours follows the certified route on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

New York

November · first race 1970

Police helicopters over the start of the 2021 New York City Marathon at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped The white line is the course, drawn to scale, north up, but not placed on the photo’s geography. No official line is published; ours follows the certified route on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Began as laps of Central Park: $1 to enter, 55 finishers. For the 1976 bicentennial it went through all five boroughs. Its finish stays open late: in 2025 the last official finisher crossed the line after 12 hours 45 minutes.

Runners round onto the Queensboro Bridge from Queens during the 2013 New York City Marathon.
Photo: Jim.henderson, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons

Point to point · 59,226 finishers in 2025 · Major since 2006

NYRR marathon history · NYRR 2025 race release

Run this course: New York

5 km
The New York course, drawn to scale, north up. No official line is published; ours follows the certified route on OpenStreetMap streets. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Each course is drawn to scale, north up. Over the photo, the line is not placed on the photo’s geography. Finisher counts are each race’s latest official figure. Berlin’s is our count of ranked runners in its 2025 results, and Cape Town has published no 2026 total. Series history: formation, Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Shanghai.

The races are up to 129 years old. The club that links them is 20.

How do the eight courses compare?

Every course on the same map scale, with its height on the same scale beneath. Drag along a profile to run it, or open a city to walk its landmarks.

Tokyo

March · Point to point, ends 6.4 km from the start

10 km

Starts 41 m, finishes 3 m above sea level

Boston

April · Point to point, ends 38.6 km from the start

10 km

Starts 143 m, finishes 3 m above sea level

London

April · Point to point, ends 10.3–10.8 km from the start

10 km

Starts 40 m, finishes 6 m above sea level

Cape Town

May · Loop, ends 0.3 km from the start

10 km

Starts 9 m, finishes 5 m above sea level

Sydney

August · Point to point, ends 2.8 km from the start

10 km

Starts 79 m, finishes 5 m above sea level

Berlin

September · Loop, ends 0.84 km from the start

10 km

Starts 33 m, finishes 34 m above sea level

Chicago

October · Loop, ends 1.2 km from the start

10 km

Starts 183 m, finishes 184 m above sea level

New York

November · Point to point, ends 19.9 km from the start

10 km

Starts 39 m, finishes 26 m above sea level

Maps are north up and share one scale: the bar is 10 km in every map. Open circle, start; solid dot, finish. Each profile spans the same 150 m of height above sea level, with faint lines every 50 m. Dashed stretches are bridges, where the height data does not give the deck.

  • Tokyo. Heights from Japan’s 1 m airborne-laser terrain model (GSI). Line: OpenStreetMap.
  • Boston. Heights from USGS 1 m lidar terrain model (3DEP). Line: OpenStreetMap.
  • London. Heights from Environment Agency 1 m lidar terrain model. Line: OpenStreetMap.
  • Cape Town. Heights from a 30 m satellite surface model (SRTM); buildings and trees add noise, so only features larger than about 10 m are real. Line: OpenStreetMap. The line is the organizer’s 2024 course, the latest published; the 2026 route follows it.
  • Sydney. Heights from the organizer’s official course file. Line: OpenStreetMap. Heights come from the organizer’s course file, which drops 74 m; the organizer’s published net drop is 83 m.
  • Berlin. Heights from Berlin’s 1 m terrain model (DGM1). Line: OpenStreetMap.
  • Chicago. Heights from USGS 1 m lidar terrain model (3DEP). Line: OpenStreetMap. The course certificate gives 182 m at the start and 184 m at the finish.
  • New York. Heights from USGS 1 m lidar terrain model (3DEP). Line: OpenStreetMap. The terrain model reads the ground or water under the five bridges, not the deck. On the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge the course certificate puts the high point at 79 m. Start and finish heights here are terrain-model readings; the certificate gives 30 m and 25 m, a 5 m net drop.

Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): each line is traced on OpenStreetMap streets along the organizer’s course, and kilometres are scaled to the official 42.195 km. Heights: USGS 3DEP; Source: GSI Japan elevation API (出典:国土地理院ウェブサイト(標高API)。国土地理院の標高データをもとにYEAH作成), profile processed by YEAH; © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2022. All rights reserved. Open Government Licence v3.0; Geoportal Berlin DGM1; NASA SRTM (Cape Town); the organizer’s course file (Sydney).

Berlin, Chicago and Cape Town finish within about a kilometre of their start. Boston finishes 38.6 km away and 139 m lower.

Why do records fall in only three cities?

A world record needs a legal course. The start and finish can be no more than half the race distance apart in a straight line, and the course can drop no more than 1 m for every kilometre. Pick a Major and run both tests.

Not on the chart: Berlin would sit almost on top of Chicago. Its start and finish are 0.84 km apart, and on Berlin’s 1 m terrain model it finishes 0.9 m higher than it starts.

Boston

Start to finish
91.6% of the distance apart (38.6 km)Over the 50% limit
Net drop
3.30 m per km, about 139 m in allOver the 1 m per km limit
Ratified world records
0

Geoffrey Mutai ran 2:03:02 here in 2011, 57 seconds under the world record of the day, in what World Athletics called strong winds and ideal conditions. It could not count: World Athletics noted the course’s drop and its start–finish separation.

Source: USATF certificate MA25027JK · World Athletics report, 18 April 2011

Straight-line gap between start and finish, and net drop per kilometre. Solid dots use USATF measurement certificates (Boston, Chicago, New York) or the organizer’s official figure (Sydney). Rings are our measurements on 1 m terrain models (Tokyo, London), because neither race publishes a net drop. Rule: World Athletics Competition Rule 31.21, 2026 edition.

The rulebook rules out Boston and Sydney. Passing isn’t enough: New York clears both tests, and no record has fallen there.

Every ratified world record since 2003

  1. Tokyo0
  2. Boston18 Apr 2011 · Geoffrey Mutai · 2:03:02 · fastest ever at the time, not a record0
  3. London13 Apr 2003 · Paula Radcliffe · 2:15:25 · Women, mixed race17 Apr 2005 · Paula Radcliffe · 2:17:42 · Women-only race23 Apr 2017 · Mary Keitany · 2:17:01 · Women-only race21 Apr 2024 · Peres Jepchirchir · 2:16:16 · Women-only race27 Apr 2025 · Tigst Assefa · 2:15:50 · Women-only race26 Apr 2026 · Sabastian Sawe · 1:59:30 · Men26 Apr 2026 · Tigst Assefa · 2:15:41 · Women-only race7
  4. Sydney0
  5. Berlin28 Sept 2003 · Paul Tergat · 2:04:55 · Men30 Sept 2007 · Haile Gebrselassie · 2:04:26 · Men28 Sept 2008 · Haile Gebrselassie · 2:03:59 · Men25 Sept 2011 · Patrick Makau · 2:03:38 · Men29 Sept 2013 · Wilson Kipsang · 2:03:23 · Men28 Sept 2014 · Dennis Kimetto · 2:02:57 · Men16 Sept 2018 · Eliud Kipchoge · 2:01:39 · Men25 Sept 2022 · Eliud Kipchoge · 2:01:09 · Men24 Sept 2023 · Tigst Assefa · 2:11:53 · Women, mixed race9
  6. Chicago13 Oct 2019 · Brigid Kosgei · 2:14:04 · Women, mixed race8 Oct 2023 · Kelvin Kiptum · 2:00:35 · Men13 Oct 2024 · Ruth Chepngetich · 2:09:56 · Women, mixed race3
  7. New York0

World Athletics began ratifying road world records on 1 January 2004; its first list included marks from 2003. Women have two records: one for races run with men, one for women-only races. Point at a mark for details, or open the full list below. Counts as of 25 September 2026, two days before the 2026 Berlin Marathon. Cape Town, which runs its first race as a Major in May 2027, is not included: we have not checked its course against the two rules.

The numbers, and how we checked them

Boston, Chicago and New York: USATF measurement certificates list each course’s start and finish elevation, straight-line separation and drop per kilometre. Sydney: the organizer publishes an 83 m net drop; the separation is measured between the two ends of its course file.

Tokyo, London and Berlin publish no net drop, so we measured them. We sampled a bare-earth terrain model every 100 m along each course: Japan’s 1 m airborne-laser model from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, the Environment Agency’s 1 m lidar composite (Blue Start) and Berlin’s DGM1. The same method gives Boston 139.5 m against its certificate’s 139.4 m. London’s separation (10.3–10.8 km, depending on the start line) is measured from OpenStreetMap; Berlin’s (0.84 km) from its official course file.

Satellite surface models read the tops of buildings and trees: at Boston’s finish one read 8 m against the certificate’s 3.3 m. We use one only for Cape Town’s profile in the course chapter, and say so there.

Both record tests, course by course
MajorStart to finishNet dropRatified recordsBasis
Tokyoabout 15% of the distance apart (6.4 km)0.89 m per km, 37.6 m in all0YEAH measurement on a 1 m terrain model
Boston91.6% of the distance apart (38.6 km)3.30 m per km, about 139 m in all0USATF measurement certificate
Londonabout 25% of the distance apart (10.3–10.8 km, by start line)0.80 m per km, 33.6 m in all (Blue Start)7YEAH measurement on a 1 m terrain model
Sydney6.7% of the distance apart (2.8 km)1.97 m per km, 83 m in all0Organizer’s official figure
Berlin2% of the distance apart (0.84 km)none: it finishes 0.9 m higher than it starts9YEAH measurement on a 1 m terrain model
Chicago2.9% of the distance apart (1.2 km)none: it finishes 2 m higher than it starts3USATF measurement certificate
New York47.2% of the distance apart (19.9 km)0.12 m per km, 5 m in all0USATF measurement certificate
Every ratified marathon world record at a Major, 2003–2026
DateRaceCategoryAthleteTime
13 Apr 2003LondonWomen, mixed racePaula Radcliffe2:15:25
28 Sept 2003BerlinMenPaul Tergat2:04:55
17 Apr 2005LondonWomen-only racePaula Radcliffe2:17:42
30 Sept 2007BerlinMenHaile Gebrselassie2:04:26
28 Sept 2008BerlinMenHaile Gebrselassie2:03:59
25 Sept 2011BerlinMenPatrick Makau2:03:38
29 Sept 2013BerlinMenWilson Kipsang2:03:23
28 Sept 2014BerlinMenDennis Kimetto2:02:57
23 Apr 2017LondonWomen-only raceMary Keitany2:17:01
16 Sept 2018BerlinMenEliud Kipchoge2:01:39
13 Oct 2019ChicagoWomen, mixed raceBrigid Kosgei2:14:04
25 Sept 2022BerlinMenEliud Kipchoge2:01:09
24 Sept 2023BerlinWomen, mixed raceTigst Assefa2:11:53
8 Oct 2023ChicagoMenKelvin Kiptum2:00:35
21 Apr 2024LondonWomen-only racePeres Jepchirchir2:16:16
13 Oct 2024ChicagoWomen, mixed raceRuth Chepngetich2:09:56
27 Apr 2025LondonWomen-only raceTigst Assefa2:15:50
26 Apr 2026LondonMenSabastian Sawe1:59:30
26 Apr 2026LondonWomen-only raceTigst Assefa2:15:41

Ruth Chepngetich received a three-year ban from the Athletics Integrity Unit in October 2025 for a violation from a sample taken in March 2025. The AIU said her achievements and records before that sample stand, so her 2024 Chicago record remains. AIU release, 23 October 2025.

What does it take to run them all?

Every Major you finish earns a star, with no deadline, as long as your time makes the official results. Getting to the start line is the hard part. Enter a marathon time and see which doors it opens.

Standards for

  1. Tokyo

    Time route No qualifying time for most amateurs. Overseas runners have a semi-elite route (RUN as ONE) for 25 men under 2:22:00 and 25 women under 2:50:00; runners in Japan have a separate semi-elite entry of 280 places.

    Other ways in A draw for a 40,000 field (demand not published), 5,000 charity places, tour operators, and 300 places in the AbbottWMM draw for runners with 4–6 stars. Entry ¥19,800 in Japan, US$230 from abroad. Source

  2. Boston

    Time route Qualifying time, then fastest first. Standards for ages 18–34: men 2:55:00, women 3:25:00.

    Other ways in Charity (215 charities, about 10% of the field), tour operators, and 150 AbbottWMM draw places for runners with 4–6 stars. Entry US$270. Source

  3. London

    Time route Good For Age, UK residents only, fastest first. 2026 standards for ages 18–39: men under 2:52, women under 3:38.

    Other ways in A ballot: 1,338,544 people applied for 2027, a world record; London does not publish how many places it holds. Charity, running clubs, tour operators and 500 AbbottWMM draw places. Entry £79.99 in the UK, £275 international. Source

  4. Cape Town

    Time route No qualifying-time route.

    Other ways in A ballot (R5 to enter, given to charity), charity and tour operators, and 200 AbbottWMM draw places. Two-thirds of places are kept for African runners. The race fee was not on the official pages we reached. Source

  5. Sydney

    Time route High Performance Program: apply with a qualifying time; places go fastest first. Standards for ages 18–34: men 2:45:00, women 3:18:00.

    Other ways in A free ballot (123,000+ entries for 2026), 50+ charities, travel partners and 250 AbbottWMM draw places. Entry A$280 in Australia, A$330 international. Source

  6. Berlin

    Time route Fast runners can apply with a qualifying time, but it doesn’t guarantee a place. Up to 44: men under 2:45, women under 3:10.

    Other ways in A lottery (alone or in a team of three), charity partners, tour operators and 250 AbbottWMM draw places. Ten Berlin finishes earn a place every year. Entry €205 (2026). Source

  7. Chicago

    Time route Qualifying time guarantees a place. Standards for ages 16–34: men 2:50:00, women 3:20:00.

    Other ways in A drawing: more than 200,000 applied for 2026, for a 55,000 field that also holds the guaranteed places. Charity (at least $2,500 raised), five finishes in ten years, and 250 AbbottWMM draw places. Entry US$250, or US$260 from outside the US. Source

  8. New York

    Time route Qualifying time guarantees a place if you ran it at a New York Road Runners race. Standards for ages 18–34: men 2:53:00, women 3:13:00.

    Other ways in A drawing: more than 240,000 applied for 2026 and about 1% got in. 670+ charities (Team for Kids starts at $3,000), NYRR’s 9+1 program, 15 finishes, and 250 AbbottWMM draw places. Entry US$255 for NYRR members, US$315 otherwise. Source

Entry details as of 25 September 2026. Each race’s latest published standards: 2027 for Boston, New York, Chicago and Sydney; 2026 for London and Berlin. Races count age differently: on race day, when you ran the time, or by birth year. The finder applies the age you enter to all of them. From the 2027 window, Boston adds 5 or 10 minutes to times run on steep downhill courses.

Only Chicago turns a qualifying time run anywhere into a guaranteed place. Elsewhere, speed buys a place in a queue, or nothing.

How long you have to earn the star

  1. BostonAbout 6 hours: the official finish closes at 5:30 p.m.
  2. Berlin6:15 from crossing the start line
  3. Cape Town6:30
  4. Chicago6:30:59
  5. Tokyo7:00 from the starting gun
  6. Sydney7:00
  7. LondonUp to 7:45 on the Saturday in 2027; Sunday’s second finish stays open until midnight
  8. New YorkAny finish by 10 p.m. counts

A star needs an official result, and each race decides who gets one. The limits are measured differently: Boston and New York close at a set time of day, Berlin counts from when you cross the start line, and Tokyo from the gun.

The medals

The Six Star medal still covers only the original six: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. More than 20,000 runners had one by early 2025, and Tokyo alone added 2,094 in 2026. Sydney and Cape Town add stars but not a medal. Runners with seven or eight stars go into a Hall of Fame; almost 2,000 earned their eighth at Cape Town in May 2026. A Nine Star medal comes only if Shanghai passes its final assessment on 6 December 2026.

How the Six Star Medal works · 20,000 Six Star finishers · Six Star stats · Eight Star Hall of Fame · Cape Town and the Nine Star medal

  1. Front and back of the Tokyo Marathon 2026 finisher medal, a lattice design with “TOKYO MARATHON 2026” on the front and “FINISHER”, braille and the date on the back.
    © Tokyo Marathon Foundation

    Tokyo 2026

    The design draws on the character for “one” (一, ichi), for the oneness the organizer says comes when every participant unites. The ribbon is recycled polyester. The 2027 medal, still a draft, marks the 20th race: 100 mm across, with a “20” whose 2 traces each runner’s path.

    Tokyo Marathon, 29 Jan 2026 · Tokyo Marathon, 13 Aug 2026

  2. The gold Boston Marathon 2026 medal: the B.A.A. unicorn inside a ring reading “130th Boston Marathon” and “Boston Athletic Association”.
    © Boston Athletic Association

    Boston 2026

    Gold only this year, for the 130th race: the B.A.A. unicorn and the race logo on the front, the date on the back.

    B.A.A. news, 18 Feb 2026 · B.A.A. reveal on Instagram

  3. Two London Marathon 2026 medals: one showing the Cutty Sark, the other the back with “FINISHER”, braille and “26.2 miles, 26 April 2026”.
    © London Marathon Events

    London 2026

    The Cutty Sark, the clipper ship runners pass just after Mile 6. The back gives the distance and the date, with braille.

    London Marathon on Instagram, 19 Apr 2026

  4. The 2026 Cape Town Marathon medal held up in front of Table Mountain.
    © Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

    Cape Town 2026

    It carries the look of the race’s new logo: geometric patterns from San and Khoikhoi ostrich-eggshell beadwork. Its finishers earned a provisional star, since upgraded: the first Cape Town star.

    Cape Town Marathon, 17 Apr 2026 · AbbottWMM: how stars work

  5. The front of the Sydney Marathon 2026 medal: gold with concentric blue dot-work rings.
    © TCS Sydney Marathon

    Sydney 2026

    Designed by First Nations artist Ambrose Killian, the organizer says. Marks around the edge stand for each kilometre; eight circles on the back for the eight Majors. ABC later reported that the skyline on the reverse, which Killian did not draw, showed Munich’s Allianz Arena instead of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium; a spokesperson acknowledged the mistake.

    Sydney Marathon on Instagram, 16 Aug 2026 · ABC News, 23 Aug 2026

  6. A finisher holds up the 2025 Berlin Marathon medal on its black, red and gold ribbon.
    © SCC EVENTS / Tilo Wiedensohler

    Berlin 2025

    Berlin published no design notes for 2025. Its race-day gallery shows the medal on a black, red and gold ribbon.

    Berlin Marathon photo gallery

  7. The 2025 Chicago Marathon medal, silver with the skyline and the stars of the city flag.
    © Bank of America Chicago Marathon (photo: B. Lee)

    Chicago 2025

    The city’s flag and skyline on the front; on the back, an outline of the course and a nod to runners who finished all three Chicago Distance Series races.

    NBC Chicago, 8 Sep 2025 · Chicago Marathon results page

  8. The gold 2025 New York City Marathon medal with its ribbed rim.
    © New York Road Runners

    New York 2025

    The rim is the course: its elevation, raised in metal, from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to Central Park. Designed by NYRR’s Thomas Cabus with Keziah Makoundou. The course chapter’s New York profile dashes the bridges, because the terrain data reads the water below; the certificate puts the Verrazzano crest, the course’s high point, at 79 m.

    TCS New York City Marathon on Facebook · Fast Company

  9. The Six Star medal, six city medallions around a central disc, held up in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
    © Abbott World Marathon Majors

    Six Star since 2016

    For finishing Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York, with no deadline. Six city medallions ring the centre. Sydney and Cape Town add stars but not a medal.

    AbbottWMM: Six Star · AbbottWMM: how it works

Front and back of the Tokyo Marathon 2026 finisher medal, a lattice design with “TOKYO MARATHON 2026” on the front and “FINISHER”, braille and the date on the back.
© Tokyo Marathon Foundation

Tokyo 2026

The design draws on the character for “one” (一, ichi), for the oneness the organizer says comes when every participant unites. The ribbon is recycled polyester. The 2027 medal, still a draft, marks the 20th race: 100 mm across, with a “20” whose 2 traces each runner’s path.

Tokyo Marathon, 29 Jan 2026 · Tokyo Marathon, 13 Aug 2026

Medal images are the organizers’ own photos and renders, credited to each. Designs shown are the latest edition held: 2026 for Tokyo, Boston, London, Cape Town and Sydney; 2025 for Berlin, Chicago and New York.

Every standard, and how Boston’s cutoff moves

Boston sorts qualifiers fastest first until the field is full. The cutoff is how far under your standard you had to be. From 2026 the B.A.A. made the standards five minutes faster for ages 18–59, so 2026’s 4:34 cutoff sits on a tighter standard than 2025’s 6:51. For 2027, about 1,000 qualifiers who miss the cutoff will be drawn at random. B.A.A.

Boston: how far under the standard you had to be
RaceCutoffQualifiers turned away
20194:527,248
20201:393,161
20217:479,215
20220:000
20230:000
20245:2911,039
20256:5112,324
20264:348,887

New York guarantees a place for qualifying times run at New York Road Runners races. Times from other marathons go fastest first: for 2026 only the top 10% were accepted, 22:52 or more under the standard. NYRR

Don’t divide a field by its applicants to get odds. Every field also holds charity, tour, qualifier, club and legacy places, and London, Chicago, Tokyo, Sydney and Cape Town do not publish how many ballot places there are.

Boston 2027: age on race day; non-binary runners use the women’s standard
AgeMenWomen
18–342:55:003:25:00
35–393:00:003:30:00
40–443:05:003:35:00
45–493:15:003:45:00
50–543:20:003:50:00
55–593:30:004:00:00
60–643:50:004:20:00
65–694:05:004:35:00
70–744:20:004:50:00
75–794:35:005:05:00
80+4:50:005:20:00
New York 2027 (marathon times): age on race day; non-binary runners use the women’s standard
AgeMenWomen
18–342:53:003:13:00
35–392:55:003:15:00
40–442:58:003:26:00
45–493:05:003:38:00
50–543:14:003:51:00
55–593:23:004:10:00
60–643:34:004:27:00
65–693:45:004:50:00
70–744:10:005:30:00
75–794:30:006:00:00
80+4:55:006:35:00
Chicago 2027: age on race day; non-binary runners use the women’s standard
AgeMenWomen
16–342:50:003:20:00
35–392:55:003:25:00
40–443:00:003:30:00
45–493:10:003:40:00
50–543:15:003:50:00
55–593:25:003:55:00
60–643:40:004:15:00
65–693:55:004:30:00
70–744:15:004:45:00
75–794:30:005:00:00
80+4:50:005:20:00
London 2026 Good For Age (UK residents): age when you ran the time, times must be under the standard
AgeMenWomen
18–392:52:003:38:00
40–442:57:003:43:00
45–493:02:003:46:00
50–543:07:003:53:00
55–593:12:003:58:00
60–643:34:004:23:00
65–693:52:004:53:00
70–744:52:005:53:00
75–795:07:006:13:00
80–845:27:006:38:00
85–896:10:007:10:00
90+7:20:007:45:00
Sydney 2027 High Performance Program: age on race day; non-binary runners use the women’s standard
AgeMenWomen
18–342:45:003:18:00
35–392:47:003:20:00
40–442:51:003:27:00
45–492:55:003:35:00
50–543:00:003:43:00
55–593:06:003:51:00
60–643:17:004:13:00
65–693:41:004:24:00
70–744:07:004:35:00
75–794:43:005:30:00
80+5:46:006:36:00
Berlin 2026 fast runners: birth-year band, times must be under the standard
AgeMenWomen
18–442:45:003:10:00
45–592:55:003:30:00
60+3:25:004:20:00

How much of the speed is the shoes?

In March 2017 Nike unveiled a carbon-plated racing shoe built for its sub-two-hour project. By 2019, 84% of the shoes that could be identified in the year’s 100 fastest men’s marathons were the new kind. Here is every winner at the four flat, fast Majors since 2010.

Winning times at Berlin, Chicago, London and Tokyo. The coral lines show the average for 2010–16 and for 2022–26; 2017–21, the years the shoes spread (and the pandemic years), count in neither. Point at a dot for the winner. Boston and New York are left out. Boston’s course drops about 139 m and its times swing with the weather: its 2018 winners ran 2:15:58 and 2:39:54. New York’s winners changed far less, 0.9% faster for both men and women. Shoe adoption: Rodrigo-Carranza et al. 2021; shoe launch: Nike.

The drop in winning times, against the same runners with and without the shoes

  1. Men

    1. Winning times, four flat Majors2.33%
    2. Rodrigo-Carranza et al. 2021, 40 men0.68%
    3. Senefeld et al. 2021, 138 men0.8%
    4. Bermon et al. 2021, 8 men, our calculation1.36%
  2. Women

    1. Winning times, four flat Majors4.90%
    2. Senefeld et al. 2021, 101 women1.6%
    3. Bermon et al. 2021, 6 women, our calculation2.12%

Winning times: the change in the average from 2010–16 to 2022–26. Studies: runners who raced both with and without advanced shoes. Rodrigo-Carranza’s and Senefeld’s figures are as printed; Bermon’s are our calculation from the times in its Table 4. The studies cover shoes from 2016–19 and some use very small samples; none can separate the shoe from everything else.

The shoes made the same runners faster, by roughly 1% for men and 2% for women. Winning times fell further. The shoes are part of the story, not all of it.

How we compared, and what the studies found

We averaged 28 winning times before and 18 after. Tokyo’s 2021 edition was run on 6 March 2022 and counts as 2022. The result holds up to other cuts: with a 2010–15 baseline the drop is 2.27% for men and 5.01% for women, and without Sawe’s 1:59:30 in London in 2026 the men’s drop is 2.18%. It varies by race. Men: Berlin 1.15%, London 1.86%, Chicago 3.13%, Tokyo 3.22%. Women: London 3.06%, Berlin 3.21%, Chicago 6.60%, Tokyo 6.89%. 1 of the 28 earlier men’s wins came in under 2:03, against 11 of the 18 recent ones. For women under 2:18: 0 of 28, then 16 of 18.

Other things changed too. In Berlin, the 10th-place time fell 4.3% for men and 7.65% for women between 2010–16 and 2022–23, so the fields got deeper as well as faster at the front (Berlin media guide). Chicago ran without pacemakers in 2015 and 2016, which slows its early average. Some early winners were promoted after doping cases, at Chicago in 2010, 2011 and 2014 and London in 2010, so those winning times are slower than the original ones (Chicago media guide). We list winners as the organizers list them now.

In the lab, Nike’s prototype cut the energy cost of running by 4.16% and 4.01% against two established racing shoes, and all 18 runners tested improved; two of the authors worked for Nike (Hoogkamer et al. 2017). Energy savings don’t turn one-for-one into speed: at world-class marathon pace, a 3% saving predicts about 2% faster (Kipp, Kram and Hoogkamer 2019).

In the chart, Rodrigo-Carranza’s and Senefeld’s figures are as printed. Some printed figures don’t match the papers’ own tables: Senefeld et al. give women 1.6% (3.7 minutes), which is nearer 2.3% of a 160-minute marathon; we could read only the abstract. Bermon et al.’s headline 1.7% for women, which compares all top-20 runners with and without the shoes, works out to 1.53% from their Table 3, and Rodrigo-Carranza et al.’s 1.50% improvement from 2015 to 2019 works out to 1.23%.

Since January 2020, World Athletics has limited road shoes to soles no thicker than 40 mm with one rigid plate (World Athletics, 2020). The regulations in force since April 2026 keep both limits, and a shoe must be on sale before it is worn in a ranking race (World Athletics C2.1A).

Winning times at Berlin, Chicago, London and Tokyo, 2010–2026
Year runRaceMenWomen
2010BerlinPatrick Makau (KEN) 2:05:08Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:23:58
2010ChicagoSammy Wanjiru (KEN) 2:06:24Atsede Baysa (ETH) 2:23:40
2010LondonTsegaye Kebede (ETH) 2:05:19Aselefech Mergia (ETH) 2:22:38
2010TokyoMasakazu Fujiwara (JPN) 2:12:19Alevtina Biktimirova (RUS) 2:34:39
2011BerlinPatrick Makau (KEN) 2:03:38Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:44
2011ChicagoMoses Mosop (KEN) 2:05:37Ejegayehu Dibaba (ETH) 2:22:09
2011LondonEmmanuel Mutai (KEN) 2:04:40Mary Keitany (KEN) 2:19:19
2011TokyoHailu Mekonnen (ETH) 2:07:35Noriko Higuchi (JPN) 2:28:49
2012BerlinGeoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2:04:15Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:20:30
2012ChicagoTsegaye Kebede (ETH) 2:04:38Atsede Baysa (ETH) 2:22:03
2012LondonWilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:04:44Mary Keitany (KEN) 2:18:37
2012TokyoMichael Kipyego (KEN) 2:07:37Atsede Habtamu (ETH) 2:25:28
2013BerlinWilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:23Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:21:13
2013ChicagoDennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:03:45Rita Jeptoo (KEN) 2:19:57
2013LondonTsegaye Kebede (ETH) 2:06:04Priscah Jeptoo (KEN) 2:20:15
2013TokyoDennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:06:50Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:25:34
2014BerlinDennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:02:57Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) 2:20:18
2014ChicagoEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:11Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:25:37
2014LondonWilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:04:29Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:20:21
2014TokyoDickson Chumba (KEN) 2:05:42Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) 2:22:23
2015BerlinEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:00Gladys Cherono (KEN) 2:19:25
2015ChicagoDickson Chumba (KEN) 2:09:25Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:23:33
2015LondonEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:42Tigist Tufa (ETH) 2:23:22
2015TokyoEndeshaw Negesse (ETH) 2:06:00Birhane Dibaba (ETH) 2:23:15
2016BerlinKenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:03:03Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:20:45
2016ChicagoAbel Kirui (KEN) 2:11:23Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:21:32
2016LondonEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:03:05Jemima Sumgong (KEN) 2:22:58
2016TokyoFeyisa Lilesa (ETH) 2:06:56Helah Kiprop (KEN) 2:21:27
2017BerlinEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:03:32Gladys Cherono (KEN) 2:20:23
2017ChicagoGalen Rupp (USA) 2:09:20Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) 2:18:31
2017LondonDaniel Wanjiru (KEN) 2:05:48Mary Keitany (KEN) 2:17:01
2017TokyoWilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:58Sarah Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:19:47
2018BerlinEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:01:39Gladys Cherono (KEN) 2:18:11
2018ChicagoMo Farah (GBR) 2:05:11Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:18:35
2018LondonEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:17Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:18:31
2018TokyoDickson Chumba (KEN) 2:05:30Birhane Dibaba (ETH) 2:19:51
2019BerlinKenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:01:41Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:20:14
2019ChicagoLawrence Cherono (KEN) 2:05:45Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04
2019LondonEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:02:37Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:18:20
2019TokyoBirhanu Legese (ETH) 2:04:48Ruti Aga (ETH) 2:20:40
2020LondonShura Kitata (ETH) 2:05:41Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:18:58
2020TokyoBirhanu Legese (ETH) 2:04:15Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR) 2:17:45
2021BerlinGuye Adola (ETH) 2:05:45Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:20:09
2021ChicagoSeifu Tura (ETH) 2:06:12Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:22:31
2021LondonSisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:01Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:17:43
2022BerlinEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:01:09Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:15:37
2022ChicagoBenson Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:24Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:14:18
2022LondonAmos Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:39Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 2:17:26
2022TokyoEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:02:40Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:16:02
2023BerlinEliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:02:42Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:11:53
2023ChicagoKelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:00:35Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:13:44
2023LondonKelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:01:25Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:18:33
2023TokyoDeso Gelmisa (ETH) 2:05:22Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:28
2024BerlinMilkesa Mengesha (ETH) 2:03:17Tigist Ketema (ETH) 2:16:42
2024ChicagoJohn Korir (KEN) 2:02:44Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:09:56
2024LondonAlexander Mutiso Munyao (KEN) 2:04:01Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:16:16
2024TokyoBenson Kipruto (KEN) 2:02:16Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55
2025BerlinSabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:16Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:21:05
2025ChicagoJacob Kiplimo (UGA) 2:02:23Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:14:57
2025LondonSabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:27Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:15:50
2025TokyoTadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:23Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) 2:16:31
2026LondonSabastian Sawe (KEN) 1:59:30Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:15:41
2026TokyoTadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:37Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:29

What to watch

Records need a legal course, and a legal course isn’t enough. Stars need an official finish, and for most runners the way in is a lottery or a charity pledge. The shoes made winners faster, but not by as much as the clock alone suggests.

Dates as of 25 September 2026; Berlin’s result added 27 September.

  1. Berlin. Won by Guye Adola in 2:02:50 and Tigst Assefa in 2:11:04, a course record and the third-fastest women’s marathon ever. Source

  2. Boston. Acceptance notices for 2027, and the cutoff with them. 33,656 qualifiers applied. Source

  3. Chicago. The 48th edition, with a record field of more than 55,000 expected. Source

  4. New York. Fifty years of the five-borough course, and the first course change in 15 years, in the Bronx. Source

  5. Shanghai. Its second and final assessment. A pass makes it the ninth Major, and brings a Nine Star medal. Source

  6. Tokyo. The 20th edition. Source

  7. London. A one-off “Double”: 100,000 runners on the same course over two days. Source

  8. Cape Town. Its first race as a Major. Source

Sources

Show all sources
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  2. Boston Marathon 2026 results
  3. London Marathon 2026 results
  4. Cape Town Marathon 2026 release
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  6. World Athletics: Berlin Marathon 2026 report
  7. Chicago Marathon 2026 event updates
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  19. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
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  21. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
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  23. Photo: 2026 Cape Town Marathon - Victoria Road.JPG (Axxter99, Wikimedia Commons)
  24. Photo: Women's Marathon make their way towards the CBD, Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2000 042859.jpg (Grahame Edwards, City of Sydney Archives, Wikimedia Commons)
  25. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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  27. Photo: Chi thon 2010-4.jpg (Steven Dahlman, Wikimedia Commons)
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  29. Licence: CC0
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  107. Cape Town medal: Cape Town Marathon, 17 Apr 2026
  108. Sydney medal: Sydney Marathon on Instagram, 16 Aug 2026
  109. Sydney medal: ABC News, 23 Aug 2026
  110. Berlin medal: Berlin Marathon photo gallery
  111. Chicago medal: NBC Chicago, 8 Sep 2025
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  113. New York medal: TCS New York City Marathon on Facebook
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  129. NYRR results
  130. New York: 1 Nov 2026