How to Qualify for a Major Marathon [234 Stats and Facts]

Many runners have the dream of racing in one of the 6 Major Marathons. But to get to those stages takes a tonne of training, hard work, and a qualifying race. 

A qualifying time may not guarantee you a spot at the race of your choice. The selection process can be confusing and difficult, so we’ve done ample research to help you understand how to get into each of the 6 Marathon Majors.

How do you qualify for the Boston Marathon?

• Qualifying times differ based on the age bracket you’d be in at the time of the upcoming marathon (not at the time of your qualifying race)
• Qualifying times must be chip times (official submitted net time) from an official Boston qualifying race that is a full-marathon distance.
• Not all qualifiers are admitted into the Boston Marathon. Just because your time is within the cutoff window does not mean you have a spot. Your qualifying time only secures your opportunity to register for the race application process. 
• If more people apply for the race than there are spots for, the fastest qualifiers will be accepted first.
• Indoor marathons or virtual races do not count as Boston marathon qualifying events. 
• The Boston Marathon does not designate which specific races meet their qualifying standards. They accept times for all USATF, AIMS, or foreign equivalent certified courses. 
• It’s up to the runner to contact the qualifying race they plan to attend to ensure their course is certified as a Boston Marathon Qualifier.
• You must be 18 years of age or older on the date of the Boston Marathon to race.
• Qualifying times are reviewed and verified before admittance to the Boston Marathon.

Boston Marathon qualifying times by age group and gender

What does it take to qualify for the Chicago Marathon?

The Chicago Marathon has a variety of ways to enter the race, from a straight lottery to qualifying by time, being a legacy finisher, or part of an organisation like the American Development Programme. 

Non-guaranteed entry

• Application for a non-guaranteed entry (lottery drawing) is open to anyone but spots are limited and not everyone will be admitted
• Participants must be 16 years or older on race day.

Guaranteed entry

• Guaranteed entry applications based on a time qualifier of a verifiable, certified course (certified by USA Track & Field (USATF), World Athletics or a similar governing association).
• Finish times from the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Virtual Experience or any virtual event will not be considered.

Legacy Finishers

• Legacy finishers can guarantee a spot if you have finished the Bank of America Chicago Marathon five or more times within the last 10 years.
• Chicago Marathon finishes prior to 2011, and virtual Chicago Marathon finishers will not be considered

Shamrock Shuffle Legacy Finisher

• If you have finished the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K four or more times since 2008 you can guarantee your spot
• You must also be signed up for the upcoming Shamrock Shuffle
• This is limited to the first 1,000 racers who apply and qualify.

American Development Programme

• If you meet the qualifying standards of the American Development Programme at a certified and verifiable course in marathon or half-marathon you can guarantee your spot as well.

• Athletes meeting high-performance standards may qualify for a complimentary entry into the Chicago marathon.

Qualifying for the New York City Marathon

• Times recorded outside of NYRR races must be verifiable online.
• Qualifying times must be run on a certified half-marathon or full marathon course.
• Courses must be certified by USATF, AIMS, or a national governing body for distance running for the country in which the race is held.
• Indoor marathons, virtual marathons, half results from a full marathon or other distances will not be considered.

Legacy Runners

• Runners who have completed 15 or more New York City Marathons have guaranteed but must claim their spot during the entry window.

How to get into the London Marathon

• Qualifying times must have been run at an in-person event that has a certified marathon course, or at the virtual 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon. 
• In-person racecourses must be certified by UKA, AIMS, or a national governing body for distance running for the country where the race was held.
• Meeting the qualifying time for your age category does not guarantee entry rather just the opportunity to submit an application.

Ballot Entry

• Ballot entrants don’t have to pay anything when they enter, just if they win a spot for the race. 
• UK residents can opt to donate their entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust regardless of the outcome of the ballot.
• International applicants must pay the full ballot fee and a carbon offset levy to apply. 

Good For Age qualification (GFA)

• 6,000 GFA spots are available (3,000 men and 3,000 women). 
• Good For Age entry process is only open to UK residents.
• Entries will be allocated on a ‘fastest first’ basis.
• a GFA qualifying time does not guarantee you a place.
• If you ran the virtual 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon in the qualifying time below you may apply for a GFA entry.

• If your only qualification time is from the virtual 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon, you’ll also need to a finish time from an ‘in-person’ half marathon time that meets the qualifying time.

Championship Entry

• Members of a British Athletics-affiliated running club that have achieved a championship-qualifying performance for a marathon or half marathon can apply for a championship placement. 
• Must be registered with your national governing body (ie England Athletics, Scotland Athletics, Welsh Athletics, Athletics Northern Ireland)
• Runners in the Championship start zone must wear their club vest
• If you ran the virtual 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon in the qualifying time below you may apply for a Championship placement
• If your only qualification time is from the virtual 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon, you’ll also need to a finish time from an ‘in-person’ half marathon time that meets the qualifying time.

British Running Clubs

• For UK residents only. 
• If you are a member of a British Athletics affiliated club you may be able to apply through your individual club. 
• There are around 1,000 club spots available in total.
• Clubs then make their own processes for deciding who gets their 1 or 2 places.

Registration information for the Berlin Marathon

• Runners aged 18and older are allowed to participate in the race.
• There’s a time limit of 6:15 hours (starting from crossing the starting line).
• Nordic walkers are not entitled to compete

Berlin Marathon Lottery

• If you register as an individual runner, it is not possible to register as a team member.

Team Entry to the Berlin Marathon

• A team consists of 2-3 people.
• If the team is drawn, all persons from the team are accepted into the race.
• Each team member is scored individually. There is no team ranking.

Qualifying times for fast runners at the Berlin Marathon

• You must digitally add the proof of your best time to your registration form, and after successful verification, you will receive a confirmation.
• If your time is not sufficient, your registration will be entered into the draw.
• Only marathon times will be accepted.
• The race has to be AIMS certified, listed by the USATF or part of the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings.
• The proof must not be older than 3 years

How to gain entry into the Tokyo Marathon

Tokyo Marathon Lottery/General Entry

• Racers must be at least 19 years of age on race day to apply.
• There is a 7-hour cut-off time for the Tokyo Marathon, enforced at each checkpoint.

Tokyo Resident

• Limited to 1,000 entries.
• Early registration and lottery specifically for Tokyo residents.

One Tokyo Premium Member

• Limited to 3,000 entries. 
• Japanese residents of the ONE TOKYO club.
• If you’ve failed to get an entry for the past 3 consecutive years, you will be added to a “Consecutively unsuccessful pool” for increased chances in the remaining Tokyo Marathon lotteries. 

RUN as ONE (Semi-Elite Overseas)

• Limited to 300 runners who are non-residents of Japan. 
• Certified finish time in events that are either World Athletics Platinum Label, Gold Label, Silver Label, or Bronze Label within the past 12 months.
• The record can be either gun time or net time and is accepted with an official finisher’s certificate.

Elite Category 

• Limited to 100 runners based on fasted times. 
• Must be registered with the Japan Association of Athletics Federation and nominated and invited by the JAAF.

Other ways to enter the 6 Marathon Majors

Although not everyone can qualify or be selected to race in the 6 marathon majors, there are still options for folks who want to race. 

Charity Marathon Spots

• Most races have charity spots where participants can raise money for an associated cause and secure a spot in the race event. 
• Each charity usually manages its own unique charity team, participant benefits, and fundraising requirements.
• Each athlete who participates in the Boston Marathon on behalf of one of the official charities is required to raise a minimum of $5,000. 
• Participants of the Chicago Marathon are required to raise $1,250 during the application window or $1,750 following the application window. 
• The Tokyo Marathon has a few charity options and up to 5,000 spots for charity runners. 
• 3,700 runners can donate $940 as a straight donation (no crowdfunding), on a first-come basis to “Run with Heart”.
• The 300 highest donations submitted to “Run with Heart” will get spots as well. Crowdfunding allowed for these. 
• 1,000 slots for active charity partners to use at their discretion. Minimum of $1880 to be raised by the runner for that affiliate charity.

International Tour Operators

• International tour companies also retain spots for foreign racers who come with an approved group. This usually includes the cost of entry, air travel, hotel, etc.

Are race entries transferrable, refundable, or deferrable?

• No. Under no circumstances are race entries transferable at any of the 6 Marathon Majors. 
• You are not allowed to give or sell your number or bib to another person. 
• Modifying or making copies of your number or bib is not allowed.
• You cannot race in an unofficial race number or bib. 
• Breaking any of the transference rules is subject to penalties, including disqualification and suspension from subsequent events.
• Entry fees are generally non-refundable without purchasing additional race insurance at the time of entry fee purchase.

More Marathon Info

Want to know more about the Worl Marathon Majors? Check out our other posts on the subject:

• World Marathon Majors [93 Stats & Facts]
• What is a Six Star Marathon Finisher [146 Stats & Facts]
• The Complete Boston Marathon Database [374 Stats and Facts]

About RunRepeat

Qualifying for a major marathon is hard. You need the right shoes to get the job done. Here at RunRepeat we help you out by testing the shoes outside when running in them and back in the lab where we cut them in half and test their breathability, flexibility, softness, heel counter stiffness, and much more. This way, you have an objective overview which helps you choose the right road running shoes, trail running shoes, and ultimately the right marathon shoes for your next race. 

Have a look at our race-specific shoes and carbon-plated shoes to ensure you perform your best every race day. 

Check out our shoe buyer’s guides to learn more about shoes before you purchase.

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