World Marathon Majors Event Histories
B.A.A. BOSTON MARATHON
Inspired by their experience at the 1896 Olympic Games, several members of the Boston Athletic Association founded their own marathon in 1897. The race has been run every year since (though the 1918 edition featured a military relay rather than an individual race) and is now the world’s oldest annual marathon. Both the start and finish lines have been moved over the years, but much of the original course remains exactly as it was originally designed. Since 1924 the race has begun in the town of Hopkinton, and from there the point-to-point course descends through Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley. Upon entering Newton, the course gradually rises to the famous Heartbreak Hill. As runners reach the top, they can see downtown Boston for the first time, four miles in the distance. After running through Brookline, the course enters Boston where it finishes on historic Boylston Street. Runners must qualify for entry by meeting time standards corresponding to gender and age, which is another aspect — besides its course and longevity — unique to the Boston Marathon.
Inaugural Running:
1897
Largest Field:
35,868 finishers (1996)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2013 | 17,600 | 10,649 | 6,951 |
| 2012 | 21,616 | 12,621 | 8,995 |
| 2011 | 23,913 | 13,839 | 10,074 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
500,000
2013 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 2,096 | 1,963 | 133 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 16,084 | 9,995 | 6,089 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:03:02 (Geoffrey Mutai, 2011)
Women: 2:20:43 (Margaret Okayo, KEN, 2002)
Most Victories:
Men: 7 (Clarence DeMar, USA)
Women: 4 (Catherine Ndereba, KEN)
Prize Purse:
$806,000 ($150,000 to male/female champions)
Organization Information:
Joann E. Flaminio, President
Thomas S. Grilk, Executive Director
Boston Athletic Association
185 Dartmouth Street, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 236-1652
www.baa.org
Media Contact:
Jack Fleming
Director of Marketing & Communications
(617) 236-1652, x2627
[email protected]
Marc Davis
Communications Manager
(617) 236-1652, x2633
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
April 21, 2014
April 20, 2015
Virgin Money London Marathon
In 1979, after running the New York City Marathon with John Disley, the late Chris Brasher questioned whether London could stage such a festival. "We have the course . . . but do we have the heart and hospitality to welcome the world?" Later that year Brasher travelled to America, where the running boom of the late 1970s had started. He witnessed the Boston Marathon and revisited the New York City race. He studied both races' organisations and finances. On his return, Brasher and Disley secured a three-year contract with Gillette for £75,000, established the organisation's charitable status, and set down six main aims for the event. The first London Marathon was held on 29 March 1981. More than 20,000 people wanted to run; 7,747 were accepted. There were 6,255 finishers led home by American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen. Joyce Smith broke the British record to win the women's race. The 1982 race received more than 90,000 applicants from around the world. The entry was limited to 18,059. Since then, the London Marathon has grown to more than 35,000 starters and finishers, is viewed in more than 150 countries worldwide and has more than
Inaugural Running:
1981
Largest Field:
36,705 finishers (2012)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2013 | 34,278 | 22,045 | 12,233 |
| 2012 | 36,705 | 23,641 | 13,064 |
| 2011 | 34,705 | 22,443 | 12,262 |
| 2010 | 36,550 | 24,423 | 12,127 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1 million
2013 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 1,417 | 1,244 | 173 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 14,157 | 10,915 | 3,242 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:04:40 (Emmanuel Mutai, KEN, 2011)
Women Only: 2:17:42 (Paula Radcliffe, GBR, 2005)
Women (Mixed Race):2:15:25 (Paula Radcliffe, GBR, 2003)
Most Victories:
Men: 3 (Dionicio Ceron, MEX; Antonio Pinto, POR; Martin Lel, KEN)
Women: 4 (Ingrid Kristiansen, NOR)
Prize Purse:
$313,000 ($55,000 to male/female champions) + bonuses
Organization Information:
Nick Bitel
Chief Executive
Hugh Brasher
Race Director
Virgin Money London Marathon Ltd
Marathon House
115 Southwark Street
London SE1 0JF
(+44) 207-902-0200
www.virginlondonmarathon.com
Media Contact:
Nicola Okey
Director of Media Relations
[email protected]
(+44) 207 902-0182
Upcoming Race Dates:
13 April 2014
26 April 2015
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
A group of runners from one of Germany’s most prestigious athletics clubs, SC Charlottenburg Berlin, organized the first Berlin Marathon in 1974. It was not until 1981 that the race moved from the Grunewald (a city forest) into the city center of West Berlin. Supported by the three western allied forces (Britain, France and U.S.), it quickly developed into Germany’s biggest and best quality marathon. It was after the Berlin Wall collapsed in November 1989 when a new era started. On September 30, 1990, three days before the reunification of Germany, the course of the Berlin Marathon led through Brandenburg Gate and both parts of Berlin. In 2001, Naoko Takahashi became the first woman to break the 2:20 barrier in Berlin. The flat and fast loop course then was changed significantly for the 2003 Race. Paul Tergat, in a world record 2:04:55, became the first man to cross the new finish line, passing through Brandenburg Gate—the symbol for reunification. In 2007, the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie broke the world record in Berlin clocking 2:04:26. In 2008 he broke the record again, clocking a fabulous 2:03:59—and in 2009, he joined Bill Rodgers (New York City, 1976-1979) as the only men to win the same World Marathon Majors race four years in a row. In 2011, it was again a Kenyan athlete who took the world record; Patrick Makau won in 2:03:38. Wilson Kipsang of Kenya broke that record in 2013, clocking 2:03:23.
Inaugural Running:
1974
Largest Field:
36,527 finsihers (2013)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2013 | 36,527 | 27,547 | 8,980 |
| 2012 | 34,485 | 26,542 | 7,943 |
| 2011 | 32,977 | 25,567 | 7,410 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1 Million
2013 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00 | 1,497 | 1,434 | 45 |
| sub-4:00 | 18,374 | 15,929 | 2,445 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:03:23 (Wilson Kipsang, KEN, 2013)
Women: 2:19:12 (Mizuki Noguchi, JPN, 2005)
Most Victories:
Men: 4 (Haile Gebrselassie, ETH)
Women: 3 (Uta Pippig, GER; Renata Kokowska,POL)
Prize Purse:
$301,600 ($52,000 to male/female champions)
Organization Information:
Mark Milde
Race Director
SCC-RUNNING GmbH
Hanns-Braun-Strasse/Adlerplatz
14053, Berlin
Germany
+49 (30) 30-12-88-10
www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com
Media Contact:
Thomas Steffens
+49 (171) 933-48-36
[email protected]
Marisa Reich
+49 (178) 457-70-65
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
September 28, 2014
September 27, 2015
BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON
In 1976 a small band of running enthusiasts met at the Metropolitan YMCA on LaSalle Street to plan a marathon in Chicago. Backed by the athletic enthusiasm of the new Chicago Mayor, Michael Bilandic, and the leadership of Lee Flaherty, this founding group realized their vision on September 25, 1977, hosting 4,200 local participants in the first Chicago Marathon. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has since expanded to 45,000 registered runners and an estimated 1.7 million on-course spectators. The flat and fast course begins and ends in historic Grant Park, sweeping through 29 diverse and colorful neighborhoods including Lakeview, Greektown, Little Italy, Pilsen, Chinatown and Bronzeville. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a long history of hosting the world's fastest runners and has been the site of two men's world records (Steve Jones, 2:08:05, 1984; and Khalid Khannouchi, 2:05:42, 1999) and two women's world records (Catherine Ndereba, 2:18:47, 2001; and Paula Radcliffe, 2:17:18, 2002).
Inaugural Running:
1977
Largest Field:
38,883 finishers (2013)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2012 | 37,475 | 20,681 | 16,794 |
| 2011 | 35,755 | 20,284 | 15,471 |
| 2013 | 38,883 | 21,488 | 17,395 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1.7 million
2013 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 798 | 86 | 884 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 7,840 | 3,217 | 11,057 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:03:45 (Dennis Kimetto, KEN, 2013)
Women: 2:17:18 (Paula Radcliffe, GBR, 2002)
Most Victories:
Men: 4 (Khalid Khannouchi, MAR/USA)
Women: 3 (Liliya Shobukhova, RUS)
Prize Purse:
$550,000 ($100,000 to male/female champions)
Organization Information:
Carey Pinkowski
Executive Race Director
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
135 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1160
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 904-9800
www.chicagomarathon.com
Media Contact:
Jeremy Borling
Director of Communications
(312) 992-6614
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
October 12, 2014
October 11, 2015 (tentative)
TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon is the most popular and inclusive marathon in the world, attracting the world's top professional athletes and a vast range of recreational runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127 entrants racing four laps of Central Park. Today, more than 50,000 entrants from around the world run through New York City's five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and finishing in Central Park. Participants include Olympians, top age-group competitors, and many thousands who run for charity and to achieve their own personal goals. Millions of fans cheer the runners from the streets and watch the global television broadcast. The race is part of the World Marathon Majors, an alliance of the world's six biggest marathons that determines each year's top male and top female marathoner. The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners, the world's foremost community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running.
Inaugural Running:
1970
Largest Field:
50,266 finishers (2013)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2013 | 50,266 | 30,699 | 19,567 |
| 2012 | Not contested | ||
| 2011 | 47,323 | 30,058 | 17,265 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
2 million
2011 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 776 | 728 | 48 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 15,843 | 12,308 | 3,535 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:05:06 (Geoffrey Mutai, KEN, 2011)
Women: 2:22:31 (Margaret Okayo, KEN, 2003)
Most Victories:
Men: 4 (Bill Rodgers, USA)
Women: 9 (Grete Waitz, NOR)
Prize Purse:
More than $705,000 ($100,000 to m/f champions)
Organization Information:
Mary Wittenberg
Race Director
New York Road Runners
156 West 56th Street, Third Floor
New York, NY, USA 10019
Media Contact:
Chris Weiller
VP, Media and Public Relations
(212) 320-4046
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
November 2nd, 2014
November 1st, 2015
Tokyo Marathon
Established in 2007, the Tokyo Marathon hosts nearly 36,000 participants on a tour of Tokyo's iconic tourist attractions. Through its theme, "The Day We Unite." the Tokyo Marathon unites runners, volunteers (TEAM SMILE), and spectators on race day. Since the 2011 race, the Tokyo Marathon has been working on the Tokyo Marathon Charity Program, "Tsunagu". Donations go to respective charitable activities according to the concept of "Tsunagu," in other words, solidarity. In the last few years, the race attracted over 300,000 applicants. In 2013, Tokyo Marathon joined the World Marathon Majors and now recognized as one of the greatest marathons in the world.
Inaugural Running:
2007
Capacity:
36,000
Largest Field:
35,501 finishers (2011)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finisher | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 35,251 | 28,101 | 7,150 |
| 2012 | 35,129 | 27,668 | 7,461 |
| 2011 | 35,501 | 26,869 | 8,632 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1.7 Million (2013)
2013 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| sub-3:00:00 | 802 | 748 | 54 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 8,089 | 7,370 | 719 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:06:50 (Dennis Kimetto, KEN, 2013)
Women: 2:25:28 (Atsede Habtamu, ETH, 2012)
Most Victories:
No multiple winner in either male and female division.
Prize Purse:
JPY 17,250,000 for both men and women (JPY 8,000,000 for male & female champions);
Time & Record Bonus:
JPY 38,000,000 (JPY 30,000,000 for WR, JPY 300,000 for course record)
Organization Information:
Tad Hayano
Race Director
Tokyo Marathon Foundation
Ariake Frontier Building B-8F,
Ariake 3-7-26,
Koto-ku
Tokyo,
135-0063
Japan
+81 (3) 5500-6677
www.tokyo42195.org
Media Contacts:
Ulala Nagashima+81 (3) 5500-6639
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
February 23, 2014February 22, 2015 (tentative)