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 |
| 2011 | 23,913 | 13,839 | 10,074 |
| 2010 | 22,721 | 13,161 | 9,560 |
| 2009 | 22,843 | 13,545 | 9,298 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
500,000
2011 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 1,524 | 1,425 | 99 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 16,242 | 10,345 | 5,897 |
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
Guy L. Morse, Senior Director of External Affairs
Boston Athletic Association
40 Trinity Place, 4th 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 16, 2012
April 15, 2013
VIRGIN 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 traveled to America, where the running boom of the late 1970s had started. He witnessed the Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest, and revisited the New York City race. He studied both races’ organizations and finances. Upon his return, Brasher and Disley secured a three-year contract with Gillette of £75,000, established the organization’s charitable status, and set down six main aims for the event, which he not only hoped would echo the scenes he had witnessed in New York, but also put Britain firmly on the map as a country capable of organizing major events. The first London Marathon was held on March 29, 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 runners around the world. The entry was limited to 18,059. Since that time, the London Marathon has grown to more than 35,000 starters and finishers. The London Marathon is now viewed in more than 150 countries worldwide with over six million viewers in the UK via the BBC.
Inaugural Running:
1981
Largest Field:
36,550 finishers (2010)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2011 | 34,705 | 22,443 | 13,262 |
| 2010 | 36,550 | 24,423 | 12,127 |
| 2009 | 35,306 | 24,260 | 11,046 |
| 2008 | 34,420 | 23,584 | 10,836 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1 million
2011 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 2,302 | 2,082 | 220 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 12,583 | 9,849 | 2,734 |
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; Martin Lel, KEN)
Women: 4 (Ingrid Kristiansen, NOR)
Prize Purse:
$295,000 ($55,000 to male/female champions)
Organization Information:
Nick Bitel, Chief Executive
David Bedford, Joint Race Director
Hugh Brasher, Joint Race Director
Virgin 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:
April 22, 2012
April 13, 2013
Registered Office: Kestrel House, 111 Heath Road, Twickenham, Middlesex. TW1 4AH. Registered in England No. 1528489. The London Marathon Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the London Marathon Charitable Trust Ltd. Registered Charity No. 283813
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.
Inaugural Running:
1974
Largest Field:
35,783 finishers (2008)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2011 | 32,977 | 25,567 | 7,410 |
| 2010 | 34,002 | 26,603 | 7,399 |
| 2009 | 35,034 | 27,962 | 7,072 |
| 2008 | 35,783 | 28,354 | 7,429 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1.2 Million
2011 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 1,194 | 1,144 | 50 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 14,935 | 13,181 | 1,754 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:03:59 (Haile Gebrselassie, ETH, 2008)
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
15403, Berlin
Germany
+49 (30) 30-12-88-10
www.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 30, 2012
September 29, 2013
BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON
In 1976 a small band of running enthusiasts met at the Metropolitan YMCA on LaSalle Street to discuss and 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 a 45,000-runner capacity and has enjoyed 35 years of record-breaking history. The flat, geographically consistent course begins and ends in Chicago’s historic Grant Park, sweeping through 29 colorful neighborhoods including Greektown, Little Italy, Pilsen, Chinatown, and Bridgeport. Sections of the course are woven parallel to others, allowing friends and family multiple points to encourage runners during the Race. 1.7 million spectators line the ethnically diverse city streets infusing the community atmosphere with humanity and solidarity. With a mid-fall race date and early morning start, the race is seasonally positioned for exceptional running conditions. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has witnessed two men’s World Records (1984 Steve Jones – 2:08:05, 1999 Khalid Khannouchi – 2:05:42) and two women’s World Records (2001 Catherine Ndereba – 2:18:47, 2002 Paula Radcliffe – 2:17:18).
Inaugural Running:
1977
Largest Field:
36,088 finishers (2010)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2011 | 35,755 | 20,284 | 15,471 |
| 2010 | 36,088 | 19,946 | 16,142 |
| 2009 | 33,703 | 19,077 | 14,626 |
| 2008 | 31,343 | 17,678 | 13,665 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
1.5 million
2011 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 725 | 632 | 93 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 8,758 | 6,638 | 2,120 |
Course Records:
Men: 2:05:37 (Moses Mosop, KEN, 2011)
Women: 2:17:18 (Paula Radcliffe, GBR, 2002)
Most Victories:
Men: 4 (Khalid Khannouchi, MAR/USA)
Women: 3 (Liliya Shobukhova, RUS)
Prize Purse:
$500,000 ($100,000 to male/female champions)
Organization Information:
Carey Pinkowski
Executive Race Director
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
135 S. LaSalle St., Suite 2705
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 904-9800
www.chicagomarathon.com
Media Contact:
Robin Monsky
Director of Media Relations
(312) 992-6630
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
October 7, 2012
ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world’s great road races, drawing more than 140,000 applicants. With 47,323 finishers, the 2011 ING New York City Marathon was the largest marathon in history, 2,220 more than its previous record. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $650,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and 330 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the more than 924,804 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. The race was held entirely in Central Park for its first six years, before moving out into the streets and all five boroughs of New York City in 1976.
Inaugural Running:
1970
Largest Field:
47,323 finishers (2011)
Recent Participation:
| Year | Finishers | Male | Female |
| 2011 | 47,323 | 30,058 | 17,265 |
| 2010 | 45,103 | 28,948 | 16,155 |
| 2009 | 43,660 | 28,485 | 15,175 |
| 2008 | 38,096 | 25,216 | 12,880 |
Estimated Number of Spectators:
2 million
2011 Performances:
| Time | Total | Male | Female |
| sub-3:00:00 | 1,130 | 1,069 | 61 |
| sub-4:00:00 | 14,201 | 10,839 | 12,880 |
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 $650,000 ($130,000 to m/f champions)
Organization Information:
Mary Wittenberg
Race Director
New York Road Runners
9 East 89th Street
New York, NY, USA 10128
www.ingnycmarathon.org
Media Contact:
Richard Finn
Director of Media Relations
(212) 423-2229
[email protected]
Upcoming Race Dates:
November 4, 2012
November 3, 2013