Marathon Majors qualifying times – How to qualify for Boston marathon, London Marathon good for age and other qualifying times

What are the Marathon Majors qualifying times? And what are your alternative options to get a spot on the start line?

The Abbott World Marathon Majors are bucket list races for long distance runners. Whether it’s ticking off one of them – or going all in and becoming a Six Star Finisher.

But that popularity and prestige means getting a spot on the start line at a major marathon isn’t always as simple as just tapping the ‘enter now’ button. While some have a lottery system, others can almost exclusively only be accessed by hitting a fast finish time.

From the qualifying times for the Boston Marathon to the pace you’ll need to run to get a London Marathon good for age. We take a look at how to enter the big 7, and the marathon majors qualifying times required to secure a place on the start line.

Tokyo marathon: How to enter

When: 2 March 2025
Field size: 37,500
2026 lottery entries open: Mid-August 2025 (general lottery)

Anyone can apply for the Tokyo marathon lottery. Unlike the Boston Marathon, you don’t need to have achieved a specific time to apply to Tokyo. But there isn’t a comprehensive ‘good for age’ or ‘qualifying times’ program like other major marathons. However, if you want to have a better chance of getting a place at the Tokyo marathon you do have a few different options.

Improve your chances in the lottery/ballot

One option is to get a ONE TOKYO GLOBAL membership. This is the official Tokyo Marathon Foundation club, and the global membership for runners residing outside of Japan was introduced in 2024. Membership costs 30,000 JPY (~£160 GBP/$200 USD) for the year, and members benefit from being included in an early ballot for entries before the general ballot. This gives you a better chance of getting a slot. If you’re unsuccessful in the ONE TOKYO lottery, you are automatically entered into the general lottery.

Run for charity

Alternatively, you can apply to run the Tokyo Marathon for charity. However, unlike other marathons where you can select from a range of charities and then fundraise. You essentially have to ‘bid’ on your spot from a list of selected charities. Each charity will have a minimum donation amount – typically starting from at least 100,000 JPY / 520 GBP / 630 USD. You also have to provide a supporting statement outlining why you would like to run for that charity. Charities may favour those who donate above and beyond the specified minimum. If you’re successful, you have to make payment up front for the pledged donation amount. It’s up to you if you then fundraise to essentially pay yourself back, or just fund the donation yourself. There are 5,000 spots available for charity runners.

Tour operator entries

Another option which gets you a guaranteed entry is to go via a tour operator. These packages are usually fairly comprehensive, including accommodation, meals, meet and greets, race day transfers and post-race celebrations alongside your guaranteed race entry. But it’s going to cost you. Prices start from £4-5k per person for UK athletes, and $6-7k per person for US athletes, not including your flights.

Apply as a ‘semi-elite’

The RUN as ONE program gives overseas athletes who meet specific qualifying times the opportunity to race Tokyo Marathon as a ‘semi-elite’. The qualifying time must be set within a set time frame at a World Athletics road race. For the 2025 marathon, this was between June 2022 and July 2024. Women need to run < 3hrs 9 minutes, and men need to run < 2hrs 28 minutes. The time has to be the total gun time, not a chip time. The fastest runners out of the applicants take priority, and there are just 25 slots each for men and women. Runners unsuccessful in their semi-elite application are automatically entered into the general ballot.

Tokyo marathon lottery and charity application time frames

The exact window for Tokyo 2026 entries hasn’t been announced yet. However the following time frames applied for 2025 entry, so you can use this as a guide:

Late June – Early July: Charity donation applications open
Mid-July: Successful charity runners are notified
Early August – Mid August: Semi-elite and ONE TOKYO membership lottery applications are open
Mid-August – Late August: General lottery applications are open
Early September: Successful semi-elite applicants and ONE TOKYO members are notified
Late September: Successful general entry applicants are notified.

Boston marathon qualifying times and alternative entry routes

When: 21 April 2025
Field size: 30,000
Qualifying window for 2026: 1^st September 2024 – September 2025 (date tba)

The Boston Marathon is one of the hardest major marathons to get into. Not only do you have to hit a fast qualifying time to even be allowed to submit an applicated for the ballot. Meeting that qualifying time is no guarantee of a place.

The fastest runners get priority. And, according to stats from the Boston Athletics Association, to get accepted into the 2025 race applicants had to have run at least 6 mins 51s faster than the official minimum qualifying time on average. That meant that over 12,300 runners who had met the qualifying criteria, still didn’t get a spot on the start line.

Qualifying times

Below are the minimum qualifying times to apply for a spot at the 2026 Boston Marathon. Though keep in mind with this year’s ‘cut off time’ of 6 mins 51s, you might need to try and aim for a faster time than the minimum to improve your chances.

Boston Marathon 2026 Qualifying Times
Age Group	Men	Women	Non-Binary
18-34	2hrs 55min 00sec	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 25min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 00min 00sec	3hrs 30min 00sec	3hrs 30min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 20min 00sec	3hrs 50min 00sec	3hrs 50min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 50min 00sec	4hrs 20min 00sec	4hrs 20min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 05min 00sec	4hrs 35min 00sec	4hrs 35min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 20min 00sec	4hrs 50min 00sec	4hrs 50min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 35min 00sec	5hrs 05min 00sec	5hrs 05min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 50min 00sec	5hrs 20min 00sec	5hrs 20min 00sec

Get a charity spot at the Boston Marathon or ‘pay to play’ with a tour operator booking

It’s possible to get a place at the Boston Marathon without achieving a qualifying time. One way to do that is to apply for a charity place. 2025 saw 174 non-profit organisations allocated charity bibs for the Boston Marathon. Just be aware that you have to commit to fundraising a significant amount of money if you’re accepted. On average, the minimum donation for 2025 started at $8500 USD.

There is also the possibility of getting a place at Boston via one of the tour operators, though like Tokyo expect costs – and demand – to be high.

When do Boston marathon applications open? Qualifying window and registration time frames

The window to achieve your qualifying time for the Boston marathon typically starts September 2 years out from the race and ends the September before the race. For example, the qualifying window for the 2025 Boston Marathon ran from September 2023-September 2024.

The qualifying window for Boston Marathon 2026 opened on 1 September 2024 and will close early September 2025 (precise date TBA). If you want to try and qualify for the 2026 Boston Marathon, you need to complete an eligible race and achieve the qualifying time for your age group (or faster) before September 2025.

Those who have achieved a qualifying time then have a 5 day window to submit their application. In 2024, the registration window for the 2025 Boston Marathon ran from 9-13 September 2024. The Boston Athletic Association then go through a process of verifying all qualifying times and applications. You can expect to hear whether your application has been successful or not by early October.

Can you defer your Boston Marathon place?

Entries into the Boston Marathon are, as a rule of thumb, non-transferable and non-deferable. The exception to that rule is those who request a deferral due to pregnancy. Any runner who becomes pregnant prior to race day and chooses not to run can apply for a deferral up to 14 days before the race. The deferral also applies to those who will be up to 24 weeks post-partum when the race is due to take place.

London Marathon: 2026 Good for age times and other ways to enter

When: 27 April 2025
Field size: >50,000
Ballot/lottery opens for 2026: April 2025

The London Marathon is a huge deal, in the UK and internationally. The field size is usually over 50,000. In 2024, over 53,700 runners finished the race. London attracts everyone from the world’s fastest elites, to first-timers pushing themselves just to complete the distance to raise money for charity.

2025 will be a bumper year. Olympic triathlon gold medallist Alex Yee will make his marathon debut. Jacob Kiplimo – who just obliterated the half marathon world record – is also attempting the 26.2 mile distance for the first time. And the pair will have running legends such as Eliud Kipchoge for company. The current women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich, and reigning Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan will go head to head in the women’s race.

But with over 840,000 wannabe London Marathoners applying to the ballot for this year’s race. Getting a spot on the start line is by no means easy. Let’s take a look at how you can improve your chances.

Good for Age: How it works and qualifying times by age group

Good for Age operates on a similar principal to the qualifying times you’ll find at other marathon majors, such as Boston. And while hitting your Good for Age time greatly improves your chances of getting into the London Marathon – it’s no guarantee. The Good for Age times for the 2026 London Marathon were published in April 2025. And now you’ve got to run even faster if you want to get a spot. Women’s times are 2 minutes quicker, and men’s times 3 minutes quicker – the only times that have remained the same are for those 85+.

London Marathon 2026 Good For Age times
Age Group	Men	Women
18-39	sub-2hrs 52 mins	sub-3hrs 38 mins
40-44	sub-2hrs 57 mins	sub-3hrs 43 mins
45-49	sub-3hrs 2 mins	sub-3hrs 46 mins
50-54	sub-3hrs 07 mins	sub-3hrs 53 mins
55-59	sub-3hrs 12 mins	sub-3hrs 58 mins
60-64	sub-3hrs 34 mins	sub-4hrs 23mins
65-69	sub-3hrs 52 mins	sub-4hrs 53 mins
70-74	sub-4hrs 52 mins	sub-5hrs 53 mins
75-79	sub-5hrs 07 mins	sub-6hrs 13 mins
80-84	sub-5hrs 27 mins	sub-6hrs 38 mins
85-89	sub-6hrs 10 mins	sub-7hrs 10 mins
90 and over	sub-7hrs 20 mins	sub-7hrs 45 mins

Who can apply for a Good for Age London Marathon place and which events are eligible?

Good for Age is only open to UK residents. There are a total of 6,000 places available (evenly split between men and women), allocated on a ‘fastest first’ basis.

Qualifying times have to be run at an in-person event on a certified course. The only exception is the virtual ‘London Marathon MyWay’. Runners can use their time from the virtual London Marathon as their Good for Age application time. However, they must also submit evidence that they have achieved the following qualifying half marathon times at an in-person event within the qualifying period.

London Marathon half marathon times to ratify virtual London Marathon Good for Age application
Age Group	Men	Women
18-39	sub 1:23:37	sub-1:44:23
40-44	sub-1:26:00	sub-1:46:47
45-49	sub-1:28:09	sub-1:48:37
50-54	sub-1:30:32	sub-1:51:34
55-59	sub-1:32:56	sub-1:53:42
60-64	sub-1:44:23	sub-2:05:25
65-69	sub-1:51:34	sub-2:19:16
70-74	sub-2:19:16	sub-2:47:13
75-79	sub-2:26:27	sub-2:56:33
80+	sub-2:23:22	sub-3:05:52

How to apply for a Good for Age bib at the London Marathon

To apply for a Good for Age place at London, you need to set your qualifying time within a set timeframe. For the 2025 event, this ran from 1 October 2023 through 30 September 2024. For London 2026, it will be from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. Information on how to submit your application will be available on the London Marathon website once applications re-open for the 2026 race.

As part of the application process, you’ll need to provide proof of your performance – a link to the official online results which clearly state your name, the date of the event and your qualifying time. You also need to submit proof of your ID (i.e. a copy of your passport or driving licence) and proof of UK residence. This can be an official document such as a utility bill dated within the last three months, or a copy of your driving licence.

Ballot entry for the London Marathon

If you haven’t met the Good for Age qualifying times in a previous marathon performance, or you’re interesting in racing London as your first ever marathon. You’ll need to enter the general ballot. This is open to everyone – both UK and international runners. Usually the ballot opens the day before the current year’s event, and closes 6 days later. For example, in 2025 it will most likely open on 26 April, and close on 2 May.

It is advised that runners who meet their Good for Age qualifying time still enter the ballot, particularly if they are within 5-10 minutes of the minimum qualifying time, because you are not guaranteed a Good for Age entry.

Donating your entry fee might improve your chances

UK runners might be able to improve their chances by choosing to donate their entry fee to the London Marathon charity at the point of entering the ballot. This does mean that you pay the entry fee, whether you get a place or not. But you will be automatically entered into a second ballot if you’re unsuccessful in the first. And if you still don’t get a place, you’ll receive a training shirt as a consolation prize.

Run for charity

Like many of the Marathon Majors, you can apply to run the London Marathon with a charity place. There are a huge number of charities you can apply to. But it’s important to know that charity places are heavily oversubscribed. According to the charity Sue Ryder, they have 3 places for every 20 runners who apply.

Alongside agreeing to commit to a minimum fundraising amount, to improve your chances of getting a charity place you’ll need to submit an application form which shows you have a genuine, personal and passionate interest in raising money for that particular charity. So choose wisely!

Sydney Marathon: How to get a spot at the latest addition to the Marathon Majors

When: 31 August 2025
Field size: >30,000
Ballot/lottery opens for 2026: December 2025

At the end of 2024, it was officially confirmed by Abbott that the Sydney Marathon would become part of the Marathon Majors series in 2025. This was as a result of the event seriously levelling up its offering. Participation numbers grew from just 5,300 in 2022 to 25,000 runners in 2024 – with a predicted field of over 30k runners in 2025. Between its inclusion as a major marathon, and an updated route, designed to offer a streamlined event with faster finish times, which takes in the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Marathon’s popularity is going to soar.

So how do you secure a spot on the start line?

Ballot

The primary method of entry is – you guessed it – a ballot/lottery system. For the 2025 event, the ballot was open from 10 December – 30 December 2024. Entries were allocated at random, with successful runners notified by 10 January 2025.

The ballot entry for Sydney Marathon is not on a first come, first served basis – successful runners are drawn at random.

Is there a Good for Age or Qualifying times program for the Sydney Marathon?

There isn’t a general, widespread Good for Age or Qualifying times program to get into Sydney. However, similar to Tokyo Marathon, there is a High Performance Program aimed at sub-elite runners.

A total of 600 spots were allocated to this program for the 2025 event, with a number of these allocated specifically to AUS/NZL residents. The following qualifying times applied, which had to be set on a World Athletics-certified course between 1 January – 30 December 2024:

• Under-40 Male: Sub 2:35
• Under-40 Female: Sub 2:55
• Under-40 Non-binary: Sub 2:55 (run in a non-binary division)
• Over-40 Male: Sub 2:50
• Over-40 Female: Sub 3:10
• Over-40 Non-binary: Sub 3:10 (run in a non-binary division)

Applications closed on 29 January 2025. Details on the qualification times/period for the 2026 marathon are yet to be announced but are likely to follow a similar time frame.

Tour operator entry and charity entry

You can secure an entry for Sydney by going down the fundraising route. There are separate lists of charities for domestic runners and international runners, with each individual charity having their own minimum fundraising targets. Some also require an upfront entry fee.

Like the other Majors, charity places are likely to be in high demand. So if you want to guarantee an entry, going via one of the approved tour operators and paying the premium for the all-in accommodation/entry package might be your best chance.

Berlin Marathon

When: 21 September 2025
Field size: > 50,000
Ballot/lottery for 2026 opens: October 2025

The Berlin Marathon is the flattest, and fastest of the Marathon Majors courses. And – for a short while at least – it also held the record for the largest marathon in the world. 2024 saw 54,280 finishers cross the line which was a record at the time. But a fellow Major – the New York City Marathon – surpassed Berlin 2 months later, with 55,646 runners crossing the line in the Big Apple.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting a place at the Berlin Marathon.

Lottery entry

As with almost all the Abbott World Marathon Majors, the main way to get a spot on the start line of the Berlin Marathon is via the lottery random draw.

The application window for the lottery is usually from early October until mid-November the year before the race. Runners find out if they got a spot by early December.

Fast runner entry

Similar to Tokyo and Sydney, Berlin does also have an option for sub-elite runners to secure a spot. You’ll need to upload proof of age and of your qualification time (from a valid/certified race) at the point of registration. The qualification times to enter the lottery as a fast runner are as follows:

• Male
  Runners up to 44 years: under 2:45 hours
  Runners up to 59 years: under 2:55 hours
  Runners 60 years and older: under 3:25 hours
• Female
  Runners up to 44 years: under 3:10 hours
  Runners up to 59 years: under 3:30 hours
  Runners over 60 years: under 4:20 hours

Jubilee club

Runners, wheelchair athletes and hand cyclists who have completed the Berlin Marathon 10 times or more, can register to join the Jubilee Club. This gives runners a guaranteed race entry for future Berlin Marathons, with your own special green bib number. There are currently just over 6,500 people who belong to the Jubilee Club. The highest number of Berlin finishes from one individual currently stands at 48.

Charity and tour operators

There are a number of charities who partner with the Berlin Marathon to offer guaranteed places to accepted runners who meet the minimum fundraising requirements. The amount you need to raise will vary by charity. And with demand high you’ll need to fill out an extensive application form detailing why you wish to run on behalf of that charity. There are separate listings for domestic charities in Germany, and those with bibs available for runners from the UK, US and the rest of the world.

The best way to guarantee a spot at the Berlin Marathon is to go the tour operator route, if budget allows. There are a number of tour operators around the world, so you’ll need to find one located in your country of residence. For UK runners, packages for Berlin start from around £1100 per person. That includes accommodation, race entry and plenty of other extras including escort to the start line and, but not your flights.

Chicago Marathon: Run fast to guarantee your place

When: 12 October 2025
Field size: > 50,000
Lottery for 2026 opens: Mid-October 2025

Unlike London and Boston, running a qualifying time for the Chicago Marathon does guarantee you an entry. Runners can also guarantee a spot through the legacy program, or by completing a series of three specific races the year prior. Of course, for those who aren’t likely to hit a qualifying time any time soon – there is also the usual lottery/ballot entry. Read on to see the qualifying times and the window for registering for the ballot.

Chicago Marathon qualifying times

Chicago Marathon 2025 Qualifying Times
Age Group	Men	Women	Non-Binary
18-34	2hrs 55min 00sec	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 25min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 00min 00sec	3hrs 30min 00sec	3hrs 30min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 20min 00sec	3hrs 50min 00sec	3hrs 50min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 45 min 00sec	4hrs 15 min 00sec	4hrs 15 min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 00 min 00sec	4hrs 30 min 00sec	4hrs 30 min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 15 min 00sec	4hrs 45 min 00sec	4hrs 45 min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 30 min 00sec	5hrs 00 min 00sec	5hrs 00 min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 50min 00sec	5hrs 20min 00sec	5hrs 20min 00sec

The above times applied for entry to the 2025 Chicago Marathon. 2026 qualifying times are yet to be announced, so keep an eye out for any changes!

Other avenues to secure a guaranteed Chicago Marathon entry

Qualifying times aside, Chicago Marathon regulars can also secure themselves an ongoing guaranteed spot on the start line via the Legacy Finisher program. If you have finished the race five times or more in the last ten years, you automatically secure a place.

There is also the ‘Bank of America Chicago Distance Series’ option. Probably most feasible for locals – unless you plan to fly back and forth to Chicago a few times. If you complete the Shamrock Shuffle 8K Run in March, the Chicago 13.1 half marathon in June and the Chicago Marathon in the same year, you can guarantee your spot at the Chicago Marathon again the following year. So if you live close to Chicago, you manage to get a lottery place for one year’s addition of the Chicago Marathon and you know you’re unlikely to be a ‘one and done’ – it’s worth entering the other two races while you’re at it to give yourself two bites at the Chicago pizza pie.

There is also a high performance program. This provides ultra-speedy runners with a shot at a guaranteed place, though the times are fast and the places are limited to just 150 runners. You can find the qualifying times for the high performance program below:

Qualifying standards	Marathon
Men	sub 2:25:00
Women	sub 2:45:00
Non-binary	sub 2:45:00
Masters – Men	sub 2:35:00
Masters – Women	sub 2:50:00
Masters – Non-binary	sub 2:50:00

Chicago charity entries and tour operators

Finally, you can of course go down the charity and tour operator route to get a guaranteed entry. Charity spots are limited and fill on a first-come, first-served basis, so you’ll need to apply early to have a shot at securing a place. The minimum fundraising amount starts from $1,500 USD though this does vary from charity to charity.

International athletes can make use of tour operator packages which include your race entry, accommodation, pre-race meals and other extras such as escort to and from the race and a post-race celebration. Prices vary, but for reference the price for UK athletes is currently around £2000 per athlete (not including flights).

Lottery application window

The lottery for the Chicago Marathon typically opens in mid-October the year before the event and closes mid-November. Successful applicants are notified in December. If you get a place, your entry fee will automatically be taken the day the announcement is made. In 2024, a record number of people applied with over 160,000 entrants vying for around 50,000 places.

New York City Marathon: Time qualification and application process

When: 2 November 2025
Field size: > 50,000
Lottery for 2026 opens: February 2026

At the time of writing, the New York City Marathon is the biggest of the Abbott World Marathon Majors – with 55,644 finishers in 2024. Taking place every November, a 26.2 mile jaunt around the streets of the Big Apple is the ultimate way to finish up your year.

With two different time qualifier options, plus the usual lottery/charity/tour operator modes of entry. Let’s take a look at how you can be on the start line of the New York City Marathon.

New York City Marathon Time Qualifiers

Runners who meet the qualifying times in their age-group via a performance at an in-person New York Road Runners (NYRR) half marathon or marathon will be able to secure a guaranteed place at the New York City Marathon the following year. For 2026 time qualifier guaranteed entry, this includes the following 2025 events: United Airlines NYC Half in March, the Maybelline women’s Half in April, the RBC Brooklyn Half in May – and of course the NYC marathon itself.

It is also possible to improve your chances of getting a place at the New York City Marathon by achieving a qualifying time at a non-NYRR event – though only over the full marathon distance. However, like Boston and London – achieving the qualifying time does not guarantee you will get a place. Because the system allocates spots on a fastest-first basis, you will likely need to achieve a faster time than the specified qualification time to have a shot.

Below are the current qualifying times for the 2025 edition of the NYC Marathon.

New York City Marathon 2025 – Men’s Qualifying Times
Age Group	Marathon	Half Marathon
18-34	2hrs 53min 00sec	1hrs 21min 00sec
35-39	2hrs 55min 00sec	1hrs 23min 00sec
40-44	2hrs 58min 00sec	1hrs 25min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 05min 00sec	1hrs 28min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 14min 00sec	1hrs 32min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 23min 00sec	1hrs 36min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 34min 00sec	1hrs 41min 00sec
65-69	3hrs 45min 00sec	1hrs 46min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 10min 00sec	1hrs 57min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 30min 00sec	2hrs 07min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	2hrs 15min 00sec

New York City Marathon 2025 – Women’s and Non-Binary Qualifying Times
Age Group	Marathon	Half Marathon
18-34	3hrs 13min 00sec	1hrs 32min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 15min 00sec	1hrs 34min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 26min 00sec	1hrs 37min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 38min 00sec	1hrs 42min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 51min 00sec	1hrs 49min 00sec
55-59	4hrs 10min 00sec	1hrs 49min 00sec
60-64	4hrs 27min 00sec	2hrs 2min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 50min 00sec	2hrs 12min 00sec
70-74	5hrs 30min 00sec	2hrs 27min 00sec
75-79	6hrs 00min 00sec	2hrs 40min 00sec
80 and over	6hrs 35min 00sec	2hrs 50min 00sec

New York City Marathon 9 +1 Program: Guaranteed entry opportunity for local runners

Local runners have an opportunity to get a guaranteed place at the New York City Marathon by participating in the 9 +1 program. In essence, this involves completing 9 qualifying races over the course of the year and volunteering at 1 race. To be eligible, you must hold an active NYRR membership. There are multiple qualifier events (at various distances) over the year where you can earn a credit towards your 9 +1 – predominantly these are in-person events, however there are three virtual events available. Alongside completing 9 races, you must also volunteer at one of the designated 9 +1 qualifiers. Tick all those boxes, and you’ll get yourself a guaranteed entry for the following year’s New York City Marathon.

Lottery application

The general, non-guaranteed entry lottery application window for the New York City Marathon is normally open for 20 days in February during the same calendar year of the race. For 2025, the lottery application window opened on 5 February and closes on 25 February 2025. The drawing takes place in early March (5 March for 2025) and goes through three entry pools in priority order: NYC residents (those within 60 miles of the city); US nationals (including Puerto Rico and other US territories); International applicants. The payment card added during the application process will automatically be charged if you are successful in the draw.

Charity and tour operators

You can apply for a charity runner spot if you are not successful in the draw. The exact charities with spots available will be announced on the day of the draw, so keep your eyes peeled. Charity places will be limited so apply early to be in with a chance.

International runners can also get an entry via an approved Tour Operator (as listed by the NYRR website) in their home country. You can expect to pay upwards of £2000 (not including your flights), and packages sell out fast so you’ll need to book early.

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As you can see, getting your Six Star Finisher medal for the Marathon Majors is far from simple – and getting a spot on the start line at the Big 6 is possibly more tricky than actually running the 26.2 mile distance six times over. Relying on luck of the draw with lottery entries could mean getting your Six Star medal takes decades. If you’ve got your heart set on making it into that particular hall of fame you’ll need to pursue fast qualifying times, nail your charity fundraising skills, or save your pocket money to go all in on the tour operator options.

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