Whereas a lottery is the most typical solution to end up with a coveted spot at one of many World Marathon Majors, apart from Boston, the quickest amongst us can even attempt to snag a qualifying time. So what are the qualifying occasions for the Majors?
We’ve executed a earlier deep dive to clarify why the World Marathon Majors have been created, what number of runners are allowed in and so on. At the moment we need to speak nearly these entrance of the pack occasions and what number of can be found.
Let’s check out what time you’d should hit to attain a type of qualifying spots in Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, Boston, and London. For the entire races, you will need to run on an authorized course after which shall be required to indicate proof of that point for entry.
Be aware: As a result of extra runners are becoming a member of the game yearly and extra are in search of methods to get a spot, you’ll have to be quicker than the qualifying time. Entry relies on quickest time first within the occasion they’ve extra certified runners than spots for them.
Different races are on a primary come, first serve foundation no matter time, and we’ll notice which is which beneath.
Sydney Marathon Qualifying Instances (August 31, 2025)
2025 is the primary 12 months that Sydney is becoming a member of the world’s majors.
Whereas they introduced they are going to save roughly 600 entries, their qualifying occasions are speculative at this level.
Listed below are the most definitely qualifying occasions in varied classes:
- Under 40 Male: sub 2:35
- 40 and above Male: sub 2:50
- Under 40 Feminine: sub 2:55
- 40 and above Feminine: sub 3:10
- Under 40 Non-Binary: sub 2:55
- 40 and above Non-Binary: sub 3:10
Berlin Marathon Qualifying Instances (September 21, 2025)
The Berlin Marathon doesn’t reserve a selected variety of spots for qualifying occasions – nevertheless it’s a troublesome minimize to make.
You must have run the time with the previous 3 calendar years for it to qualify.
- 18-44 Male: sub 2:45
- 45-59 Male: sub 2:55
- 60+ Male: sub 3:25
- 18-44 Feminine: sub 3:10
- 45-59 Feminine: sub 3:30
- 60+ Feminine: sub 4:20
Chicago Marathon Qualifying Instances (October 12, 2025)
The Chicago Marathon presents a excessive efficiency program for quicker runners (males who end beneath 2:25 and girls/non-binary who end beneath 2:45).
Their official qualifying occasions for entry are beneath, and you will need to notice it’s primarily based in your age on the date of the marathon, not the age you have been whenever you ran the qualifying time.
- 18-34 Male: sub 2:55
- 35-39 Male: sub 3:00
- 40-44 Male: sub 3:05
- 45-49 Male: sub 3:15
- 50-54 Male: sub 3:20
- 55-59 Male: sub 3:30
- 60-64 Male: sub 3:45
- 65-69 Male: sub 4:00
- 70-74 Male: sub 4:15
- 75-79 Male: sub 4:30
- 80+ Male: sub 4:50
- 18-34 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:25
- 35-39 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:30
- 40-44 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:35
- 45-49 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:45
- 50-54 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:50
- 55-59 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:00
- 60-64 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:15
- 65-69 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:30
- 70-74 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:45
- 75-79 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 5:00
- 80+ Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 5:20
New York Metropolis Marathon Qualifying Instances (Nov 2, 2025)
The New York Metropolis Marathon is organized by New York Highway Runners (NYRR), and so they supply non-complementary assured entry to athletes that run a qualifying time at considered one of their very own in-person marathons the earlier years.
They do supply restricted entries for runners who run a qualifying time at non-NYRR occasions, and if there are extra runners than entries, it goes quickest time first.
In 2025, non-NYRR runners needed to run 13 minutes quicker than the qualifying time to safe a spot, so it’s positively aggressive.
- 18-34 Male: sub 2:53
- 35-39 Male: sub 2:55
- 40-44 Male: sub 2:58
- 45-49 Male: sub 3:05
- 50-54 Male: sub 3:15
- 55-59 Male: sub 3:23
- 60-64 Male: sub 3:34
- 65-69 Male: sub 3:45
- 70-74 Male: sub 4:10
- 75-79 Male: sub 4:30
- 80+ Male: sub 4:55
- 18-34 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:13
- 35-39 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:15
- 40-44 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:26
- 45-49 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:38
- 50-54 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:51
- 55-59 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:10
- 60-64 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:27
- 65-69 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:50
- 70-74 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 5:30
- 75-79 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 6:00
- 80+ Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 6:35
Tokyo Marathon Qualifying Instances (March 1, 2026)
The Tokyo Marathon is extraordinarily robust to get into with a qualifying time.
They solely enable 25 entries for males and 25 entries for ladies which can be a part of the Tokyo Marathon Run as One.
The spots are for semi-elite abroad runners who qualify with a time of sub 2:28 for males and sub 3:09 for ladies.
They’re chosen primarily based on quickest time.
Boston Marathon Qualifying Instances (April 20, 2026)
About 20-25% of sports activities are held for charity runners and other people on worldwide excursions, in any other case Boston Marathon runners have certified by operating a sure time at a Boston Qualifier (BQ) race.
The BQ time must be achieved inside a calendar 12 months between September and September, and your occasions are primarily based in your age on the date of the race, not the age you have been whenever you ran your time.
That mentioned, not everybody who achieves a BQ time will get an entry to the race – you continue to should submit an utility, and if there are extra candidates than spots, it is going to rank them primarily based on qualifying time.
In 2025, runners who acquired entries have been practically seven minutes quicker than the usual BQ time.
- 18-34 Male: sub 3:00
- 35-39 Male: sub 3:05
- 40-44 Male: sub 3:10
- 45-49 Male: sub 3:20
- 50-54 Male: sub 3:25
- 55-59 Male: sub 3:35
- 60-64 Male: sub 3:50
- 65-69 Male: sub 4:05
- 70-74 Male: sub 4:20
- 75-79 Male: sub 4:35
- 80+ Male: sub 4:50
- 18-34 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:30
- 35-39 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:35
- 40-44 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:40
- 45-49 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:50
- 50-54 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:55
- 55-59 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:05
- 60-64 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:20
- 65-69 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:35
- 70-74 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 5:50
- 75-79 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 6:05
- 80+ Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 6:20
London Marathon Qualifying Instances (April 26, 2026)
It’s robust to get a spot within the London Marathon primarily based on benefit in case you’re not a UK resident. The marathon holds 3,000 entries for UK males and three,000 entries for UK ladies/non-binary who run a qualifying time (listed beneath).
That is the “Good for Age” class and persons are admitted primarily based on the quickest time to the slowest of their age group.
They do additionally supply London Marathon Championship Entry for quicker runners, so long as you’re a member of the UK Athletics membership. There are 1,000 out there spots and it’s quickest first; you must have run your qualifying time within the calendar 12 months previous to the marathon. If you wish to qualify on this class, you’ll must run a quicker time than 2:38 in case you’re a person, or 3:10 in case you’re a lady/non-binary particular person.
There are worldwide tour, charity, and public poll choices, as nicely for the remaining 40,000 spots.
Listed below are the occasions for UK residents to qualify:
- 18-39 Male: sub 2:52
- 40-44 Male: sub 2:57
- 45-49 Male: sub 3:02
- 50-54 Male: sub 3:07
- 55-59 Male: sub 3:12
- 60-64 Male: sub 3:34
- 65-69 Male: sub 3:52
- 70-74 Male: sub 4:52
- 75-79 Male: sub 5:07
- 80-84 Male: sub 5:27
- 85-89 Male: sub 6:10
- 90+ Male: sub 7:20
- 18-39 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:38
- 40-44 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:43
- 45-49 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:46
- 50-54 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:53
- 55-59 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 3:58
- 60-64 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:23
- 65-69 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 4:53
- 70-74 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 5:53
- 75-79 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 6:13
- 80-84 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 6:38
- 85-89 Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 7:10
- 90+ Feminine/Non-Binary: sub 7:35
So, there you’ve got it – how briskly (at a minimal) you’ll should run a marathon to get a merit-based entry into considered one of these marathons.
