Runners have all manner of goals, but an increasingly common one is to run all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City and Tokyo Marathons are the six largest and arguably most well known marathons in (you've guessed it) the world, and many globe-trotting marathoners have already ticked them all off the list. In fact, as of the 2023 New York City Marathon, 12,772 runners have become 'Six Star finishers', so called for the massive medal they're awarded on completing their sixth Major.
Just securing spots in these marathons can be tough (and pricey) enough, meaning it can take years – if not decades – for a runner to finish all six. Five of the races are ballot-based, unless you have a verified qualifying time to guarantee your entry. The Boston Marathon, meanwhile, has no ballot, so you must meet the qualification time for your age and gender in order to bag an entry. Otherwise, you can win places in these races by raising money for charity or paying to run via a sports tour.
Race logistics and financial facets aside, the Majors vary significantly when it comes to their 26.2-mile courses. Some of the courses have hosted In good-weather years, this course and its enthusiastic crowds can spur runners to big, while others are known for their energy-sapping undulations, brutal bridges and tight turns. Some Majors boast deafening cheer stations from start to finish, while others are more subdued. Either way, each race is a bucket list endeavour for countless runners, and Six Star finishers have contrasting feelings on how difficult they found each one...
So, in an attempt to level those mixed feelings, we turned to data to help us rank the Majors from easiest to hardest. But do you agree with our verdict?
How did we rank the marathons?
We understand that all kinds of variables influence a runner's performance at the different Majors – there are, for example, varying field sizes, start times and course profiles to contend with, not to mention uncontrollable weather conditions and how you're feeling on the day. With that in mind, we looked at hundreds of data points provided by each race, as well as the activity-tracking platform Strava, to rank the six as objectively as possible.
Most of the races offer publicly available statistics on the average finish time and completion rate, so we crunched five years worth of finish times and entrant and finisher numbers (excluding 2020, when most races were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to determine an overall average. For those that didn’t share statistics, Strava provided two years worth of data. It's worth keeping in mind, though, that Strava's numbers skew about 15 to 30 minutes faster than numbers from a full race field, likely due to a faster user base.
New York City Marathon:
- The percentage of runners who were targeting a 3:30:00-3:59:59 finish and hit their goal time (using the first eight miles of a runner's race to estimate goal time).
- Strava also shared two years worth of data on the following negative split (which may reflect the calibre of the field or the difficulty of the course)
- The percentage of runners who were targeting a 3:30:00-3:59:59 finish and slowed down by 10-20% (comparing the difference in a runner's pace before and after they 'hit the wall' Get to know the New York City Marathon route).
As highlighted, the weather can also quite literally dampen your running performance, so we checked historical weather reports to see what Majors runners are most likely to be dealing with on race day. And, finally, we turned to Six Star finishers themselves for their first-hand opinions on each Majors course.
Easiest: Berlin Marathon
Since the Berlin and Chicago Marathons both hold current In good-weather years, this course and its enthusiastic crowds can spur runners to big, they should be considered the joint easiest, right? Wrong. According to the data, Berlin has a slight edge over Chicago. A total of 12 world records have been set on the flat, looped course through the German capital, including the current women's world record of 2:11:53 – set by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa in 2023 – which blew Brigid Kosgei's previous record of 2:14:04 out of the water.
While the course is often described as 'pancake flat', runners gain 241 feet and lose 260 feet of elevation over the 26.2 miles. This tiny bit of net downhill could contribute to the brisk finish times, which, according to Strava, average at 3:53:13 over the past two years. (The Berlin Marathon did not share official average finish times.)
What really makes Berlin a tad easier than Chicago, though, is the generally favourable weather conditions of late September, when the race is annually held. 'I think Berlin and Chicago are kind of neck and neck, but I’d give Berlin the nod because it tends to be more consistent weather-wise, whereas Chicago is more variable,' says Rob Dalto, who earned his Six Star finisher medal in 2023. 'You’re just going to have a better shot at having good conditions in Berlin.'
The average weather for the Berlin Marathon for the last two years was a high of 15°C and a low of 12°C, with 77% humidity, partly cloudy conditions and 4mph winds. Nice.
World records aside, Berlin topped the Majors in several other areas, too. Over the years analysed, Berlin had the largest percentage of runners who hit their goal time (6.5%), the highest percentage of runners who negative split the race (16.5%) and the second-lowest percentage of runners who slowed down by 10-20% after mile 20 (52%). On the flip side, it did have the second-lowest completion rate (88.9%) of the five races that shared this data.
'Berlin was the easiest and by far my fastest of the six,' says Holly Wittsack, a Six Star finisher who completed her journey in Tokyo last March. 'It helps that the course is pancake flat, but I think there’s this element of knowing you’re running on what’s touted as the 'fastest' marathon course in the world that makes you soar.'
Chicago Marathon
The Chicago Marathon currently holds the men’s marathon world record: a mind-blowing 2:00:35 run by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. That same year, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands also won the women's race in a lightning 2:13:44, which was the second-fastest women's marathon time in history and a new course record.
In good-weather years, this course (and its enthusiastic crowds) can spur runners to big marathon PBs – a carrot that draws just under 46,000 runners to the Windy City on the second weekend of October each year. 'I’ve run Chicago three times and this is the ultimate PB course, says Nick Fung, a New York City-based Six Star finisher who completed his journey in Tokyo in 2023.
Over 26.2 miles, runners gain 243 feet and lose 242 feet of elevation, so you can't get much flatter than that. Of the Majors, Chicago boasts the third-largest percentage of runners who hit their goal time (5%), the third-highest percentage of runners who negative split (14%) and the third-largest percentage of runners who slowed down by 10-20% after mile 20 (68%). Those numbers are likely affected by the fact that the flat course makes it hard to hold back in the early miles. And despite the relative ease of the course, Chicago has only the fourth-fastest average finish time, clocking in at 4:23:36.
The biggest variable in Chicago is the weather. Temperatures have been as low as minus figures and as high as the upper 20s on race day, so it's always a gamble as to what you'll face. The 20-year average for start line conditions is 10°C, 77% humidity, mostly cloudy conditions and 7mph winds, often with runners heading into it. However, recent years have seen big swings. In 2019, for example, runners felt 5°C and 91% humidity at the start, while in 2021 they experienced a perhaps-too-warm 20°C and 84% humidity.
'The weather on race day can have an overriding effect. For instance, in 2021, Chicago was hot, humid and windy. I had a difficult time with leg cramps that day,' says Joe Drake, a Seattle-based runner who received his Six Star finisher medal in Tokyo in 2023. 'But in 2023, the temperature at race time was a perfect 7°C and I had a wonderful time and my third fastest major.'
Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo, which hosts about 35,000 runners in early March each year – similar to the field in Boston – is notoriously difficult to get into. But, those who do bag a bib are in for a treat, as it features a mostly flat course that starts on a subtle downhill and includes a number of out and backs. In fact, at no point during the race do runners gain more than 10 feet in a single mile, with the total elevation gain being 198 feet and the loss 322 feet. In 2022, Kenya’s How to harness the long run mindset amazing UK marathons to enter.
The six-year weather average for the start of the Tokyo Marathon is a pleasing 8°C with 55% humidity, sunny conditions and 6mph winds. The completion rate of 93.5% is also the second-highest from the Majors that provided entrant and finisher information, and the average finish time of 3:57:42, according to Strava, is on par with the finisher times it has for Chicago. (Just keep in mind, though, that Strava data skews faster than the times reported by the races. On this occasion, Tokyo did not provide average finish times for us to use.)
Tokyo also has the fourth-highest percentage of runners who hit their goal time (3%), the fifth-highest percentage of runners who negative split (11%) and second-largest percentage of runners who slowed down by 10-20% after mile 20 (57%). Travelling to Tokyo is quite the trek if you're coming from overseas, and the effects of jet lag can hit like a brick in that final 10K.
According to runners, the on-course experience is a mixed bag. 'There are crowds but the energy doesn’t compare to other marathons – this is the most tame out of the six [Majors], and the lack of cheering makes it hard to get going,' says Fung. 'There’s also a ton of weaving in the first couple of miles and the many out-and-backs were mentally taxing.'
That said, the fast and flat course can help runners to achieve their best times yet, and in some cases the unique route can offer some motivation. 'On a very positive note, it is worth pointing out that, given the course is laid out with several out-and-back branches, it is possible to see the lead pack [of pro runners] coming back toward you, running in the opposite direction,' says Drake. 'Until Tokyo, I had never seen the elite runners live – and wow, Get to know the New York City Marathon route.'
London Marathon
London is a tough one. It shares a lot of characteristics with faster races like Berlin and Chicago, but its data tells a slightly more challenging story. Similar to those record-breaking courses, London's which may reflect the calibre of the field or the difficulty of the course is essentially flat, with a looped out-and-back after the crossing at Tower Bridge. Runners will gain 419 feet and lose 531 feet of elevation over 26.2 miles.
This race has the second-highest completion rate (98.5%) and the second-highest percentage of runners who negative split (14.5%). But, it also has the second-largest percentage of runners who slowed down by 10-20 percent after mile 20 (77.5%), is tied for the lowest percentage of runners who hit their goal time (2%) and has the slowest average finish time (4:49:22). And while Kelvin Kiptum ran a 2:01:25 to set the current men's course record only last year, the women's course record of 2:15:25, set by the UK's own Paula Radcliffe’s in 2003, still stands two decades on.
'I felt that London was the hardest not because of the course profile, but because of the environment on the course,' explains Wittsack. 'It definitely has almost a carnival feel with all the people running in costumes to break different Guinness World Records. Don’t get me wrong, that aspect of it is cool and part of the London Marathon experience, but it’s hard to run it as a fast, 'goal' race because road space is limited.' Speaking of crowds, most runners affirm that those at the London Marathon are comparable to those at the New York City Marathon – in other words, big and loud.
Just like in Chicago, London’s late April weather can have a major effect on a runner's performance. The five-year average at the start is 13°C, 80% humidity and partly cloudy or rainy conditions. The humidity is the main thing to watch out for, though, having climbed from 67% in 2018 to 96% in 2023. 'The two times I’ve run it, it rained,' says Fung. Classic British weather then?
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon statistics show a speedy story. This historic race – which dates back to 1897 and is the world's oldest annual marathon – has the fastest average finish time of 3:49:42, the second-largest percentage of runners who hit their goal time (6%) and the second-lowest percentage of runners who slowed down by 10-20% after 20 miles (42.5%).
But remember this: around 80% of the field had to hit a time qualifier in order to be there, which definitely skews the data toward the faster end of the spectrum. 'There’s something about the prestige of Boston that makes it feel more imposing,' says Caitlin Carlson, who earned her Six Star finisher medal in Tokyo in 2016.
Even with those speedy statistics, what makes Boston so difficult is the fact that it’s a net downhill, point-to-point course. Every year, on the third Monday of April, runners set off from Hopkinton and cross through eight Massachusetts cities and towns before reaching their final destination in Boston. 'You get bussed 26.2 miles outside of the city centre, and on the bus ride you’re thinking: "Oh, wow, I have to run all this way back?!" That’s psychologically more challenging [than any other race], in my opinion,' says Carlson.
People make a lot of noise about the four Newton hills, which start at mile 16 and don’t end until just before mile 21. But, the real killer isn’t the 815 feet of elevation gain over the course – it’s the 1,275 feet of elevation loss. Too many runners take those first four downhill miles too fast and blow up their quads The best massage guns for runners real hills in the second half of the race. (You could argue that even Eliud Kipchoge made this mistake in 2023, having finished in sixth place in 2:09:23.) The current course records, Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai’s 2:03:02 and Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba’s 2:19:59, have stood since 2011 and 2014, respectively.
The subtle difficulty of the course may be why this race is second-to-last when it comes to the percentage of runners who negative split (10.5%). It also has the lowest completion rate (87%) of the five races that shared entrant and finisher data.
Unpredictable weather can change the game for runners on race day in Boston, too. (Remember the unforgiving cold, rain and 14mph headwinds in 2018 when Des Linden pulled through for the win?) On the whole, however, the average conditions at the start for the last 23 years have entailed a pretty stellar 11°C with 57% humidity.
To succeed in Boston, the key is to run smart – and if you don’t, you’re going to feel it. 'You’re dealing with rolling hills throughout the course and the downhills completely zap your quads,' says Fung. 'I always leave Boston feeling the most fatigued post-marathon.'
Hardest: New York City Marathon
There’s no disputing the data – the New York City Marathon is the hardest of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. This race – the largest in the world with more than 50,000 runners – had the second-slowest average finish time of 4:49:00, according to race data, and tied for the lowest percentage of runners who hit their goal time (2%).
That said, the NYC Marathon has the highest completion rate (98%!) of the Majors, which just goes to show how dedicated people are to finishing this iconic race. And serious dedication is certainly what it takes to run 26.2 miles through New York City’s five boroughs. The point-to-point course crosses five bridges, including a 135-foot climb up the Verrazano Bridge in the first mile and another climb of more than 100 feet to cross the Queensboro Bridge in miles 15 and 16.
In total, runners gain of 810 feet of elevation across the course and lose 824 feet, so it's no wonder that this race has the lowest percentage of runners who negative split (6%) and the largest percentage of runners who slowed down by 10-20% after mile 20 (84%).
'New York City has the most elevation change of any of the Majors, and you can blow the end of your race right at the start simply by going too hard in the first mile, which is completely uphill,' says Dalto.
The whole course is rolling hills and, to add insult to injury close to the end of the race, runners have to climb nearly 100 feet in mile 24 on Fifth Avenue. 'It can get super ugly with tons of carnage on Fifth Avenue and Central Park in the tail end of the race,' says Chris Chavez, founder of Citius Mag, who completed his Six Star journey in Tokyo in 2019.
The elites clearly find it tough, too. The current women’s course record of 2:22:31 was set two decades ago in 2003 by Kenyan Margaret Okayo, and the men’s course record, which stood for 12 years, was only broken by eight seconds in 2023 by Ethiopian runner Tamirat Tola, A runners guide to Western States.
The weather also plays a decisive role in a runner's performance in New York City. Even on the first Saturday of November with later start times, runners can still be subjected to some extreme temperatures, like the 22°C and 73% humidity of 2022. The average weather for the last 20 years, though, is a more reasonable 11°C, 59% humidity, clear conditions and 9mph winds.
'The one that always hurts me is New York City (which I have run three times), possibly because the hills – also known as bridges, especially Queensboro and the ones in and out of the Bronx – are deceptive. They are more challenging than they appear and are often overlooked in one’s race strategy,' says Drake. 'However, the most outstanding feature of New York City is the spectator support. All the Majors have fantastic crowds, but New York City goes over the top. When running it, especially if you have your name written on your bib or clothing, it is easy to believe that the millions of spectators have assembled specifically to cheer you on.'
