All Seven World Marathon Majors, Compared
With Sydney's addition in 2025 there are now seven stars to chase. They differ wildly: Berlin and Chicago are PR courses, New York and Sydney are hard-effort spectacles, and Boston you have to earn. Here's the honest comparison.
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Berlin Marathon
MajorBerlin, Germany · September · 73 m gain · -6 m net
The fastest marathon course in the world on paper: wide boulevards, gentle curves, and virtually no climbing. More world records have fallen here than anywhere else. Pacing discipline is the only hazard — the course gives you no excuse to slow down.
PR score 10/10 - 2
Chicago Marathon
MajorChicago, USA · October · 74 m gain · +1 m net
Pancake-flat loop through 29 neighborhoods with enormous crowd support. The only 'climb' is a highway overpass at kilometre 41. Tall buildings can confuse GPS early — run by feel and the split clocks.
PR score 9/10 - 3
Tokyo Marathon
MajorTokyo, Japan · March · 60 m gain · -38 m net
Gently net-downhill first half through Shinjuku, then flat out-and-back sections along wide avenues. Several 180° turnarounds late require patience, but conditions and surface make this a genuine PR course.
PR score 8/10 - 4
London Marathon
MajorLondon, United Kingdom · April · 127 m gain · -34 m net
Fast, slightly net-downhill tour of the Thames with the deepest crowds in the sport. The first 5 km drop ~30 m; from there it's flat with grinding cobbled corners around the Tower of London late.
PR score 8/10 - 5
Boston Marathon
MajorBoston, USA · April · 248 m gain · -140 m net
Net downhill but deceptively hard: the first 25 km drop steadily and wreck quads that go out too fast, then the Newton hills (km 26–34, capped by Heartbreak Hill) arrive exactly when glycogen runs out. Even splits here means banking restraint, not time.
PR score 6/10 - 6
New York City Marathon
MajorNew York, USA · November · 246 m gain · -5 m net
The hardest of the majors to race fast: five bridges (no crowds, plenty of wind), rolling Central Park finish, and a Verrazzano opening kilometre that climbs 40 m. You run New York for the experience — or pace the bridges honestly and surprise yourself.
PR score 4/10 - 7
Sydney Marathon
MajorSydney, Australia · August · 310 m gain · -83 m net
The hilliest of the seven majors: a punchy, rolling course over the Harbour Bridge with a spectacular Opera House finish. Treat it like a hard-effort course — chase the experience and the Seven Star medal, not a PR.
PR score 5/10