Entry Guides

How entry works at the Abbott World Marathon Majors

The Majors comprise eight of the world's biggest marathons (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Sydney and Cape Town; Shanghai is a candidate). Except for Boston, every race uses a ballot as its main entry route, alongside qualifying times, charity places and official tour-operator packages.

The four entry routes

• Public ballot: register during the published window; results usually arrive months later. Winners must pay by a deadline — unpaid places are released, and some races then run a supplementary ballot.
• Qualifying time: Boston's main route, requiring a time run inside the qualifying window with official proof. Other Majors offer limited time-qualifier places.
• Charity places: fundraise for an official charity partner (minimum amounts apply). Often first-come, first-served, and one of the most reliable routes.
• Official tour operators: packages that include a guaranteed entry. Pricier, but the highest certainty.

Verified 2027 entry timeline

• Tokyo (7 Mar 2027): ballot 14–28 Aug 2026 (closed; results late Sep); charity 24 Jun–9 Jul 2026.
• Boston (19 Apr 2027): qualifier registration week 14–18 Sep 2026; qualifying window 13 Sep 2025–18 Sep 2026.
• London (24–25 Apr 2027): public ballot 24 Apr–1 May 2026 (closed); time entries around Oct 2026.
• Cape Town (23 May 2027): ballot 10–24 Jun 2026 (closed).
• Sydney (29 Aug 2027): ballot 29 Sep–19 Oct 2026.
• Berlin (26 Sep 2027): ballot expected late Sep–Oct 2026.
• Chicago and New York: ballots typically open late October and the following February respectively (check official sites).

Age Group World Rankings

Runners aged 40+ can compete in the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings across 375+ qualifying races. Meeting the automatic qualifying time (e.g. men 40–44: 2:35, women: 3:05) earns an invitation to the 2027 World Championships, hosted within the Tokyo Marathon on 7 Mar 2027. The qualifying window runs 1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026, with invites from mid-October 2026.

Sources: Abbott World Marathon Majors official site; The Running Channel (verified September 2026). Schedules change — always check the official race site before entering.

UTMB World Series: Running Stones and the UTMB Index

To run HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc (the UTMB World Series Finals: UTMB 100M, CCC 100K, OCC 50K), regular runners go through the Running Stones system:

• Entering the Finals lottery requires at least 1 Running Stone acquired in the past two years plus a valid UTMB Index.
• Stones are only earned by finishing 20K / 50K / 100K / 100M categories at a UTMB World Series Event or Major.
• Stones per finish: Series Events award 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 for 20K / 50K / 100K / 100M; Series Majors award double (2 / 4 / 6 / 8).
• Each Series Major also grants a total of 210 automatic Finals places to elite and top-ranked runners.
• A valid UTMB Index can be obtained from over 5,550 races worldwide and also gives 48-hour priority entry to some Series events.

What this means for Hong Kong runners

The most practical path to Mont-Blanc is to race the Asia-Pacific Series events (TransLantau, Xiamen, Kenting, Hiroshima and others): finishing a 100K earns 3 Stones (6 at a Major), which you then use to enter the Finals lottery. More Stones means better odds.

Sources: utmb.world "Sports System" and Finals pages (verified September 2026).

Practical tips for Hong Kong runners

• Watch the time zone: European and American entry windows are published in local time — the Hong Kong equivalent may fall a day earlier or later (US East Coast is 12–13 hours behind). Have your account and card ready the day before.
• Create your account early: most races require registering and verifying an email address first; traffic on opening day is heavy.
• The ballot isn't the only route: if you miss out, watch for charity places (usually opening after the ballot, first-come) and official tour packages.
• Payment and FX: entry fees are charged in foreign currency — check your card's limit for overseas charges.
• Places get released: winners who don't pay in time free up entries, so supplementary ballots are worth watching.
• Stick to official channels: most Majors forbid bib transfers, and buying one can get you disqualified.