What It Takes To Become a Six Star Marathon Majors Finisher

What It Takes to Become a Six Star Marathon Majors Finisher

By Kieran Alger


Running 26.2 miles is a huge achievement. But running six of the world's most iconic marathons, in cities spread out across the globe, well that's a whole different level.


But that's exactly what a growing group of runners is trying to do. Runners from all over the world are racing to become the latest marathon overachievers who've completed all six Abbott World Marathon Majors, a list that includes London, Chicago, Tokyo, New York, Berlin and Boston. What's the big attraction and what does it take to join the growing group of globe-trotters who've conquered the majors? We spoke to some runners who've earned the six-star medal to find out.

Angela Muddle, 43, a keen recreational runner originally from Australia who now lives in London, earned her membership in this exclusive club when she completed the Boston Marathon in April 2018.

“If it had been any other marathon I would have given up when my leg started to hurt," says Muddle. "In fact, I probably wouldn't have started in the first place. The weather was horrendous, rain was lashing the streets, I was soaked to the bone and an injury in the lead up to the race meant I hadn't done anywhere near enough training. My physio had warned me that it was going to be a tough ride, and friends were telling me not to do it, but but there was no way I was going to be a DNS (Did Not Start).


“At around mile 20, things got worse," she continues. "The niggle I'd been ignoring in my left leg became an un-ignorable pain. I knew every step was making it worse but there was no way I was quitting. This was Boston, the final marathon before I got my hands on the Six Star Finishers medal—a medal I'd spent seven years and countless hours and dollars chasing. So I dug deep, called on all the mental strength I could muster and made it over that finish line."


Since the series began in 2006, ever more runners are adding the majors to their bucket list with elite and non-elite runners traveling the globe to complete all six. Some, like Muddle, who was diagnosed with a lower leg stress fracture after the Boston race, will even risk injury to do so.

Regular runners have as long as needed to complete the races with many choosing to spread them out over a number of years so they can give their feet and their bank balance a bit of a break. Elite runners complete the series over a one-year period, running for points based on their finishing place, and their share of $1 million dollar prize purse split equally between the top male and female runners.

Once they're all checked off, finishers receive a certificate and the highly coveted AbbottWMM Six Star Finisher Medal. Made up of six mini medallions, it's bling that's guaranteed to get you plenty of likes on Facebook and Instagram.

Earning this medal is a significant achievement that requires a big physical, financial and emotional investment. For a start, there's the time and commitment needed to train for races. Then there's the money and annual leave required to attend. Just to make it even trickier, many of the races in the series are oversubscribed and hard to get into in the first place—unless you can run a super-speedy qualifying time, raise money for charity or afford the extra cost of booking with a tour operator.


So, what is it that makes people take all this on and run the series instead of just sticking to the local marathon round the corner?

“One of the major reasons—to quote British mountain climber George Mallory—is because it's there," says Robert Wang, a founder and administrator of the World Marathon Majors Challenge Facebook Group, from Canton, Ohio.

“A lot of marathon runners end up doing one Major because they're drawn to the prestige and grand scale of the race," he says. “Then when they realize they're linked to five other different Majors that are also prestigious, have their own distinct history and also take place on a large stage, they're inclined to do those as well. And the chance to travel to countries far away to do some of those races adds to the adventure component of it all."


As for the challenge of getting a place in the extremely popular Majors races, Wang thinks this only adds to their appeal.

“Nothing motivates a person to want to do a race more than to be rejected or turned down in their application for a spot," he says.

For Muddle, who didn't even know what the World Marathon Majors were when she started running, the lure of the Six Stars was membership in an elite club.

“Chicago was my very first marathon in 2011," she says. "After then completing London and New York City, I was made aware of the Majors. Reading through the list of finishers, I noticed only one female Australian name, so I thought 'I could be part of something that only a handful of people have ever accomplished', and there aren't many fields of sport or experiences where you can lay claim to that!"


So, if you do manage to gain a ballot place or save up for a tour operator vacation to each of the marathons, what can you expect? One thing that many six-star finishers will tell you is that each race has its own distinct personality and really allows you to get a feel of the city and its people.

“I finished my marathon majors in Tokyo in Feb 2018, nearly six years after I ran the London Marathon, my first, in April 2012," says Charlie Watson, 30, who lives just out London, United Kingdom, and founded the blog, The Runner Beans. “All of the majors have been so incredible but so different.

"The American expos are the biggest and the best in the world," she continues. "In Tokyo the crowds were insane and it's unlike any US or European race so you just want to slow down and take it all in. But London will always be my favorite as it's my home race."

For Muddle, the sights and atmosphere of New York City make it one of her most memorable.

“Walking through midtown at 5am to catch the transfer buses, the pomp and ceremony of the cannons at the start, the epic views of Manhattan from the Verrazano Bridge, the signs held by the supporters, hearing JayZ's New York blaring out as you come off the Queensboro Bridge," she says, "all of these things made it a fantastic experience. Not to mention the locals treat you like rock stars, before, during and after the race."


While it tends to be the better memories of the Majors that stick in the mind after they're done, there's probably going to be at least one tough race, too, says Michael Law. The 34-year-old from Essex in the United Kingdom, who also happens to be the former Guinness World Record Holder for the fastest marathon dressed as a star, completed the Majors in just under two years. His main goal was to travel and meet like-minded people around the world.


While Watson had a hard time in Chicago and Muddle struggled in Boston, for Law, Berlin was the race he almost thought he wouldn't finish.

“I was ill during race week so even though it was the flattest course, I was struggling the most," he says. “My body started shutting down around 22 miles and I can't remember much after that."

His advice for any Six-Star chaser would be to take your time completing the races. “Don't rush," he says. "Make sure you enjoy them."

But despite the tough times, Law definitely still thinks it's worth it.

“Running down Boylston Street in Boston on Patriot's Day, thinking about the history and the place and knowing it was my final race of the six," he says, “was one of my best moments of my life."