AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group qualifier

The Cleveland Marathon has been chosen as one of the qualifying marathons for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Championships. Feel free to contact the Marathon office at info@clevelandmarathon.com with any questions.

How it Works

The AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel (MTT) Age Group World Rankings comprise over 375 qualifying races in over 90 different countries in which athletes in nine separate age groups can compete in marathons across the world to earn a global ranking.

Athletes will be ranked according to their single fastest time in a qualifying event. This new system started in 2023 with great success.

Achieve the qualifying time for your Age Group and you’ll be in thefirst round of invites to secure your place for the 2026 AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Championships.

Runners who do not achieve the qualifying time can still receive an invitation to enter the World Championship depending on the full field size and the number of athletes achieving the qualifying time.

In order to receive an invitation, runners must be registered at AbbottWMM.com.

The date, location and field size for the 2026 AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Championships will be announced in due time.

Qualifying Times (*subject to change)

Age Group	Male	Female
40-44	02:35	03:05
45-49	02:42	03:13
50-54	02:48	03:21
55-59	02:57	03:34
60-64	03:10	03:49
65-69	03:26	04:12
70-74	03:40	04:35
75-79	04:06	05:15
80+	04:40	05:30

RANKING FAQs

How can I qualify for the 2025 championships?

There are three ways to qualify for the championships.
1. Achieve the Automatic Qualifying Time for your age group
2. Other highly ranked athletes without an Automatic Qualifying Time may also receive an invitation (depending on the full field size and the number of athletes achieving the qualifying time).
3. The bi-annual AbbottWMM Global Marathon, held within the Global Run Club, has 200 places available for the fastest verified finishers. Visit the Global Run Club for full details.

Where and when are the 2025 Age Group World Championships?

The 2025 Championships will be held within the TCS New York City Marathon on November 2.

What time do I have to run to qualify?

Your Automatic Qualifying Time is based on your age on race day of the qualifying event which you are taking part in. See above for the full list of Automatic Qualifying Times.

What happens if I change age group during the qualifying season?

You will only change age group if you have a time in one age group and then complete a race in your new age group. In this case, you will automatically move into the new age group and the time achieved in your new age group will be the time used for your ranking position. Note: we can restore your original age group’s result on request to results@wmmajors.com

What if I change age group after I have earned qualification?

Your age on World Championship race day will determine the age group you compete in.

What are the Automatic Qualifying Times?

Please see the table further up this page.

How can I get an invite if I don’t run the Automatic Qualifying Time?

Athletes in the rankings who have not achieved automatic time qualification may receive an invitation based on the number of athletes who meet the Automatic Qualifying Times and do not take up their place. The number of athletes who receive invitations through this pathway will be determined during the rankings season.

Why are there no ranking points anymore?

We have changed the system to be based on time in order to reward the fastest athletes with automatic championship qualification.

Is there a category in the rankings for non-binary athletes?

Currently there are not enough races which have non-binary categories with sufficient numbers to create meaningful competition and accordingly the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings and Championships are unable to offer a non-binary option for qualification. This will be kept under annual review.

ABOUT ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS

The Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) is a series of six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world - Tokyo Marathon, B.A.A. Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon.

Encompassing an annual series for elite runners and elite wheelchair athletes, AbbottWMM also applauds the achievements and passion of everyday champions from around the world. The AbbottWMM Six Star System is an online results hub that celebrates every runner who has completed from one to six of the races in the series and encourages them to 'Reach For The Stars'.

AbbottWMM has also launched the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings - our first ever global age group marathon ranking system. The inaugural AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championship took place in autumn 2021 as part of the London Marathon.

AbbottWMM sets the pace in the marathon industry, providing largest platform for the best athletes in the sport and offering the only truly global program for the world’s amateur athletes.

EACH OF THE SIX ABBOTTWMM MASS PARTICIPATION RACES DELIVERS SEVERAL UNIQUE BENEFITS TO RUNNERS:

An unparalleled experience – operational excellence at each race ensures a premium race-day journey for runners
A professional series – the best professional athletes in the world competing for points with the winner taking a share of the prize purse every year
Promotion of marathon running – AbbottWMM organizers aggressively champion anti-doping protocols and make many other efforts to move the sport forward.

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