Six Star Finisher: The Complete Guide to Running All Six Abbott World Marathon Majors

There is no other achievement in recreational distance running quite like the Six Star Finisher medal. Not a podium finish. Not a qualifying time. Not a course record. Just six races, six cities, six finish lines — and a medal that fewer than 25,000 people on the planet have ever held. Every one of those runners crossed a finish line in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. Every one of them solved the same puzzle: how to get into six of the most oversubscribed races in the world and finish all of them.

The Six Star journey is not a weekend decision. It is a multi-year commitment — to training, to travel, to logistics, and to patience. The racing is the straightforward part. Getting into the races is the puzzle that takes most runners far longer than the running itself. Boston has no lottery. Tokyo is one of the hardest draws in global running for international athletes. London received over 1.1 million ballot applications for 2026 alone. Getting all six done requires a strategy, not just ambition.

For Indian runners, the journey has its own distinct shape — shaped by visa complexity, flight distances, currency considerations, and the specific entry routes that work best for runners based outside the US and UK. This guide gives you the complete picture: what the medal is, how to register, the smartest order to tackle the six races, what the journey will realistically cost in rupees, and how to approach each race’s entry challenge from India.

What Is the Six Star Finisher Medal?

The Six Star Finisher Medal was introduced by Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2016. It is awarded to any runner who completes all six of the original Abbott World Marathon Majors — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City — as an official finisher. The rules are simple:

• Complete all six in any order
• No time limit on how long the journey takes
• No minimum finish time — you just need to be an official finisher within each race’s cutoff
• Each race counts once — running the same Major multiple times does not earn additional stars
• Virtual race completions do not count
• You must be listed in the official finisher results

That’s it. A runner who completes all six in three years and a runner who takes twenty years reach exactly the same finish line: Six Star status, entry into the World Marathon Majors Hall of Fame, and a medal that represents one of the most demanding multi-race journeys in all of sport.

The Nine Star Future — What Happens After Six

When Sydney Marathon joined Abbott World Marathon Majors as the seventh Major in November 2024, the immediate question was: what happens to the Six Star medal? The answer from the AWMM was clear and reassuring — the Six Star medal remains intact for the original six. Sydney does not dilute it.

Instead, with the AWMM evaluating two additional candidate races — Cape Town and Shanghai — the organisation has announced plans for a Nine Star Finisher Medal. When all three new Majors are confirmed, runners who complete all nine will earn both their Six Star and Nine Star medals. The earliest the Nine Star medal will be officially available is 2027.

What this means practically: every race you run toward your Six Star counts permanently. Sydney, if you run it, earns you a star in your Runner Portal that will count toward the Nine Star when it arrives. Nothing you do is wasted.

How to Register and Track Your Stars

The Six Star journey officially begins the moment you create a free Runner Portal on the Abbott World Marathon Majors website at worldmarathonmajors.com. This is where your stars are tracked, your results claimed, and your Hall of Fame entry eventually confirmed. Here is how the process works:

Step 1 — Create your Runner Portal. Register at worldmarathonmajors.com with your name and email. The portal is free. Your star count starts at zero.

Step 2 — Claim past results. If you have already run one or more of the six Majors, you can claim those results retroactively through the portal. Stars are awarded based on your official race results. Past races count immediately.

Step 3 — Track your journey. After each Major you complete, your star is automatically added to your profile based on the official results feed. You can also manually claim results through the portal if a star does not appear automatically.

Step 4 — Set For No. 6. When you are confirmed in the race that will be your sixth and final Major, use the “Set For No.6” console in the Runner Portal before race day. This alerts the organisers, and at the race expo you receive a special Six Star finisher bib to wear on your back on race day. After finishing, you proceed to the dedicated Six Star medal collection point at the finish area to receive your medal in person.

Step 5 — Hall of Fame. All Six Star Finishers are entered into the Abbott World Marathon Majors Hall of Fame. Your name is listed permanently alongside every other Six Star runner in history — including Eliud Kipchoge, who earned his Six Star at the NYC Marathon in 2025.

The Best Race Order for Indian Runners

The order in which you tackle the six races matters more than most guides acknowledge. For Indian runners specifically, the optimal sequence is shaped by three factors: visa complexity, lottery odds, and the time needed to qualify for Boston. Here is the FM-recommended approach:

Start With: Berlin or Chicago

Both races have the best lottery odds of the six — Berlin acceptance rates are consistently around 25–35%, and Chicago’s lottery is similarly accessible. Both require a US or Schengen visa (India does not have visa-on-arrival for the US or EU) but the application process for both is well-established and manageable with advance planning. Berlin in September and Chicago in October sit in the same travel window — you could potentially run both in the same year if your body is ready. Start here. Build your star count early and get the logistics experience of international race travel before tackling the harder entries.

Then: New York City

NYC’s general lottery odds for international runners are poor — roughly 1 in 20. But the International Tour Operator (ITO) route provides a guaranteed bib bundled with hotel accommodation. For Indian runners, the ITO is the right path. Apply for your US visa early (the same visa covers both Chicago and NYC), book the ITO package well in advance, and treat this as your most expensive and most emotionally rewarding race. The 50th anniversary of the five-borough course in 2026 makes this a particularly special edition to target.

Then: London

London’s ballot odds are now the worst of the six — over 1.1 million applications for the 2026 race. Enter the ballot every year while pursuing other Majors. Charity entry is the most reliable guaranteed path: fundraising minimums vary by charity but the bib is secure. A UK visa is required for Indian runners — apply well in advance. London is worth the wait and worth the cost. Running from Blackheath to Buckingham Palace is an experience the other Majors cannot replicate.

Then: Tokyo

Tokyo is arguably the hardest lottery of all six for international runners. Enter every year from the moment you start your Six Star journey. The international ballot window is separate from the Japanese domestic ballot and opens annually in August. A Japanese visa is required for Indian runners. While you keep applying, consider the charity entry route or an official Tokyo Marathon tour package — both provide guaranteed entry but at significantly higher cost. Tokyo’s organisation, crowd energy and cultural experience make it worth whatever route it takes to get there.

Last: Boston

Save Boston for last deliberately — not because it is the best, but because it requires a qualifying time (BQ) that the other five races will help you achieve. Running Berlin, Chicago, NYC, London and Tokyo over several years will sharpen your marathon fitness considerably. By the time you approach Boston, you will have the race experience, the training history, and very possibly the BQ time needed. Running five World Majors before Boston is excellent preparation for Heartbreak Hill. And finishing your Six Star on Boylston Street — having earned every metre of it — is a conclusion the journey deserves.

Six Star Entry Difficulty — At a Glance

What the Six Star Journey Costs — INR Breakdown for Indian Runners

The Six Star journey is not cheap. It is, however, completely predictable — if you plan well and enter strategically. Here is a realistic cost estimate for an Indian runner completing all six Majors over 6–8 years, using economy flights and mid-range accommodation throughout.

Estimates based on 2026 rates. Costs spread across 6–8 years. Charity entry (for London or Tokyo) adds fundraising minimums of $3,000–$6,000 per race. US visa ($185) covers Chicago, NYC and Boston in a single validity period if planned well. Business class travel and luxury hotels will approximately double these figures.

How Long Does the Six Star Journey Take?

The average is 7–8 years — but this average is skewed by runners who entered the program in its early years when entry to each Major was considerably easier. Runners starting today, with current ballot odds and the strategic entry approach outlined above, should plan for a 5–7 year realistic timeline if they are disciplined about entering lotteries and using guaranteed entry routes where available.

The minimum realistic timeline for an Indian runner is approximately 3–4 years — if you combine lottery luck with charity and ITO entries, run two Majors per year in some years, and already have a BQ-standard time. Most runners will find 5–6 years more realistic. The important thing is to start. The only runners who never finish the Six Star are the ones who never begin.

Sample Six Star Timeline for an Indian Runner (6 Years)

Training Across a Six Star Journey

The Six Star journey is not a single training block. It is a series of individual marathon preparations separated by months or years of base training and active recovery. Each race demands its own specific preparation — and across six races on three continents, the cumulative training load is substantial.

Flat courses first. Starting with Berlin and Chicago builds your marathon base on fast, forgiving courses. The training is straightforward: high mileage, tempo work, long runs. Results are predictable and the courses reward good preparation honestly.

Hill work for NYC, London and Boston. NYC’s five bridges and Fifth Avenue, London’s gentle undulations, and Boston’s infamous Newton Hills all require specific hill training that Berlin and Chicago do not. As you progress through the six, incorporate regular hill sessions into your long runs.

Heat training for Tokyo. Tokyo in March is generally cool, but humidity can surprise runners accustomed to India’s dry seasons. The bigger adjustment is the time zone — flying from India to Japan and managing jet lag before a race requires advance planning. Arrive at least four days before race day.

Recovery between Majors. Running two Majors in the same year is achievable — Berlin in September and Chicago in October, or Chicago and NYC in the same autumn — but requires careful recovery management between races. Most experienced runners take at least one full marathon training cycle (16–18 weeks) between each Major.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)