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The first marathon was documented in 1896 at the revival of the Greek Olympic Games. Specific distances were not set then, however, in the 1908 London Marathon, the distance became standardised as 42.195 kilometres. A century later, marathon distances have not only stayed the same but countries and cities have adopted them as their own and excellent athletes have made managed to craft their athletic skill to compete in races all over the world – with some becoming champions over and over again.
Marathon running is not an easy feat. It includes arduous training, specific eating regimens and a change of lifestyle. Big marathons happen all over the world, the major ones are around the US, Japan and Germany, however, others include stunning countries like Spain or Italy, with the latter being known for running and cycling, for which spectators often bet on go to bonusscommesse360.it to pick their favourites. But back to marathons: training is key for both novice and professional runners as marathons demand attention and focus. However, with the top athletes, this training season is even more critical. Looking at the marathons that are considered to be the most visited and sought-after in the world is captivating and when you pair this with the top athletes at each of these meets, you have a strong athletic duo.
Why the Tokyo Marathon Is a Symbol of Unity and Speed
The first Tokyo Marathon was held on February 18, 2007. The theme has stayed present in each of their marathons since then. The motto has always been ‘The Day We Unite’ as this marathon, like many of the other major marathons, is famous for bringing people together. The Marathon is organised by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, who critically plan the routes and the spectator allotments with as little disruption to the city as possible. However, it must be noted that many do not consider this a disruption, as it brings a lot of tourists and media attention to the city, which is excellent for their economy. Furthermore, it brings in some of the best athletes in the world.
In the 2025 Tokyo Marathon (on March 2), the winner was Tadese Takele. Born in Ethiopia in 2002, he is one of the best long-distance runners in the world. He finished that particular race with a time of 2:03:23. This is the fifth-fastest time that was ever recorded in the Tokyo Marathon, making him part of the greats. This was also his personal best. In second was the great Deresa Geleta, a fellow Ethiopian running, who finished shortly after Tadese with a time on 2:03:51. In third place was Vincent Kimkemoi Ngetich who places third (he also placed third in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon) with a time of 2:04:00. He was so close to winning, only 37 seconds behind the best, however, even in long distances like a marathon, every single second counts and unfortunately 37 seconds makes a huge difference.
The Tokyo Marathon will take place on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Racers are already well into training for this event. Participating in other marathons is one of their key ways of staying fit, which brings them to the next one, the Boston Marathon.
How the Boston Marathon Has Managed to Maintain Prestige
Many consider the Boston Marathon to be the most prestigious of them all. This might be an unfair assumption, as most people have different takes on what makes a marathon prestigious. If, for you, it’s the inception, then this might be it, as the first one was held only a year after the Greek one, in 1897, marking it as one of the oldest. Course records for the men are Geoffrey Mutai, with a time of 2:03:02 in 2011 and for the women it’s Sharon Lokedi, with a time of 2:17:22 from this year, 2025.
The top-performing athlete for the Boston Marathon in 2025 was John Korir, who is a Kenyan road runner. He comes from a long line of runners, whereby his brother Wesley Korir won the Boston Marathon in 2012. This year, the buck fell on John and he did not disappoint. He won the marathon with a time of 2:04:45. This makes him and his brothers the first to both win the Boston marathon as a family. In second place was Alphonce Simbu, from Tanzania, who came in at 2:05:04. In third place was Cybrain Kotut, also a Kenyan runner, who finished the same time as Simbu, at 2:05:08.
The Boston marathon is known for being gruelling, so whilst the best of the best often finish it under 2 hours and 30 minutes, some runners unfortunately do not make it over the finish line, which is part of the race. For 2025, of all the runners entered, which were 31,670, the number that actually started was 28,845. The number that finished was 28,384, meaning that 98.4% of all who started finished the race.
The Bustling Nature of the London Marathon
The London Marathon has been held since March 29, 1981. Apparently, more than 20,000 people wanted to run, however, only 7,474 were accepted. It was founded by famous athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley and has received more and more attention as the years have gone on. Since then, more than 1.3 million people have completed the course and more than 1.3 billion pounds have been raised for charity. Every racer who competes marks a special place in history. However, none do this as significantly as the top performers.
The winner of the 2025 London marathon was Sabastian Sawe, from Kenya, who came first with a time of 2:02:27 on the 27th of April. This is one of his best times, however, his very best was in Valencia, where we won with a time of 2:02:05 in Valencia. In second was Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, who came in at 2:03:37 and defending London champion Alexander Munyao finished in third at 2:04:20. Seeing how fast these runners have become over time is something truly phenomenal. When Brasher and Disley started this back in the 80s, it is doubted that they thought times would be so quick.
The Berlin Marathon for 2025 only takes place later this year, on Sunday 21st September – always on the last weekend of September. The first Berlin marathon was held in 1974 with only 286 participants, which is so different to how it is now. In 2024, there were 54,064 finishing participants, which is a far cry from its initial humble beginnings.
It’s hard to say who will win the 2025 Berlin Marathon but to give an indication, you can look at who won in 2024. For last year’s marathon, the top runner and athlete was Milkese Mengesha, an Ethiopian track and field athlete. He won the marathon with a time of 2:03:17. In second place was Cybrian Kotut, the Kenyan marathon runner who came third in the 2025 Boston Marathon this year, with a time of 2:03:22. Then in third place was Haymanot Alex, from Ethiopia, who finished with a time of 2:03:31. In the women’s race, Tigist Ketema, from Ethiopia, came in first with a time of 2:16:41, which is the third fastest ever to be run by a woman in this marathon. Second in the women’s race was Mestawot Fikir, with 2:18:48 and in third was Bosena Mulatie with a time of 2:19:00.
The Berlin marathon is the largest in the world, with often over 54,000 finishers over the past years. It will be fascinating to see how many sign up for the 2025 one.
All Eyes on the New York Marathon
The New York Marathon is often left to the end of the year. This year, it will be on Sunday, 2nd November. The first New York Marathon started in 1970 and was organised by the then president of the New York Road Runners, Vincent Chiappetta and Fred Lebouw. Back then, it was a little simpler, with only 127 runners completing several loops around the Park Drive of Central Park – there certainly weren’t over two million spectators who came by.
Again, as with the Berlin Marathon, this one hasn’t taken place for 2025 yet, however, the 2024 names are big. The winner of the 2024 New York Marathon was Abdi Nageeye, who is a Somali-Dutch long-distance runner from the Netherlands. He came first with a time of 2:07:39. Evans Chebet from Kenya won with 2:07:45 and in third was Albert Korir, who completed his race with a time of 2:08:00. In the women’s race, the top three winners were all from Kenya. First was Sheila Chepkirui, with a time of 2:24:35, then in close second was Hellen Obiri with a time of 2:24:49 and in third was Vivian Cheruiyot with a time of 2:25:21.
Deciation and Spirit are at the Helm
In conclusion, the five major marathons, Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and New York, represent more than just big athletic competitions – they truly are global celebrations of endurance, dedication and spirit. For them to run as smoothly as they do, a lot of organisation and planning is needed, something that these five locations are excellent at.
As you can see from the above, each marathon has its own unique history and prestige, attracting both elite athletes and everyday runners from all over the world. The top performers at these events, like Tadese Takele, John Korir, Sabastian Sawe, Milkesa Mengesha and Abdi Nageeye, have pushed their names into the sport’s history through their exceptional speed and perseverance. These athletes not only constantly improve upon their boundaries of physical performance but also inspire (and entertain – it’s great to watch a marathon) millions with their stories, which is something very special.
