With the congregation of the original five World Marathon Majors in 2006, the sport of marathon running entered a new professional era. The $1 million on offer for the majors’ biennial tour champions, $500,000 awarded each to the winning man and winning woman, brought the sport into the seven figure realm of other professional sports. The addition of Abbott Laboratories as a title sponsor in 2015, two years after Tokyo Marathon joined the club in 2013, brought the series to new heights. 

But after a second major drug bust to a series award winner (Rita Jeptoo in 2014, following Lilia  Shobukhova in 2009: ) the majors took a protective step backwards. Rather than awarding $500,000in a single payout, the majors cut their bonus awards in half and only paid $50,000 per year for five years. Then, when a third series champion, 2016 Rio Olympic champion Jemima Sumgong, produced a positive result for the banned blood booster EPO in an out-of-competition test in April 2017, the majors all but eliminated their elite athlete focus in 2022, as the top prize shrank to $50,000. 

From an original intent to focus on professional racing, the AWMM began touting their six-star participation medal. But who is to blame for that?

In 2024, the whole concept of a major marathon continued to evolve. On 3 November 2024, the Sydney Marathon in Australia was added to the Abbott major’s lineup, with Cape Town in South Africa and Shanghai in China pending entry in the next year or two.

But with 35,000 starters, a 2024 world leading time by Kenya’s debuting Sebastian Sawe at 2:02:05, 29 more sub 2:10s, and the eighth best female time of the year by Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu at 2:16:49, the 44th Valencia Marathon stood as major as any marathon you can name.

While the 52nd Honolulu Marathon remains on tap for next weekend, with a field at near 35,000 for its three events (Kalakaua Merrie Mile, Start To Park 10K, and the Honolulu Marathon), along with the California International Marathon in Sacramento, the likelihood of many more sub-2:10s in 2024 is low, given the challenging course and the tropical conditions in Hawaii. 

But with 30 sub-2:10s in Valencia, Spain, and five more in Fukuoka, Japan, on Sunday, 1 December, there have been 441 sub-2:10s run worldwide in 2024 to date, 440 by men, one by a woman, 2:09:56, in Chicago by Ruth Chepngetich. That’s 10 more sub-2:10s than in 2023, and 61 more than in 2022 (380).

(UPDATED 12 December 2024) 468 sub-2:10 men’s marathons. 1 by a woman.

Of that 441. (469)  140 (155) were run by athletes representing Kenya, three fewer (25 more) than in 2023, but 12 (40) more than in 2022. 

Percentage of sub-2:10s in 2024   UPDATED 12/12/24

31% KEN – 140 (143 in ‘23; 128 in ‘22)  – 154 = 32.8% of 469 

24% ETH – 106  (96 in ‘23; 98 in ‘22) –     112 = 23.8% of 469

9.8% JPN – 43 (57 in ‘23; 61 in ‘22) –           44 = 9.4% of 469

3.8%  ERI – 17 (12 in ‘23; 17 in ‘22) –            18 = 3.8% of 469

2.9% MOR – 13 (16 in ‘23; 13 in ‘22) –          14 = 2.98% of 469

2.9% GER- 13 (10 in ‘23; 0 in ‘22) –              13 = 2.8% of 469

2.2% USA – 10 (7 in ‘23; 5 in ‘22) –                10 = 2.1% of 469

 

MARATHON EVENTS – sub-2:10s – 2024

SEVILLE – 41

VALENCIA – 30

BERLIN – 28 (AWMM)

TOKYO – 21 (AWMM)

HAMBURG – 13

DUBAI & ROTTERDAM – 12 

CHICAGO (AWMM) & AMSTERDAM – 11 

PARIS – 9

BOSTON – 8 (AWMM)

NEW YORK CITY – 7 (AWMM)

SYDNEY – 5 (AWMM 2025)

Of course, there are many factors that lead to a particular race having fast times. Notwithstanding, this list gives an indication of how those fast times played out over 2024. 

I will compile a women’s list in the coming days. Best ahead.

END