Bucket List · Bucket list route
The Six Star Medal
Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, New York. Finish all of them and Abbott gives you a medal with six stars on it, which is at this point the most recognised amateur achievement in road running. And in 2027, Cape Town changes the maths.
- Majors
- 7 todayCape Town joins in 2027
- Typical timeline
- 5 to 10 years
- Realistic cost
- $20,000 to $40,000+
- Hardest entry
- London
- Easiest entry
- Sydney, then Chicago
- Record
- Register finishes with Abbott
The Six Star is a genuinely great goal because it is not primarily about speed. It's about persistence, logistics, and money, and it rewards planning far more than talent. The medal itself is handed over at a dedicated Six Star ceremony at whichever major you complete, and the moment is famously emotional.
The complication: Sydney joined in 2025 and Cape Town becomes the eighth Major in 2027. Runners partway through the chase should watch closely how Abbott structures the Six Star and any expanded award, and in the meantime the strategic answer is obvious: get the new ones done while they're still gettable.
How to get in
- LotteryThe lotteries
Enter every single one you can, every year, regardless of your plan. Chicago, Berlin, Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York all have draws and they cost almost nothing to enter. See the individual guides for each.
- Time qualifierTime qualifying
Boston, Chicago, Berlin, New York, and Sydney all have time-qualified entry. If you're within striking distance of the standards, one focused training year can turn three of the stars from lotteries into certainties.
- CharityCharity places
The certainty lever. Minimums run from around $1,750 (Chicago) to $10,000+ (Boston). Most Six Star finishers buy at least one star this way, usually the last one.
- Tour operatorOfficial tour operators
For overseas runners, the reliable backstop everywhere, and often the sanest option for Tokyo and London specifically.
The order that actually works
| Priority | Race | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | Newest major, friendliest ballot, and it gets harder every year. |
| 2 | Cape Town | Becomes a Major in 2027. Direct entry, for now. |
| 3 | Chicago | Best lottery, softest time standard, cheapest charity floor. |
| 4 | Berlin | Roughly one in three lottery, plus a deep tour-operator backstop. |
| 5 | Tokyo | 10 percent lottery. Start entering now; you'll probably buy it eventually. |
| 6 | New York | 9+1 is a guaranteed year of work. Start it early. |
| 7 | Boston | Qualify with a real buffer, or budget a charity place. |
| 8 | London | Save it for last and plan on charity or a tour package. |
What it actually costs
Runners consistently underestimate this. A realistic all-in budget:
- Entry fees: roughly $250 to $360 per major, more via tour packages.
- Flights and hotels: the dominant cost. Tokyo, London, Sydney, and Cape Town are long-haul for most people, and race-weekend hotel pricing is brutal.
- At least one charity place: $1,750 to $10,000+ depending on which star you buy.
- Total: most finishers land somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000 across the whole project, spread over years.
Spreading it over five to ten years and pairing each major with a proper holiday is what makes it sane, and it's what most finishers say they'd tell their younger selves.
Questions runners actually ask
What is the Six Star Medal?
The medal awarded by Abbott World Marathon Majors to runners who have finished all of the Majors. It is presented at a dedicated ceremony at whichever major completes your set.
What happens now that Cape Town is joining?
Cape Town becomes the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major in 2027, joining Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. Runners partway through the chase should watch how Abbott structures the award, and in the meantime should prioritise entering Cape Town while it remains straightforward.
How long does the Six Star take?
Five to ten years is typical. The binding constraints are London's ballot, Tokyo's lottery, and Boston's qualifying standard, so most people work around those with charity or tour entries.
Go to the source
Entry rules, dates, standards, fees, and odds change every single year, and the interesting races change them the most. Use this guide to build the plan; use the official site to confirm the details before you book anything.
If this is your kind of thing
Need the races in between? The hard part of a bucket list year is everything else on the calendar: the qualifier, the tune-up, the long run with a bib on.