TCS London Marathon - new date for 2022

TCS LONDON MARATHON TO TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2022

  • London Marathon held in October for third year

Organisers confirmed today that the 2022 TCS London Marathon will take place on Sunday 2 October.

This will be the third successive year the London Marathon will be held in October rather than its traditional April date. (The 2021 event will take place on Sunday 3 October.)

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of London Marathon Events, said: “We are living in a hugely uncertain world – a world where different approaches to managing Covid-19 are being explored and executed.

 “The London Marathon is an extraordinary and unique celebration of the family of humankind coming together. We believe that by moving the 2022 event to October we give ourselves the best chances of welcoming the world to the streets of London, enabling tens of millions to be raised for good causes and giving people the certainty that their hard work and training will allow them to experience the amazing crowds cheering them every step of the way, from Greenwich to Westminster.

“We are extremely grateful to the Mayor of London, the London boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, the City of Westminster and the City of London, Transport for London, The Royal Parks, BBC TV and our many other partners for their support in confirming the 2 October date for 2022.

“For 39 years, the London Marathon has been a spring event and we will return to our traditional slot in the calendar in 2023 when the TCS London Marathon will take place on Sunday 23 April.”

The 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon will take place on Sunday 3 October. It is set to be the largest marathon ever staged anywhere in the world, with up to 50,000 runners on the traditional course from Greenwich to The Mall and up to 50,000 participants completing the 26.2 miles on the course of their choice anywhere in the world between 00:00 – 23:59:59 BST. It will be televised live on BBC TV and broadcast around the globe.

2021 Boston Marathon will not take place in April

This is the latest update from the organisers of the Boston Marathon:

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced that the 125th Boston Marathon, traditionally held on the third Monday in April—Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—will be postponed until at least the fall of 2021. The B.A.A., which has been meeting regularly with its COVID-19 Medical & Event Operations Advisory Group to determine when and how the Boston Marathon can be held again, will begin working with local, city, and state officials, sponsors, organizing committee members, and other stakeholders to determine if a fall 2021 date is feasible.

“With fewer than six months until Patriots’ Day and with road races prohibited until Phase 4 of the Massachusetts reopening plan, we are unable to host the Boston Marathon this coming April,” said Tom Grilk, C.E.O. of the B.A.A. “By shifting our focus to a fall date, we can continue to work with stakeholders to adjust the in-person experience for runners and supporters alike. Prioritizing the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and community members, we continue to assess all elements of the race including a potential reduced field size or weekend date.”

No 2021 date has been selected, however, the B.A.A. will work with local, city, and state officials and members of its COVID-19 Medical & Event Operations Advisory Group to establish under what conditions the next live, in-person Boston Marathon can occur. Before the end of the year, the B.A.A. seeks to announce a new date. Other details such as when registration may open and the field size, pending local regulations and the event plan, will also be forthcoming. Information regarding other 2021 B.A.A. events, including the B.A.A. 5K, B.A.A. 10K, and B.A.A. Half Marathon, will be announced at a later date.

“We are optimistic that the Boston Marathon will continue its tradition of celebrating the spirit of community and athletic excellence next fall. We know there will be many questions and we will look to address them in the coming months ahead,” Grilk said.

The 2020 Boston Marathon, originally scheduled for April 20, was held as a ten-day Virtual Experience after being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sydney Marathon Becomes the Seventh World Marathon Major

It’s Official: Sydney Marathon Becomes the Seventh World Marathon Major

The Australian race will be the first major in the southern hemisphere—and the hilliest.

After launching a bid to become a World Marathon Major in 2022, the Sydney Marathon has officially been named the newest member of the race series.

The World Marathon Majors (WMMs) announced the news on November 3. Sydney now joins the original six marathon majors: Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, and Tokyo.

The race was evaluated over a three-year period on more than 100 criteria, including runner experience, drink stations, and finisher total. In 2022, the marathon had approximately 5,000 entrants, but at at this year’s race on September 15, the finisher total was just over 20,000.

The 2025 edition is scheduled for Sunday, August 31.

The marathon course starts in North Sydney, takes runners over the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge, and eventually finishes in front of the Sydney Opera House. The course will have the most elevation gain of any major at 1,040 feet, but overall, it’s net downhill. (Boston and NYC climb just over 800 feet, for comparison.)

There have been clues that Sydney was on the cusp on becoming a major. The race was the host of the 2024 World Age Group Championships marathon, which has previously been held in conjunction with other WMMs. And over the summer, the event picked up a prominent title sponsor, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which also sponsors the New York City and London marathons.

The six star medal—awarded to people who complete all six majors—will still be in place. Going forward, it will only be given to people who complete the original six. But the WMMs has said that new medals will be added as the race series expands. The highly-sought-after award, which was introduced in 2016, has helped increase demand for the each of the six WMMs and has made Boston, particularly, difficult to get in to. Since then, over 17,000 runners have joined the six-star club.

The World Marathon Majors have eyed a target of nine races since 2017, when they opened up the candidacy process. That year, the Singapore Marathon announced it would bid to join the ranks, but in 2021, it dropped out of the program. 

The Chengdu Marathon, founded in 2017, became a candidate in 2019, but the Chinese race struggled to advance in the process. Last month, the WMM announced that the Shanghai Marathon would replace Chengdu as a candidate marathon.

The Cape Town Marathon is also in the running to join the now-seven strong circuit. Like Chengdu, it has experienced some hiccups in the process, but if everything goes to plan, the race could become a major in 2026.

(Extract of article from the 'Runner's World')

Tokyo Marathon 2021 will be held in Autumn

The organisers of the Tokyo Marathon 2021 have changed the race in March to an Autumn race

The Tokyo Marathon 2021 will be held on Sunday, October 17, 2021, with the furtherance to deliver elite and mass races together in the original field size. 
Details of the Race Information are planned to be further determined.

In addition, to create a momentum leading to the Tokyo Marathon 2021, the Tokyo Marathon 2021-related events will be held in early March 2021 (roughly a week-long surrounding March 7). The events will include a virtual marathon for global participation, as well as running events within Tokyo.

Details will be announced within December 2020.

[Future Schedule (provisional)]

December 2020 Announcing the Tokyo Marathon 2021-related event details
January 2021 Entry deferral selection (2021 or 2022) by the registered runners of the Tokyo Marathon 2020 (excluding elite athletes)
March 2021 Launching the Tokyo Marathon 2021-related events (surrounding March 7)
Announcing the Race Information of Tokyo Marathon 2021
October 17, 2021 Tokyo Marathon 2021

<To Registered Runners of the Tokyo Marathon 2020>

As formerly announced, the registered runners of the Tokyo Marathon 2020 can defer their entry to either the following events:
- Tokyo Marathon 2021 (New Date): October 17, 2021 (Sunday) *provisional
- Tokyo Marathon 2022: March 6, 2022 (Sunday) *provisional

Further details are emailed today to applicable runners from the Tokyo Marathon Entry Desk.

In preparation for the next event, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation is carefully reviewing plans that will adhere to the situation surrounding COVID-19. We would like to thank everyone in advance for the great support and understanding as we continue to work diligently to deliver a safe and secure event.