Tokyo Marathon to host 2027 AbbottWMM Age Group World Championships

The Tokyo Marathon has been selected to host the 2027 Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships, scheduled for March 7, 2027. This marks the first time an Asian country will host the championships, coinciding with the 20th edition of the Tokyo Marathon.

Following previous editions in London, Chicago, Sydney, New York City and the upcoming 2026 event in Cape Town, the 2027 championships will bring over 2,000 of the world’s top age-group runners (aged 40+) to Japan.

Qualification for the 2027 event is already underway, with the qualifying window running from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. There are two primary routes for athletes to secure a place:

Age Group World Rankings: Runners can earn points in more than 375 qualifying races globally. Invites will be sent in mid-October 2026 to the highest-ranked athletes.
Global Marathon Virtual Race: 200 places will be available via the spring 2026 virtual marathon held through the AbbottWMM Global Run Club.

In a departure from previous years, AbbottWMM has confirmed that no automatic qualifying times will be used for the Tokyo championships due to expected high demand. All invitations will be determined strictly by ranking positions once the window closes.

Dawna Stone, CEO of AbbottWMM, said “Runners in all age groups have performed some incredible feats all over the world. Watching them compete within Tokyo’s amazing marathon will be a thrilling spectacle.”

Yasu Oshima, Race Director of the Tokyo Marathon, added “We are honoured to welcome the Age Group World Championships in 2027. Marathon running is a popular sport for all ages in Japan, and I look forward to seeing the world’s fastest age group athletes competing on our roads next March.”

Jeff Adams, President of event sponsor Marathon Tours & Travel, highlighted Japan’s “deep-rooted running culture” and confirmed that travel packages for international participants will be curated to support runners.