This list of the largest running events in the world is based on the number of participants. If available, the number of "registered" participants or finishers may be specified. Not all participants will actually complete a race. Running USA's Road Running Information Center estimates that, on average, 80%-85% of registrants will complete a race. [1] If a yearly event has consistently high participation, the year in which that event had the largest number of participants has been listed.
With 110,000 participants, the Bay to Breakers race held on May 18, 1986, in San Francisco, California was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest footrace. [2] On October 10, 2010, 116,086 out of 160,000 registered runners in Manila were reported to have finished a run entitled "10.10.10 A Run for the Pasig River". [3] An official for the ABS-CBN Foundation said that documentation of the event was being forwarded to Guinness World Records. [3] The Guinness World Records certified Run for the Pasig River as having the most participants in a racing event on December 26, 2010. [4]
On 6 August 2023, Kalaignar Centenary Marathon which was held at Chennai, India is officially recognized and approved by Guinness World Records having 65,762 people taking part and considered as the Largest Running Race Series held in the world. [5]
Since 2014 the Wings for Life World Run is the largest run, though not confirmed by Guinness World Records. [6] [7]
parkrun, a series of weekly 5 km events held on Saturday mornings in 22 countries around the world, has for some time been the largest running event in the world. On a regular Saturday, around 300,000 people take part across nearly 2000 events. The highest ever attendance was on 11 January 2020 where 369,213 people took part across the 1635 events taking place that day.
Position | Race name | Location | Country | Date | Distances | Participation [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | parkrun | Global | Global | 11 Jan 2020 | 5 km | 369,213 [8] | |
2 | Wings for Life World Run | Global | Global | 4 May 2024 | set own goal | 265,818 [4] | |
3 | A Run for the Pasig River | Manila | Philippines | 10 October 2010 | 10 km, 5 km, 3 km | 116,086 [4] | |
4 | Bay to Breakers | San Francisco, California | United States | 18 May 1986 | 12 km | 110,000 [2] | |
5 | Cursa El Corte Ingles | Barcelona | Spain | 5 June 1994 | 11 km | 109,457 [9] | |
6 | Royal Run | Copenhagen/Frederiksberg, Aarhus, Fredericia, Brønderslev and Kalundborg | Denmark | 20 May 2024 | 10 km, 5 km, 1 mile | 95,330 [10] | |
7 | Broloppet/Broløbet | Malmö / Copenhagen | Sweden / Denmark | 12 June 2000 | Half-Marathon | 92,266, 79,837 [11] | |
8 | City2Surf | Sydney | Australia | 9 August 2020 | 14 km | 86,696, 68,930 [12] | |
9 | Dam tot Damloop | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 20 September 2009 | 10 miles, 4 miles and kids runs | 74,020[ citation needed ] | |
10 | Kalaignar Memorial International Marathon | Chennai | India | 6 August 2023 | Marathon, half-marathon, 10 km, 5 km | 73,206 [13] [14] | |
11 | Hong Kong Marathon | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 15 January 2015 | Marathon, half-marathon, 10 km, 10 km wheelchair race, 3 km wheelchair race | 73,070 [15] | |
12 | Round the Bays | Auckland | New Zealand | 10 March 2013 | 8.4 km | 70,000 [16] | |
13 | JPMorgan Corporate Challenge | Frankfurt | Germany | 7 June 2018 | 5.6 km | 64,377[ citation needed ] | |
14 | Lilac Bloomsday Run | Spokane, Washington | United States | 5 May 1996 | 12 km | 61,298 [17] | |
15 | United We Run | Beirut | Lebanon | 10 April 2005 | 5 km, | 60,000 [18] | |
16 | Vancouver Sun Run | Vancouver, British Columbia | Canada | 15 April 2012 | 10 km | 89,000, [19] 44,167 [20] | |
17 | Holmenkollstafetten | Oslo | Norway | 4 May 2024 | 18,8 km | 72,000 [21] | |
18 | Göteborgsvarvet | Gothenburg | Sweden | 21 May 2011 | Half-Marathon | 59,417 [22] | |
19 | Peachtree Road Race | Atlanta, Georgia | United States | 4 July 2008 | 10 km | 58,000, [23] 54,954 [20] | |
20 | Panipat Pinkathon | Panipat, Haryana | India | 8 March 2019 | 21 km, 10 km, 5 km or 3 km run/walk | 55,498 | |
21 | Great North Run | Newcastle, England | United Kingdom | 26 September 2004/ 19 September 2010 | Half-Marathon | 54,500 [26] | |
22 | Bolder Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | United States | 26 May 2008 | 10 km | 54,040 [27] | |
23 | Course de l'Escalade | Geneva | Switzerland | 2-3 December 2023 | 20.5 km, 7.3 km, 4.8 km, 9 km walk and kids runs | 53,800 [28] | |
24 | New York City Marathon | New York City | United States | 4 November 2018 | Marathon | 53,121, 52,812 [29] | |
25 | City to Surf | Perth | Australia | 25 August 2013 | Marathon, Half-Marathon, 12 km, 4 km and Regional Series (Karratha, Geraldton, Albany and Busselton) | 50,756 [30] | |
26 | London Marathon | London, England | United Kingdom | 2 October 2022 | Marathon | 50,097 [31] | |
27 | Carrera Día Olímpico 5k Olympic Day Run 5K | Medellín | Colombia | 23 June 2013 | 5 km | 50,000 [32] [33] | |
28 | Kabaka Birthday Run | Kampala | Uganda | 7 April 2019 | 21 km, 10 km, 5 km | 50,000 [34] [35] | |
29 | Paris Marathon | Paris | France | 14 April 2019 | Marathon | 49,155 [36] | |
30 | Grete Waitz-løpet | Oslo | Norway | 4 May 1996 | 5 km | 48,461 [37] [ better source needed ] | |
31 | Ottawa Race Weekend | Ottawa, Ontario | Canada | 23/24 May 2014 | Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 10K, 5K, 2K, Kids Run | 47,387 [38] | |
32 | Bogotá Half Marathon | Bogotá, Cundinamarca | Colombia | 1 August 2010 | Half-Marathon, 10 km | 44,186 [39] | [lower-alpha 2] |
33 | Lidingöloppet | Lidingö, Stockholm | Sweden | 24 September 2011 | Cross country, 30 km | 43,230 [40] | |
34 | Monument Avenue 10K | Richmond, Virginia | United States | 2 April 2011 | 10 km | 43,214 [41] | |
35 | Vienna City Marathon | Vienna | Austria | 12 April 2015 | Marathon | 42,657 [42] | |
36 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid | Spain | 31 December 2018 | 10 km | 42,500 [43] | |
37 | BUPA Great Manchester Run | Manchester, England | United Kingdom | 18 May 2014 | 10 km | 41,300 [44] | |
38 | Women's Mini Marathon (10k) | Dublin | Ireland | 2 June 2014 | 10 km | 41,006 [45] | |
39 | Mumbai Marathon | Mumbai, Maharashtra | India | 20 January 2013 | Marathon, Half-Marathon, Dream Run(6 km), Senior Citizens Race (4.3 km), Champions with Disability category (2.4 km) | 40,000[ citation needed ] | |
40 | Deejay Ten | Milano | Italy | 14 October 2018 | 10 km, 5 km | 40,000 [46] | |
41 | Jerusalem Marathon | Jerusalem | Israel | 15 March 2019 | Marathon | 40,000 [47] | |
42 | Broad Street Run | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | United States | 5 May 2013 | 10 miles | 38,144 [48] | |
43 | Chicago Marathon | Chicago, Illinois | United States | 7 October 2012 | Marathon | 37,455 [49] | |
44 | Boston Marathon | Boston, Massachusetts | United States | 15 April 1996 | Marathon | 35,868 [50] | |
45 | Berlin Marathon | Berlin, | Germany | 16 September 2018 | Marathon | 44,000 [51] | |
46 | Baloise Antwerp 10 miles | Antwerp | Belgium | 23 April 2023 | 10 miles | 37,500 [52] | |
47 | 20 km of Brussels | Brussels | Belgium | 28 May 2023 | 20 km | 36,692 [53] | |
48 | Sydney Running Festival | Sydney | Australia | 18 September 2011 | Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 km, 3.5 km | 35,033 [54] | |
49 | OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon | Indianapolis, Indiana | United States | 4 May 2008 | Half-Marathon | 35,000 [55] | |
50 | Great Ethiopia Run | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | November 2010 | 10k | 35,000 [56] | |
51 | Athens Classic Marathon | Athens, Attica | Greece | 9 November 2014 | Marathon, 10k, 5k | 35,000 [57] | |
52 | Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle | Chicago, Illinois | United States | March 25, 2012 | 8k | 34,369 [58] | |
53 | Bridge to Brisbane | Brisbane | Australia | 11 September 2011 | 10 km, 5 km | 42,546, 34,146 [59] | |
54 | HBF Run for a Reason | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | Australia | 22 May 2016 | 4 km, 12 km and 21 km | 33,744 [60] | |
55 | Cooper River Bridge Run | Charleston, South Carolina | United States | 27 March 2010 | 10 km | 33,000 [61] | |
56 | Grand Prix von Bern | Bern | Switzerland | 10 May 2014 | 10 miles, 4.7 km, 1.6 km | 32,116 [62] | |
57 | Philadelphia Marathon | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | United States | 17 November 2013 | Marathon, Half-Marathon, 8K | 31,471 [63] | |
58 | Zevenheuvelenloop | Nijmegen | Netherlands | 16 November 2014 | 15 km, 7 km | 31,307 [64] | |
59 | Run to Feed the Hungry | Sacramento, California | United States | 23 November 2023 | 5 km, 10 km | 31,285 [65] | |
60 | Amsterdam Marathon | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 19 October 2014 | Marathon, Half-Marathon, 8K | 31,197 [66] | |
61 | Tokyo International Marathon | Tokyo | Japan | 28 February 2010 | Marathon | 30,170 [67] | |
62 | Saint Silvester Road Race | São Paulo | Brazil | 31 December 2018 | 15 km | 30,000 [68] [69] | |
63 | City-Bay | Adelaide | Australia | 18 September 2011 | 12 km, 6 km | 29,715 [70] | |
64 | JPMorgan Corporate Challenge | Chicago | United States | 23 May 2019 | 5.6 km | 28,418[ citation needed ] | |
65 | Pat's Run | Tempe, Arizona | United States | 18 April 2020 | 4.2 Miles | 28,000 [71] | |
66 | Honolulu Marathon | Honolulu, Hawaii | United States | 8 December 2002 | Marathon | 26,382 [72] | |
67 | CPC Loop Den Haag | The Hague | Netherlands | 8 March 2015 | Half-Marathon, 10K, 5k | 25,425 [73] | |
68 | Gold Coast Marathon | Gold Coast | Australia | 2 July 2017 | Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10k, 5.7k, 4k, 2k | 24,909 [74] | |
69 | Great South Run | Portsmouth, | United Kingdom | 30 October 2011 | 10 miles | 24,000 [75] | |
70 | Marine Corps Marathon | Washington, D.C. | United States | 28 October 2012 | Marathon | 23,519 [76] | |
71 | La Parisienne | Paris | France | 9 September 2012 | 6.5 km | 23,510 [77] | |
72 | Rotterdam Marathon | Rotterdam, | Netherlands | 12 April 2015 | Marathon, 1/4 Marathon | 23,403 [78] | |
73 | Los Angeles Marathon | Los Angeles, California | United States | 8 March 2020 | Marathon | 28,300 [67] | |
74 | Clean Thagadur Marathon-5K | Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu | India | 6 January 2019 | 5K | 21,222 [79] | |
75 | Seoul International Marathon | Seoul | South Korea | 13 March 2005 | Marathon | 21,067 [80] | |
76 | Naha Marathon | Naha | Japan | 6 December 2009 | Marathon | 20,860 [76] | |
77 | New York City Half Marathon | New York City, New York | United States | 16 March 2014 | Half Marathon | 20,828 [81] | |
78 | Cardiff Half Marathon | Cardiff, Wales | United Kingdom | 6 October 2019 | Half Marathon | 20,309 [82] | |
79 | Bix 7 | Davenport, Iowa | United States | 21 June 1999 | 7 miles | 20,117 [83] | |
80 | Comrades Marathon | KwaZulu-Natal Province | South Africa | 16 June 2000 | 87.6 km | 20,047 [84] |
The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, England. It is the largest marathon in the world, with over 53,700 finishers in 2024, and 840,318 applicants for the 2025 event. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held in April, although it moved to October for 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The largely flat course is set around the River Thames, starting in Blackheath and finishing at The Mall. Hugh Brasher is the current race director and Nick Bitel its chief executive.
The Great North Run is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.
A half marathon is a road running event of 21.0975 kilometres —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcuts. If finisher medals are awarded, the medal or ribbon may differ from those for the full marathon. The half marathon is also known as a 21K, 21.1K, or 13.1 miles, although these values are rounded and not formally correct.
The Paris Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the city of Paris, France. It is the largest running event in France in terms of finishers and the marathon with the second-most finishers in the world, behind the New York City Marathon.
The Berlin Marathon is a marathon event held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. Held annually since 1974, the event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi), including elite level road running competitions for men and women, a race for the public, an inline skating race, a wheelchair race, and a handcycle race.
The Prague Marathon is an annual road marathon held in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to become a significant event, being awarded IAAF Gold Label status. Prague's marathon course has been voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
The Shanghai International Marathon is an annual marathon in late autumn hosted by Shanghai, China, since 1996. The marathon is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The Vancouver Sun Run, owned by Run Vancouver Holdings ULC and sponsored by The Vancouver Sun newspaper, is a 10-kilometre road running event held in Vancouver every year on the third Sunday in April since 1985. It is one of the largest road races in North America.
The Ottawa Race Weekend is an annual weekend of road running events held the last weekend of May in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The two-day running event includes seven races, including the Ottawa Marathon, all of which start and end at Ottawa City Hall. The marathon was first held in 1975, and is categorized as an Elite Label Road Race by World Athletics. Over 40,000 participants take part in the races each year.
The Eindhoven Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km which is held in the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands in October. It has been an annual race since 1990 – it was held biennially over the eight years before this date.
The Riga Marathon is an annual road marathon held in Riga, Latvia, since 1991. A flat, single-lap marathon course in the Baltics' largest city. The marathon course has been measured and certified by AIMS, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races and is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. All courses are traffic-free. Rimi Riga Marathon is one of the fastest-growing marathons in Northern Europe. In 2019, there were 25 659 participants over five different distances from 82 countries.
The Vienna City Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km held in Vienna, Austria since 1984.
The Zurich Barcelona Marathon, formerly the Marathon Catalunya and later the Marató de Catalunya, is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km (26.219 mi) usually held in March in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and first held in 1978 in Palafrugell, Catalonia. The marathon is categorized as a Silver Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The Illinois Marathon is a for-profit marathon which was held for the first time on April 11, 2009 in Champaign, Illinois. This was to be the first marathon ever held in Champaign. The course is very flat and it was expected to produce fast times, with only 85 feet (26 m) of elevation change. Race weekends have been held annually on the fourth weekend in April since 2009, with the only cancellation to date being the 2020 Race Weekend as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The races offered are:
Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace in San Francisco, California typically on the third Sunday of May. The phrase "Bay to Breakers" reflects the fact that the race starts at the northeast end of the downtown area a few blocks from The Embarcadero and runs west through the city to finish at the Great Highway. The complete course is 7.46 miles (12 km) long.
The Sydney Marathon is a marathon held annually in Sydney, Australia each September. The event was first held on the 30th of April 2000 and called The Host City Marathon as a test event for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and has continued every year since, as a legacy of the 2000 Summer Olympics. The marathon is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The Brussels Marathon is an annual AIMS-certified marathon held in Brussels, Belgium, first held in 1984, and usually held in the autumn. Races of shorter distances are also held on the same day.
Emma Bates is an American long-distance runner, who competes in the marathon. Her achievements include winning the USA Marathon Championships in 2018, placing second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, and finishing fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon. Bates also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and finished seventh. Her highest position on the World Athletics Rankings was No. 14 in the marathon in July 2022.
The Valencia Marathon is an annual marathon road running event hosted by Valencia, Spain, since 1981. It is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics. The race is organised by the Valencian sports club SD Correcaminos, which also organises the annual Valencia Half Marathon.
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