The 10 Biggest Marathons in the World: Where to Run Next
From the roaring crowds of New York to the historic streets of Berlin, these are the massive running parties every marathoner dreams of experiencing.
· 7 min read · Race Spotlights
The marathon is the ultimate egalitarian sporting event. You get to line up on exactly the same course, on exactly the same day, as the best athletes on planet Earth.
If you are looking to run your first 26.2 miles, or you're chasing the Six Star Finisher medal, the sheer scale of the biggest marathons will carry you through those final painful miles. The energy of 50,000 strangers cheering your name is something no training block can prepare you for.
How We Rank The Biggest Marathons
To keep the rankings accurate for 2026, we relied on consistent finisher data rather than total registrants (who often DNS). We only look at the full 42.195 km distance—excluding the massive half-marathons that often run concurrently.
Here is a breakdown of the 10 biggest marathons in the world by finisher count, logistics, and crowd energy.
1. New York City Marathon (USA)
**Field Size:** ~50,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** High (Rolling hills and endless bridges)
New York is the undisputed king of marathon scale. The logistics alone—bussing 50,000 people to Staten Island before dawn—are mind-boggling.
**Why It's Special:** The screaming wall of sound when you come off the quiet, eerie lower level of the Queensboro Bridge onto First Avenue in Manhattan is the single greatest moment in amateur running.
2. Paris Marathon (France)
**Field Size:** ~48,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Moderate
Paris holds the crown as Europe's biggest 26.2-mile block party. It is not an Abbott World Marathon Major, but its sheer size and iconic route demand respect.
**Why It's Special:** You run down the Champs-Élysées, through the Bois de Vincennes, and catch views of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame. It is effectively a high-speed sightseeing tour of one of the world's most beautiful cities.
3. Chicago Marathon (USA)
**Field Size:** ~47,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Low (Extremely flat)
Chicago is where records are broken. Kiptum ran 2:00:35 here. Sifan Hassan laid down an untouchable 2:13:44. It is pancake-flat and heavily supported by the city's diverse neighborhoods.
**Why It's Special:** It is a massive race that somehow feels very accessible. The start/finish loop in Grant Park makes logistics much easier than point-to-point races like Boston or NYC.
4. Berlin Marathon (Germany)
**Field Size:** ~45,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Very Low (Fastest course in the world)
If you stringently track your VO2 Max, measure out exact 60-gram carbohydrate doses per hour, and want a massive personal best, you go to Berlin. Eliud Kipchoge shattered the world record twice on these streets.
**Why It's Special:** The blue line. The perfect asphalt. The finish sprinting beneath the Brandenburger Tor. Berlin is an absolute masterclass in German efficiency and speed.
5. London Marathon (UK)
**Field Size:** ~43,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Low (Fast, slightly rolling)
London is famously the hardest race in the world to get into via ballot. Unless you are extremely fast, you are running for a charity, running in a giant costume, or waiting years to get drawn.
**Why It's Special:** The charity atmosphere is unmatched. It feels less like a grueling athletic competition and more like a 26-mile festival of goodwill. The crowds at Tower Bridge will make your ears ring.
6. Tokyo Marathon (Japan)
**Field Size:** ~38,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Low (Flat and fast)
Tokyo is the toughest logistic leap for Western runners, but the cultural experience is completely unparalleled. The course winds through Shinjuku, Asakusa, and Ginza.
**Why It's Special:** The crowd support is intense, but incredibly polite and orderly compared to the chaos of New York. The aid stations feature tomatoes and pickled plums instead of just gels and water.
7. Boston Marathon (USA)
**Field Size:** ~30,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Extreme (Net downhill, but brutal late climbs)
You cannot just sign up for Boston. You have to earn it by running a brutally fast qualifying time (BQ) or raising a large sum of money for charity.
**Why It's Special:** The legacy. It is the oldest annual marathon in the world. When you take that final right turn onto Hereford and left onto Boylston, you join a lineage of running history that stretches back to 1897.
8. Osaka Marathon (Japan)
**Field Size:** ~30,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Low
Japan has an incredibly deep running culture (evidenced by their aggressive corporate Ekiden teams). Osaka provides a massive, deeply cultural race experience for those who fail to get into the Tokyo lotteries.
**Why It's Special:** The food. Osaka is known as the "kitchen of Japan," and the post-race fueling scene is arguably better than any other finish line in the world.
9. Valencia Marathon (Spain)
**Field Size:** ~30,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Very Low (Incredibly flat, perfect winter weather)
Often called "The City of Running," Valencia has exploded in popularity over the last five years. It routinely delivers the deepest elite fields outside of the World Marathon Majors.
**Why It's Special:** The finish line. You run the final kilometers on a striking blue carpet suspended over the water at the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences.
10. Amsterdam Marathon (Netherlands)
**Field Size:** ~25,000+ finishers **Difficulty:** Low (Sea-level, flat, tree-lined)
Amsterdam quietly holds its own against the absolute biggest races on earth. It sells out consistently and attracts a massive international crowd looking for a European destination race without the ballot hassle of London or Berlin.
**Why It's Special:** You start and finish inside the historic 1928 Olympic Stadium. Running onto the track for the final 100 meters while your name is broadcast through the stadium speakers is an unforgettable feeling.
The Scale of the Sport
The biggest marathons in the world require closing entire cities down. They bring millions in tourism revenue and millions more in charity fundraising. The size of the race fundamentally changes the experience: running entirely shoulder-to-shoulder means you are never battling the wind alone, but you also have to aggressively protect your line at the aid stations.