Update to Age Group World Championship qualification

The qualifying period for the 2027 AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships is now open and will close at the end of September 2026.

The main qualification route for the 2027 event will be based on rankings at the end of the qualifying period.  This is for the 2027 Championship only and differs from previous years where running an automatic qualifying time has earned an instant invite.

The location of the 2027 World Champs will be announced in early 2026. The list of qualifying races can be found here.

‍Additionally, runners can qualify by entering the AbbottWMM Global Marathon (Fall 2025), held within the Global Run Club. There are 200 places available for the fastest verified finishers. More information can be found here.

Qualification for the 2026 Age Group World Championships remains open and will be held within the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on May 24, 2026.

Any runners who competed in a qualifying race between January 1, 2025 and September 30, 2025 must ensure their results are in their WMM profile by October 13 to be eligible for a world championships invite. You will have until November 12 to complete your entry application.

Runners competing in races from October 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 will have until January 11, 2026 to claim results.

Runners achieving the automatic qualifying time will receive instant confirmation that they have qualified for the 2026 World Champs. Invites to runners just missing out on the qualifying time will start to be sent out from the end of October through to December.

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