The third edition of the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings will move to a calendar year schedule beginning January 01, 2021 with runners chasing a place at the 2022 World Championships, the venue and date of which will be announced in the first half of the new year.
As the world continues to adapt and shift with the COVID-19 pandemic situation, runners will have three avenues of entry to the 2022 world championships:
In-person events
The global growth of the series continues with more than 250 races in the line-up for this qualifying series, covering 80 countries and spanning six continents. You can earn ranking points on a maximum of two qualifying events. Click the link below for a full list of qualifying events.
Virtual qualifying events
Some marathons that are part of the third edition of the qualifying series are having to pivot to a virtual event for 2021. Races that provide Abbott World Marathon Majors with full results will give their top age group performers the chance to earn world ranking points in a newly created virtual rankings platform that will sit along-side the other avenues to the World Championships. A proportion of the championship places on offer will be allocated to this channel.
The AbbottWMM Global Marathon
As part of the AbbottWMM Global Run Club, which launched August 2020, we will celebrate the Majors and spring time - which for so many over the years has been an exciting race season for the Majors - with the Abbott World Marathon Majors Global Marathon. As part of this global virtual event, there will be a number of places on offer for the top age group runners who participate. This is a great chance to compete and put yourself in contention for a place at the 2022 World Championships. Event date and registration details will be shared in the coming weeks.
Tim Hadzima, Executive Director of the Abbott World Marathon Majors said: “I continue to be inspired and impressed every day by the adaptability of the race organizers and the resilience of the global community of marathon runners.
"We have set out a process for the upcoming AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships to allow runners the best access possible in order to qualify from wherever they might be in the world.
"By offering additional places through our own global marathon and through our qualifying events that go virtual, we are excited that our age group world rankings and world championships can continue to represent the amazing breadth and depth of talent of our global marathon participants. We are very much looking forward to getting the 2021 season of racing started."
