More than 2,500 of the world’s top age-group runners will line up on Staten Island this weekend, chasing not just the thrill of finishing the TCS New York City Marathon, but something even more elite, the title of Age Group World Champion.
The 2025 Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships will take place on November 2, folded into the mass-participation race that winds through all five boroughs of New York City.
For amateur runners aged 40 and above, it’s the pinnacle of competitive marathon achievement, a chance to race against the very best in the world and take home one of the sport’s most coveted medals.
And this year’s medal is more than just hardware, it’s a piece of New York. The 2025 AGWC finisher medal features a custom design showcasing the city’s famous skyline and the Statue of Liberty, a fitting tribute to the global diversity of the field.
What Is the AbbottWMM Age Group World Championship?
Launched in 2019, the AGWC is Abbott World Marathon Majors’ answer to a growing demand for elite-level competition among amateur runners. While most international championships are reserved for professionals and sub-elites, the AGWC highlights a different kind of excellence, age-defying speed, consistency, and international representation.
According to AbbottWMM, over 370 qualifying marathons around the world feed into the AGWC system, allowing runners from dozens of countries to earn their shot at championship glory. The 2025 event marks the fifth edition of the AGWC and the first time it returns to New York since the inaugural 2019 event.
“Every year, we see extraordinary performances from athletes in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond,” said Tim Hadzima, Executive Director of Abbott World Marathon Majors. “This championship is about celebrating those athletes, and the city of New York offers the perfect stage”
How Athletes Qualified for the 2025 AGWC
Getting to the start line in New York was no small feat. Athletes had to earn their place through one of three rigorous qualification routes during the 2024 calendar year:
- Global Rankings Performance
Runners who consistently ranked high in the official AbbottWMM Age Group World Rankings from January 1 to December 31, 2024, received invites based on points accumulated across multiple races. To be eligible, runners needed to register on AbbottWMM.com and have their results officially recorded. - Automatic Time Qualification
For many, the most direct route was hitting the qualifying time standard at any of the 370+ certified marathons worldwide. The times were aggressive, reflecting elite amateur performance. For example, a man aged 50 to 54 needed to run sub-2:48, while a woman aged 60 to 64 had to clock under 3:49. - Virtual Qualification via the Global Marathon
In a nod to the growing popularity of virtual racing post-pandemic, a limited number of athletes also earned entry through AbbottWMM’s Global Run Club, which hosted a series of virtual races in 2024. Top finishers in these virtual events secured a rare pathway into the championship field.
Qualification Standards: How Fast You Had to Run
Here’s a look at the 2025 automatic qualifying standards, which underline just how competitive this field truly is:
| Age Group | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 40–44 | 2:35 | 3:05 |
| 45–49 | 2:42 | 3:13 |
| 50–54 | 2:48 | 3:21 |
| 55–59 | 2:57 | 3:34 |
| 60–64 | 3:10 | 3:49 |
| 65–69 | 3:26 | 4:12 |
| 70–74 | 3:40 | 4:35 |
| 75–79 | 4:06 | 5:15 |
| 80+ | 4:40 | 5:30 |
These standards rival some national championship marks and reflect the growing depth and competitiveness of age-group racing.
The AGWC has gained traction in recent years not just because of its prestige, but because it represents a broader shift in how we talk about aging in endurance sports.
Runners like Jo Schoonbroodt of the Netherlands, who ran 2:54 at age 71 in Rotterdam, or Jeannie Rice of the U.S., who set a W70 world record of 3:24:48 in Berlin in 2022, are redefining what’s possible well into their later decades.
With over 2,500 age-group athletes expected to compete in the AGWC, the energy in the New York City Marathon field will be palpable. While the professionals race up front, battles will be unfolding all across the course from Brooklyn to the Bronx among runners chasing AGWC podium spots.
