Adding Up the Fundraising Efforts of the World Marathon Majors

As we draw nearer to the end of 2026, runners and the Abbott World Marathon Majors are combining their efforts towards making 2026 a record-breaking year for charity fundraising, and there are still two left this year.

The booming popularity of running is leading to an explosion in the amount of money being raised for good causes, showing that a free shirt and a medal might not be the primary motivators behind putting your mind and body through a 26.2-mile suffer-fest.

Abbott’s World Marathon Majors Overview

For many who are not fast enough or lucky enough to qualify by time or win a lottery selection, running for charity is the only way in. For some, the opportunity to raise money for a cause they believe in can be a primary motivator.

Many of these races offer dozens of options for marathon hopefuls, so no matter your passion, you’ll likely have a cause near and dear to your heart for which you can raise money.

With a couple of Marathon Majors yet to take place, we’ve already seen 4 of the original 6 break their own fundraising records. Both Chicago and New York are expecting big turnouts this year and have set their fundraising goals accordingly.

Below you’ll see just how much each Abbott World Major Marathon has raised in 2026, as well as what they’ve raised since the inception of their charity programs.

What Are The Fundraising Numbers So Far For 2026?

• In 2026, we saw the London Marathon, the largest single-day fundraising event in the world, break its own fundraising record with a total of 90 million British pounds ($118,890,900 USD). London’s 2026 total easily eclipsed its 2025 mark of 87.3 million pounds ($115,321,361 USD).
• The famed Boston Marathon took in a whopping $57.3 million at the 2026 Marathon, beating out its 2025 fundraising amount by nearly $7 million.
• The Tokyo Marathon brought its overall charity fundraising total (dating back to 2011) to $54.09 million, with an impressive $8,167,847 in 2026. The Tokyo Marathon organizers are forecasting a charity fundraising total of $8.5 million for their March 2027 race.
• The Sydney Marathon raked in $10.6 million in 2026, beating their 2025 number of $6.1 million.

How Much Are Upcoming Marathons Forecasted To Raise?

Of the two majors that have not yet taken place in 2026, Chicago is up next. Race organizers have reported a stretch goal of $48 to $52 million, based on forecasted charity runners and their minimum charity fundraising amount of $2,200.

The TCS New York Marathon, scheduled to take place November 1, 2026, jumped from $66 million raised in 2024 to $80 million in 2025. They’re expecting yet another big record-breaking turnout this year, with an estimated 237,000 runners not making the lottery selection, leading to a lot of charity runners. 

One of the more recent Abbott World Major Marathons, the Cape Town Marathon, does not release its fundraising numbers to the public.

We all have our reasons for wanting to run a marathon. It could be for the personal challenge of one’s limits; it could be for fun; it could even be for the t-shirt.

Through the fundraising programs that give access to many of the runners taking part in a marathon, and the generosity of the thousands of runners who participate in these programs, vulnerable communities may be granted access to funding and support where it was not previously available.

Funds raised can also help support and fund medical research or bring down poverty and inequality.

We often revel only in the wins, the records, and the compelling stories of the runners on the marathon courses. The real, tangible, but behind-the-scenes legacies and impacts of these World Major Marathons can be found in the good their fundraising efforts bring to the world.

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