6 World Marathons to Add to Your Bucket List (2027)

Q: What are the best marathons in the world?

Pierce Showe's bucket-list picks are Athens, London, the Great Wall, Tokyo, Rome and Paris.

The short answer

Six marathons around the world to put on your bucket list, counting down: 6. Paris, 5. Rome, 4. Tokyo, 3. the Great Wall, 2. London and 1. Athens, the original marathon route.

A marathon is one of the best excuses there is to see the world. You get to run through a city's most famous streets, with the roads closed and crowds cheering you on, and then spend the rest of the trip exploring.

Here are six to add to your list, counting down to #1. Looking closer to home? Here are 10 bucket-list marathons in the United States.

6. Paris Marathon (France)

Paris Marathon runners passing beneath trees with the Eiffel Tower behind them — Running past the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

When: April 4, 2027 (the 50th edition)
Course: Starts on the Champs-Élysées near the Arc de Triomphe, runs along the Seine and past the Eiffel Tower, and finishes on Avenue Foch
How to get in: Lottery (2027 closed September 30, 2026), charity or travel packages

You start on the Champs-Élysées with the Arc de Triomphe behind you, pass Place de la Concorde, run along the Seine and see the Eiffel Tower in the later miles.

2027 is the 50th edition, and it switched to a lottery for the first time. More than 166,000 people applied.

See the Paris Marathon →

5. Rome Marathon (Italy)

Thousands of runners gathered at the start of the Rome Marathon in front of the Colosseum — The start of the Rome Marathon, at the Colosseum.

When: March 14, 2027
Course: Starts on Via dei Fori Imperiali with the Colosseum behind the start line, and finishes near the Circus Maximus
How to get in: Open registration

You start with the Colosseum behind you and run through 2,000-plus years of history. Watch your footing on the cobblestone sections.

It's also the easiest one on this list to get into: no lottery and no qualifying time.

4. Tokyo Marathon (Japan)

Tokyo Marathon runners passing a red temple gate with Tokyo Tower behind it — Runners passing Zōjō-ji temple, with Tokyo Tower behind it.

When: March 7, 2027 (the 20th edition)
Course: Starts at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku and finishes at Tokyo Station
How to get in: Lottery (2027 closed August 28, 2026), charity or travel packages

One of the World Marathon Majors, and Japan's largest marathon. You run through the heart of Tokyo with some of the best crowd support in the world.

Getting in is the hard part. Only about 1 in 10 lottery applicants got a spot for 2027.

See the Tokyo Marathon →

3. Great Wall Marathon (China)

A line of runners climbing steps on the Great Wall of China during the Great Wall Marathon — Runners climbing the steps of the Great Wall.

When: May 15, 2027
Where: Huangyaguan, Tianjin
Course: Roads, villages and 5,164 steps on the Great Wall itself
How to get in: International runners sign up through a travel package

This one is more adventure than race. You climb 5,164 steps on the Great Wall, through stone paths and watchtowers, and nobody runs a PR here.

If you love ultras and hills, this is the marathon for you.

See the Great Wall Marathon →

2. London Marathon (England)

A crowd of London Marathon runners with Tower Bridge behind them — Runners coming off Tower Bridge in London.

When: April 2027 (2027 may be a one-time two-day event, April 24–25)
Course: Greenwich to The Mall, crossing Tower Bridge around mile 12 and finishing in front of Buckingham Palace
How to get in: Ballot (2027 closed May 1, 2026), charity or travel packages

Crossing Tower Bridge and finishing on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace is one of the most iconic finishes in running.

It's also the hardest race in the world to get into. A record 1.33 million people applied for the 2027 ballot.

See the London Marathon →

1. Athens Marathon, The Authentic (Greece)

The Athens Marathon finish line inside the marble Panathenaic Stadium, with crowds in the stands — The finish inside the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

When: November 2027 (date TBA; 2026 is November 8)
Course: The original route, from the town of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens
How to get in: Registration usually opens in the spring

This is where it all started. You run the original marathon route, from Marathon to Athens, and finish inside the marble Panathenaic Stadium, home of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

It's not easy. The course climbs for about 20 kilometers, from around the 10K mark to the 31K mark, before you head downhill into Athens. But no other finish line has this much history.

See the Athens Marathon →

Summary: world marathons for your bucket list

#	Race	2027 date	How to get in
6	Paris	Apr 4	Lottery, charity or travel package
5	Rome	Mar 14	Open registration
4	Tokyo	Mar 7	Lottery, charity or travel package
3	Great Wall	May 15	Travel package
2	London	Apr 24–25	Ballot, charity or travel package
1	Athens	Nov (TBA)	Registration opens in the spring

Dates marked TBA had not been announced as of November 2026.

Training for one? Here are 5 things that helped me cut 52 minutes off my marathon time and how I fueled to run a 2:51.

Want help running your bucket-list marathon?

I coach people to their first marathon and faster marathons. I'll build the plan around your life and be in your corner all the way to the finish line.

Apply for coaching

Common questions

What are the best marathons in the world?

My bucket-list picks are Athens, London, the Great Wall, Tokyo, Rome and Paris.

Which world marathon is easiest to get into?

Rome. It has open registration, with no lottery and no qualifying time.

Which world marathon is hardest to get into?

London. A record 1.33 million people applied for the 2027 ballot.

Where did the marathon start?

In Greece. The Athens Marathon follows the original route from the town of Marathon to Athens, finishing in the Panathenaic Stadium.