Gaining entry to one of the world’s biggest and most elite marathons has gotten harder in recent years.
The distance is the same, as are the courses, but the booming interest in completing a 26.2-mile race has made entering marathon lotteries feel like buying a Powerball jackpot ticket, especially for one of the six — now seven — World Marathon Major races. More than a million people entered the lottery for a spot in London’s 2026 race.
But there is a back door, if you can afford it: marathon tour operators. These niche companies sell packages that can cost well over $4,000 for a race bib and accommodations, airfare not included. That compares with an average of about $200 in race fees that a lottery winner or runners who meet a time-qualifying standard would pay to get into a major race like London or Sunday’s Berlin race, though they would still have to pay for travel and accommodations.
Depending on the race, and on the package, tour operators like Marathon Tours & Travel, Sub3Travel, Travelling Fit and Born2Run can offer runners some combination of a guaranteed bib, a prime hotel room near the start or finish of the race, professional photography and video, group runs, private shuttles to the pre-race exposition and the start line, course tours, pre-race meals and post-race celebrations.
The treatment is comparable to what a professional athlete might receive, with less pressure on performance. All runners have to do is get themselves from the start line to the finish line. The tour group will do most of the rest.
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