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Four Canadian events part of new, exclusive World Marathon Major age group series

Six Star Finisher Medal

Six Star Finisher Medal

Many are familiar with the World Marathon Majors comprising of six 42.2K events that include Boston, London, Tokyo, Chicago, Berlin and New York City. These races are considered by many to be the most illustrious and sought-after running events on Earth and many aspire to compete and complete them all.

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Starting this year, a new initiative called the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group Work Rankings (quite a mouthful) will launch in Berlin and give age group marathoners something new to aspire to.

Participants in an AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Ranking qualifying race will earn points according to their age, time and gender, aligned with the following age groups for men and women: 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+. Those who earn the most points for their age and gender by running two qualifying times will be eligible to compete at a championship race set to take place at the London Marathon in spring 2020. This may be one of very few ways for Canadians to gain access to the London event as entry for non-U.K citizens is notoriously difficult.

More than 50 events will serve as qualifying races where participants can accrue points during a one-year qualifying window. There are four Canadian events on the list of official qualifiers: Rock ‘n’ Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon (Sept. 23, 2018), Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (Oct. 21, 2018), Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon (May 26, 2019) and Scotiabank Calgary Marathon (May 26, 2019). This gives Canadian marathoners ample opportunity to take part in the new initiative.

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“The Calgary Marathon is proud to be a part of the local running scene in Calgary and increasingly a national tradition as the longest standing marathon in Canada. Joining the global running community as part of the AbbottWMM family is a natural next step for this event which celebrates 55 years in 2019,” says Executive Director Kirsten Fleming. “Calgary has so much to offer and whether you live in the neighbourhoods in which we run, or across the globe, it’s a fantastic city in which to run and rank on your way to a 6-star World Marathon Major finish.”

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