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This year’s New York City Marathon, held Nov. 2, made big headlines thanks to a new course record for women (Kenya’s Hellen Obiri finished in 2:19.51) and a photo-finish on the men’s side (Kenya’s Benson Kipruto beat out fellow countryman Alexander Mutiso Munyao by 0.03 seconds).
But a few days earlier, the marathon was in the news for being named the world’s most valuable marathon brand in a first-of-its-kind report from London-based Brand Finance, a brand valuation consultancy. The event is valued at $292 million — driven by extensive and diverse revenue streams, strong brand equity and high revenues across sponsorship, entry fees and broadcast.
The New York City Marathon is one of seven Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series of the world’s largest and most renowned marathons that helped drive the combined brand value of those events to $1 billion, according to the report. Other Abbott events include the London Marathon, the Boston Marathon, the Tokyo Marathon, the Berlin Marathon, the Sydney Marathon and the Chicago Marathon.
The brand strength analysis of the top 50 marathon brands, as covered in the Brand Finance Marathons 50 2025, is based on original market research that incorporates perception data from both the general public and self-identified runners — about 10,000 individuals, all told — from around the world and calculated using a balanced scorecard of metrics.
“The New York City Marathon is not only one of the world’s most iconic races as part of the Abbot World Marathon Majors, but also a cultural landmark,” Laurence Newell, managing director of Brand Finance Americas, said in a statement.
“With more than five decades of history, it stands out among U.S. respondents in Brand Finance’s research for its unmatched media presence across TV, online and news, and for the way it sparks conversations among friends, family and communities. As a cornerstone event for marathoners worldwide, it captures the energy and ambition of the city itself.”
The New York City Marathon also shares the top spot with the Boston Marathon for heritage and prestige, and it’s highly rated for providing a great spectator experience — earning joint top scores for elite participation alongside the London Marathon.
In terms of economic impact, the New York City Marathon ranks second among the world’s top 50, estimated at $622 million in 2024, fueled by mass spectatorship and subsequent spending. Significant revenue generation comes from sponsorships, entry fees and charitable contributions. According to Brand Finance research, the world’s top 50 marathons contributed $5.2 billion to their host cities last year.
“Marathons are simultaneously elite athletic competitions and public mass participation events, and usually also major charity initiatives,” said Hugo Hensley, valuation director at Brand Finance. “This unique position is evident in the strength and value of marathon brands. … Marathons are extremely attractive and effective sponsorship opportunities for brands that genuinely align with the events’ values of community, charity and competition.”
The Abbott World Marathon Majors collectively raised $276 million for charity in 2024, which is more than half of the $425 million in total charitable funds generated by the world’s top 50 marathons.
Additionally, the report names the London Marathon as the world’s strongest marathon brand, followed by the New York City Marathon and the Paris Marathon.
“The London Marathon brings together elite athletes and everyday runners each year, earning joint top scores for elite participation in the research, alongside the New York City Marathon, as well as high scores for being accessible and inclusive,” according to the report. “The London Marathon recently became the first marathon in the world to award equal prize money amounts for both wheelchair users and non-disabled athletes. This milestone in disability sports has likely further enhanced the race’s reputation for accessibility and inclusivity, reflected in a top score in this metric.”
The report also cites the London Marathon as a “highly organized and well-staffed event” that offers “an excellent experience for spectators” — noting “the massive crowds that line the streets to watch live and the strong viewership following the event on television.”
The Paris Marathon, incidentally, is the only race in the top six marathon brands not classified as an Abbott World Marathon Major. Its brand, however, might have benefited in the research from post-Olympics enthusiasm.
Hosted in an iconic city, the Paris Marathon enjoys strong domestic and international perceptions, ranking first internationally for its great atmosphere, according to the report.
Generally speaking, marathons in North America and Europe claim four of the top ten spots in Brand Finance’s brand strength ranking. The Boston Marathon is No. 5, the San Francisco Marathon is No. 8 and the Los Angeles Marathon is No. 10. The Berlin Marathon, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4, and the Rome Marathon lands at No. 7.
“This is primarily due to their established reputations, large participant bases and significant commercial partnerships,” the report concluded. “Although the Chicago Marathon has a surprisingly low brand strength score [ranking 27th on the list], its high brand value is driven by its substantial revenue generation, including entry fees, sponsorships and merchandise sales.”
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