You Can’t Buy Miles — Why the World Majors Are More Than a Medal
Every so often, a post makes the rounds questioning whether completing all the Abbott World Marathon Majors is truly about athletic achievement or just a display of privilege.
You’ve probably seen the take: “You don’t qualify, you pay.”
It’s the kind of statement that gets attention because it pokes at something deeply personal for so many of us... our why.
Let’s get one thing straight: running is not one-dimensional. It’s not defined by a finish time, a qualifying standard, or the cost of a plane ticket. Running has always been about transformation. Physical, emotional, and deeply personal.
The Myth That Only “Fast” Runners Are “Serious” Runners
There’s a false hierarchy in amateur running that says only certain performances are “worthy.”
But here’s the truth: discipline, commitment, and courage don’t show up only in sub-3 hour finishers. They show up in everyone who gets up in the wee hours of the morning, who laces up late at night after a long shift or after putting the kids to bed—those who sacrifice weekends, battle injury, doubt, or loss, all for the privilege of standing on a start line.
When someone completes all six World Majors, it doesn’t make them less of a runner. It often means they’ve sustained passion and consistency for years. That longevity, that dedication, is an achievement in itself.
The World Majors: More Than a Medal
For many runners, the Majors are about belonging to something bigger than themselves. It's about the shared humanity of running through Tokyo, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago, and New York, Sydney (and soon Cape Town).
They represent connection, cultural experience, and the global heartbeat of our sport.
Yes, it’s expensive. So are bikes, golf clubs, or ski passes. But we rarely question the legitimacy of those pursuits. So why do we suddenly assign moral judgment to runners who choose to spend their resources chasing a dream that spans the world?
The Beauty of Choice
Some runners chase time goals. Others chase start lines. Some train to win; others train to finish.
The beauty of this sport is that there’s room for all of it and one pursuit doesn’t diminish another.
You can celebrate a Boston Qualifier and a Six Star Finisher in the same breath. Both have worked relentlessly for what they’ve achieved. Both have earned their pride.
You Can’t Buy Miles
Yes, you can buy plane tickets. You can book hotels. You can pay entry fees.
But you cannot buy grit, discipline, heart, or the miles that test all three.
Every marathoner whether it’s their first or their fifteenth earns every step between start and finish.
And that, not the cost, is what truly matters.
Written by Lindsey Gerard, Six Star Finisher and Head Coach at Laurel Running Labs — helping runners of all levels chase their goals with purpose, process, and heart.