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Understanding Race Classifications

HOW RACES ARE RANKED

There is no single system for classifying running races. Road races, trail ultras, and track meets each use different organizations and metrics. Here is what every badge on Run Time means — and why it matters.

PrestigeQualityDifficultySeries
WMMPrestige
Is this a big deal? WMM membership and UTMB Series tier tell you how significant a race is in the sport.
WA PlatinumQuality
Is this well-organized? World Athletics Labels certify race quality — timing, course, fields, and anti-doping.
ITRA 6 ptsDifficulty
How hard is this? ITRA points measure endurance demand based on distance and elevation gain.
A race can carry multiple badges. For example, the Berlin Marathon is both an Abbott World Marathon Major (prestige) and a WA Platinum Label race (quality). UTMB is both a UTMB World Series Finals race (prestige) and ITRA 6 points (difficulty). These systems answer different questions.
Prestige
ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS
What it is
The Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a series of the most prestigious marathon races in the world. It is not a quality certification or a difficulty rating — it is a curated membership of the biggest, most historic, most culturally significant city marathons on Earth.
The races
The current members are Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. Sydney was added in 2025 as the seventh major. Shanghai and Cape Town are candidate races under evaluation for future membership.
How it started
The series was founded in 2006 by the organizers of the five original Majors (Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin) to create a unified championship for elite marathon running. Tokyo joined in 2013. The series is now sponsored by Abbott, a global healthcare company.
The Six Star Medal
Runners who complete all six original Majors earn the coveted Six Star Medal — a symbol recognized throughout the running world. Over 22,000 runners from 139 countries have achieved Six Star status. It has become one of the most sought-after achievements in recreational running.
What it means for runners
If a race carries the WMM badge, you are looking at the absolute pinnacle of marathon prestige. These races have the deepest elite fields, the largest crowds, the richest history, and the most competitive entry processes in the sport.
Quality
WORLD ATHLETICS LABELS
What it is
World Athletics (the global governing body for track, field, and road running) assigns quality labels to road races that meet strict organizational and competitive standards. Think of it as a quality certification — like a Michelin star for road races.
The four tiers
Platinum Label is the highest tier, requiring elite international fields and world-class race organization. Only about 14 marathons worldwide hold this status. Gold Label requires strong international fields. Elite Label (formerly Silver) represents solid international competition. Label is the baseline certification, confirming the race meets international standards for timing, course measurement, anti-doping, and organization.
How a race qualifies
Races must have an AIMS-certified course, full electronic timing, closed roads with no vehicular traffic, minimum representation from 5+ nations in the elite field, gender-equal prize money, and full anti-doping compliance. Higher tiers require progressively more elite athletes at the start line.
History
The label system started with Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers. In 2020, the Platinum tier was added above Gold to recognize the very best road races. The system was restructured again in 2023 to the current four-tier format: Platinum, Gold, Elite, and Label.
What it means for runners
A WA Label tells you the race is professionally organized and internationally recognized. The higher the tier, the stronger the elite field you will be racing alongside and the higher the overall production quality. All six World Marathon Majors carry Platinum Label status, but many non-Major races also earn Platinum — it is a broader certification than WMM membership.
Difficulty
ITRA ENDURANCE POINTS
What it is
The International Trail Running Association (ITRA) assigns endurance points to trail races based on a simple formula that measures how physically demanding a race is. This is purely a difficulty rating — it says nothing about prestige, organization quality, or field strength.
The scale
Points range from 0 to 6. A 0 is a short trail run under 25km. A 1 is roughly 25-44km. A 2 is around 45-74km. A 3 covers marathon-distance mountain races. A 4 represents 100K mountain ultras. A 5 is 100-mile mountain races. A 6 is the most extreme — 200km+ ultras with massive elevation.
How it works
ITRA uses a "km-effort" formula: Distance (km) + Elevation Gain (m) / 100. So a 45km race with 1,500m of climbing equals 45 + 15 = 60 km-effort, which falls in the 2-point range. The formula accounts for both distance and vertical — a short but extremely steep mountain race can score higher than a longer but flat ultra.
Why it matters
ITRA points are the universal language of trail race difficulty. When a runner says "I have done a 4-point race," every trail runner immediately understands the level of effort involved. Many elite races require minimum ITRA points to register — for example, UTMB requires proof of completing races with enough accumulated points.
What it means for runners
Use ITRA points to quickly gauge whether a race is in your range. If you have completed a 3-point race, a jump to 6 points is a massive step up in difficulty. The points help you plan your progression through increasingly challenging events. Note that a local 100-miler and UTMB can both be 6 points — the system measures effort, not prestige.
Series
UTMB WORLD SERIES
What it is
The UTMB World Series is the premier global circuit for ultra-trail running, organized by the UTMB Group. It functions as a qualification and competition pathway leading to the annual UTMB Finals in Chamonix, France — widely considered the world championship of ultra-trail running.
The tiers
Finals are the pinnacle events held in Chamonix each August: the OCC (50K), CCC (100K), and UTMB (100 miles). Majors are four regional flagship events across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Oceania — the top 10 men and women at each Major auto-qualify for the Finals. Events are 50+ global races where the top 3 finishers per gender auto-qualify. Index Races are 5,500+ races worldwide where runners can validate their UTMB fitness index for entry qualification.
How qualification works
Finishing a World Series Event or Major earns "Running Stones" — essentially lottery tickets for Finals entry. Majors award double the Running Stones. Runners also need a valid UTMB Index score (a performance rating validated at any of the 5,500+ Index races) in the appropriate distance category. More Running Stones means more chances in the lottery.
History
UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) started as a single race in 2003. It grew into the most iconic ultra-trail race in the world. The UTMB Group then expanded into a global series, partnering with races on every continent to create a structured pathway from local trail races to the Finals in Chamonix.
What it means for runners
If a race is a UTMB World Series event, finishing it earns you Running Stones toward the UTMB Finals — the dream race for most ultra-trail runners. The tier tells you how close to the top of the pyramid a race sits. A "Finals" badge means you are looking at one of the three pinnacle races in Chamonix. A "Major" badge means it is a regional championship-level event. An "Event" badge means it is an officially recognized qualifying race.
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Now that you know what the badges mean, browse every race on Run Time with full context.

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