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The Boston Marathon ranks fifth among the world’s strongest marathon brands

24 April 2025
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Brand Finance releases first-of-its-kind research on the economic impact and brand strength of the world’s top 50 marathons

  • Boston Marathon ranks as the fifth strongest marathon brand globally, recognized for its heritage, prestige, and global familiarity
  • London Marathon leads as the world's strongest marathon brand, while the New York City Marathon is the most valuable, estimated at $292 million
  • The combined brand value of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors reaches $1 billion
  • The world’s top 50 marathons raised an estimated $425 million for charity in 2024
  • Abbott World Marathon Majors account for over half of total economic impact and raise $276 million for charity in 2024

The Boston Marathon is the world’s fifth strongest marathon brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 80.8 out of 100, according to a new report from Brand Finance.

The report, based on insights from a global survey of over 10,000 people, places the Boston Marathon alongside the New York City Marathon as the leading event for heritage and prestige, reflecting its status as the oldest annual marathon in the world. It also earns exceptionally high familiarity scores, on par with the New York City, London, and Paris Marathons, which are the top three strongest marathon brands globally.

In terms of economic impact, the Boston Marathon ranks fifth among the world’s top 50, estimated at USD308 million, due to its international appeal and robust infrastructure. According to Brand Finance research, the world’s top 50 marathons contribute USD5.2 billion to their host cities. Among the Abbot World Marathon Majors, the Boston Marathon is the fourth most valuable brand, with a brand value of USD124 million.

Laurence Newell, Managing Director, Brand Finance Americas, commented:

“The Boston Marathon is not just one of the world’s most recognizable marathons — it’s also one of the most revered. With over a century of history, the Boston Marathon has cemented its place as a global symbol of endurance, tradition, and excellence. Its strong brand performance is rooted in a powerful legacy, high global familiarity, and emotional resonance with elite athletes and the wider running community.”

Hugo Hensley, Valuation Director at Brand Finance, commented:

Marathons are simultaneously elite athletic competitions and public mass participation events, and usually also major charity initiatives. This unique position is evident in the strength and value of marathon brands, and the USD5.2 billion economic impact they have on the cities where they run. Marathons are extremely attractive and effective sponsorship opportunities for brands that genuinely align with the events’ values of community, charity, and competition.”

Brand Finance data reveals that the London Marathon is the strongest marathon brand, with a BSI score of 90.1 out of 100, while the New York City Marathon has the most valuable brand. The London and New York City Marathons earn joint top scores for elite participation. London also excels in accessibility and inclusivity, making history in 2024 as the first marathon to offer equal prize money for both wheelchair athletes and able-bodied competitors.

The Paris Marathon is the third-strongest marathon brand globally with a BSI score of 86.6 out of 100. Paris is the only race in the top six not classified as an Abbott World Marathon Major, though its brand may have benefited in the research from post-Olympic enthusiasm. Hosted in an iconic city, the Paris Marathon enjoys strong domestic and international perceptions, ranking first internationally for its great atmosphere.

The Abbott World Marathon Majors’ collective brand value is USD937 million. They also collectively raised USD276 million for charity in 2024, more than half of the total charitable funds raised by the world’s top 50 marathons at an estimated USD425 million.

Brand Finance will launch its inaugural Marathons 50 report, in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), at the London Stock Exchange Group on April 24, 2025.

Note to Editors

The inaugural Brand Finance Marathons 50 2025 study is based on data from a representative sample of over 10,000 respondents, including the general public and self-identified runners, ensuring insights into both broad and specific perceptions of the world’s top 50 marathon brands.

Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 6,000 of the world’s biggest brands to the test, and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The world’s top 50 strongest marathon brands are included in the Brand Finance Marathons 50 2025 report.

Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. The full ranking, additional insights, charts, more information about the methodology, and definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance Marathons 50 2025 report.

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Media Contacts

Florina Cormack-Loyd
Communications Director - North America
Brand Finance

About Brand Finance

Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.

Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.

Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.

In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.

Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.

Definition of Brand

Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.

Brand Strength

Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.

Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.

Brand Valuation Approach

Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.

The steps in this process are as follows:

1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.

2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.

3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.

4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.

5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.

6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.

7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.

Disclaimer

Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.

The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.

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