Tokyo Will Be Added as Sixth Major Marathon The marathons in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York and London have welcomed Tokyo into their club. On Friday, the races" directors, who will be meeting in New York ahead of the New York City Marathon, will announce that Tokyo will become the sixth World Marathon Major. The decision, which was months in the works, affirmed what the running community has long known: Tokyo's marathon has become one of the world's largest and most lucrative races. For years, the Tokyo Marathon was an elite-only race. But in 2007 it became a mass marathon and was an immediate success. About 300,000 people now apply for a spot, but only 36,000 start the race. About 10 percent of the field is from overseas. The entry fee is 10,000 yen, or about $120. Adding Tokyo to the calendar means there will be three major marathons, along with Boston and London, at the beginning of the year, and three - Berlin, Chicago and New York - in the fall. Tokyo's next race will be Feb. 24. It is also the first marathon major outside of Europe and the United States, and organizers hope that will expand the pool of potential sponsors. Tokyo may also benefit from runners who want to compete in every major race. "Since we started the Tokyo Marathon, we wanted to be a World Marathon Major someday because everyone recognized that it's the top brand in the running world," said Tad Hayano, the race director of the Tokyo Marathon. Our advantage is we will get to promote the Tokyo Marathon to the world. Until now, the five race directors made equal contributions to the $1 million pool of prize money split between the top male and female finisher in the two-year race series. That pool will now be split six ways. Tokyo's race in February will be the first race of the 2013-2014 cycle. The original five races that make up World Marathon Majors, a confederation of independent races, established benchmarks for new entrants, including a significant pro field and prize money; news media coverage; mass participation; as well as a history of 25 years or more. Only the last standard was bent on Tokyo's behalf. "It has always been a thought that Asia naturally should be involved, and Tokyo fits the bill more than any other event," said Tom Grilk, the executive director of the Boston Athletic Association, which puts on the Boston Marathon. Tokyo has a pool of well-known sponsors, an asset for the World Marathon Majors, which do not have a title sponsor. Sponsors of the Tokyo Marathon include BMW Japan, Seiko, Mizuho Bank, Seven-Eleven Japan, Asahi Breweries, American Express, All Nippon Airways and McDonald's. Getting a company to sponsor the series of six races may be difficult because each race has its own sponsors in many categories - like automobiles, airlines and banks - that may not want to be trumped by one of their competitors.