Academic Marathon is a global academic competition for high school students (grades 9-12), active in 29+ countries and regions. It offers 14 subjects: Mathethon, Physithon, Chemithon, Biothon, Inforthon, Envirothon (Asia only), Econthon, Psychothon, Geothon, Historithon, Philosothon, Lingothon, Artithon, and Literathon. Each marathon is a standalone event tied to its subject area.
Students compete individually and work through five mandatory stages (Establish, Apply, Connect, Advance, Reach) of up to two hours each, for 10 active hours in total, all completed within a 24-hour window. Official preparatory materials are available between stages, and AI assistants and outside help are not permitted during active stages. Results are the total points earned across the five stages, and students who finish all five stages are ranked globally within each event and grade division.
From the 2026-27 season, Academic Marathon runs mainly through school-hosted marathons: schools choose subjects and set their own dates, and every school marathon must be completed by June 30, 2027. Schools pay US$200 per school per subject. Students outside a school marathon can join the online independent session on June 19, 2027, for US$30 per student per subject, with automatic fee waivers that can lower the fee to as little as US$0.
Checked November 4, 2026 against school marathon rules, independent registration and format rules. June 30 is school-event completion, while schools set their own student registration windows. June 19 is the separate independent session date; no exact global clock or timezone is stated. The personal 24-hour clock starts when Stage 1 is opened, so no same-day finish time is assumed.
Preparatory material must be studied before Stage 1 and is offered separately through LearningFirst, outside the independent registration fee. Automatic registration reductions do not establish coverage for those materials. Independent entrants choose one subject; the format page’s general multiple-event FAQ should not be read as overriding that route-specific limit. Refund terms are full up to 30 days before the event, 50% up to 14 days before, and none within 14 days; those are payment conditions, not registration deadlines.