Sanlam Cape Town Marathon becomes a Major

ABBOTTWMM today confirmed that the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will join the series in 2027 to become the eighth member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

The race, which will take place on May 23, 2027, joins seven marathons including the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, the TCS London Marathon, the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon as part of the greatest marathon series in the world.

After completing its second successful evaluation at the 2026 event, Cape Town will not only become the eighth member of the series, but also Africa’s first Abbott World Marathon Major.

“It gives me huge pleasure to welcome Cape Town to the family,” said AbbottWMM CEO Dawna Stone.

“After watching the race grow in size and stature during its candidacy and also seeing the resilience and dedication of the team lead so wonderfully by Clark Gardner, Africa’s first Major has finally arrived.

“The unique culture, the welcome from the people of the city and the wonderful setting Cape Town provides will bring a whole new dimension to our series. I know runners in Africa and across the world will have a phenomenal experience at this race.”

All finishers of the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon each received a provisional star for their AbbottWMM journey. These stars will be fully upgraded in the coming weeks.

Clark Gardner, CEO of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon said: “To join the Abbott World Marathon Majors as Africa's first is a profound honor. This is a moment generations of African runners have waited for, and it belongs to everyone who carried us here. We are proud to take our place among the world's greatest marathons, and we look forward to welcoming the global running community to Cape Town in 2027.”

Cape Town will now form part of the journey towards the next Major milestone, the new Nine Star medal.

That landmark is now closer than ever. The third candidate race, the Shanghai Marathon, requires a second pass of AbbottWMM’s criteria when it takes place on December 6, 2026, in order to join the series as the ninth member.

Melissa Brotz, chief marketing and communications officer from Abbott, the series title sponsor, said: “For years, we have seen firsthand how running inspires people around the world to prioritize their health and well-being and achieve their full potential. We welcome the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and a new continent to the series.”

Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President - Infront Sports & Media, Head of Active Lifestyle, said: “This is a defining moment for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and for the continued globalization of mass participation running, a true milestone for the global running community. The consistent progress of the event over recent years reflects the shared long-term vision we have among all stakeholders.

“We are proud to be part of another successful AbbottWMM candidacy and that Cape Town takes its place among the world’s leading marathons. I would like to thank everybody involved and for contributing to this success story. Together we continue to shape the future of running!”

The current Six Star program will remain in place for runners striving to complete the original six Abbott World Marathon Major races. AbbottWMM has committed to keeping the Six Star medal which will continue to be awarded even when the Nine Star medal becomes available.

To help commemorate every runner’s journey and race achievements, AbbottWMM also offers all runners a collectible medal display. Custom displays can be purchased to showcase the runner’s achievements from two races to all eight. The full range is available here.‍

Criteria used to assess candidates in the current evaluation process include every aspect of the runner experience from Expo to race course, the standard of elite athletes recruited, all operational procedures, safety standards and much more.

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