Abbott World Marathon Majors is delighted to announce that the Shanghai Marathon will now proceed to the second stage of the candidacy process in its attempt to join the series.
The marathon was assessed for the second time in November 2025 and met all the criteria set by the Abbott World Marathon Majors in order to pass stage one.
Shanghai will now be required to meet the criteria for a second consecutive year when it stages its next marathon on December 6, 2026.
If it is successful, the race would join the Majors in 2027.
“We have seen a fantastic level of commitment from the Shanghai team throughout their candidacy,” said AbbottWMM CEO, Dawna Stone.
“Their hard work has put them firmly on the pathway to success and our evaluation team was very impressed with the event they witnessed in November. We have high hopes that the race will continue on its promising trajectory and make their dream a reality.”
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Xu Bin, Director General of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, stated: “Shanghai Marathon stands as one of the city's most influential sport events. We will spare no effort in supporting the race to reach even higher standards, and we look forward to officially joining the Abbott WMM family in the near future. Through top-tier international sport events, we will accelerate Shanghai's development into a globally renowned sports city.”
Zheng Yuanhu, Chairman of Donghao Lansheng Group, stated: “From World Athletics Platinum Label Race to Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate Race, Shanghai Marathon has consistently pursued excellence and refinement, always surpassing its own limits. We sincerely thank the World Marathon Majors for their recognition and encouragement, which will fuel our drive forward. Moving forward, we will spare no effort in our pursuit of excellence, striving to officially join the World Marathon Majors family as soon as possible. We will live up to expectations and honor our passion.”
Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President Active Lifestyle at Infront, added: “Marathons around the world continue to attract growing interest, and the momentum in Asia - especially in China - is remarkable. The Shanghai Marathon’s progress through the Abbott World Marathon Majors evaluation phase underlines both the enormous appetite for high‑quality running experiences in the region and the strong commitment from the city and its stakeholders.
"We’re very pleased to closely support the Shanghai team on this journey side by side with the teams from World Marathon Majors. We believe the event has everything it needs to become one of the most internationally recognized marathons in the future with its own unique positioning in the World Marathon Majors calendar, adding value to the global running community while also promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in China.”
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon also requires one more pass of the AbbottWMM criteria to join the series. The race, which was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in October 2025, takes place on May 2026.
If both races are successful in their forthcoming assessments, the series will comprise a total of nine races in 2027 and the Nine Star medal will be introduced.
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