We are undertaking an assessment process of three races who are official candidates to join the series. This is a multi-year process that requires each race to pass AbbottWMM’s criteria for two consecutive years before they can become Abbott World Marathon Majors
Shanghai Marathon is the first World Athletics Platinum Label Marathon in China and the first marathon named after the city of Shanghai. More than 150,000 people registering for the Shanghai Marathon every year.
Located in the east of China, at the mouth of the Yangtze River and facing the Pacific Ocean, Shanghai covers an area of 6340.5 square kilometers, with 16 districts and a resident population of over 24 million. Shanghai is the leader of China's reform and opening up and an international city with profound connections to the world. Together with the neighbouring provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui, the Yangtze River Delta, which is one of the most active regions in China in terms of economic development, demonstrates the highest degree of openness, and the strongest capacity for innovation.
Shanghai is focusing on becoming a globally renowned city for sport events, and in 2024 the city has hosted up to 175 international and domestic sports events, including international events like the Olympic Qualifier Series Shanghai, ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, F1 China Grand Prix and the Shanghai Longines Global Champions Tour.
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was officially confirmed as an Abbott World Marathon Majors candidate race in August 2021.
It is the first African race to obtain AbbottWMM candidate status.
Cape Town is a port city on the tip of South Africa’s southwest coast that is overlooked by the world-renowned Table Mountain, an official New7Wonder of Nature. It is consistently rated as one of the world’s most beautiful cities and most popular tourist destinations - renowned for its exquisite natural beauty, sweeping vistas, beaches, family friendly activities and some of the best restaurants in the world.
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has been growing in popularity for the better part of the last decade, with its route offering spectacular ocean scenery and mountain views, while passing many of the City’s great attractions from its famous street art to its iconic historical features - including City Hall, where Nelson Mandela delivered his first public speech as a free man in 1990.
The TCS Sydney Marathon is a World Athletics Platinum Label event and is the sole remaining participant legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic games.
Sydney announced its candidacy for the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2022 and achieved its first evaluation pass in 2023. The marathon course takes runners across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and also features notable sights such as Circular Quay and Centennial Park, before a finish in front of the world-famous Sydney Opera House.
The race is the largest marathon in the continent of Australasia having seen exponential growth since becoming a candidate to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
