The Australian city is the first to join the prestigious list since Tokyo 11 years ago.
Sydney has been selected as the seventh Major of the Abbott World Marathon.
The Australian city had to meet certain criteria to join the likes of London, Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin and Tokyo.
The Sydney Marathon is the largest marathon in Oceania at 26.2 miles and had a record 20,272 finishers in this year’s competition, making it its second consecutive mark.
That means next year’s event (August 31) will be the World Marathon Majors, the first city to be dropped by Tokyo since 2013.
Sydney, welcome to the family!
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) November 3, 2024
“I am thrilled that Sydney will be the seventh major Abbott World Marathon,” said Dawna Stone, CEO of Abbott WMM.
“The Sydney team has been working towards this day, every day, for over three years, and to see their performance and event experience improve to the point where we can now call them a master is deeply impressive.
“We can’t wait for our community to embrace this race as a major and start planning their visits to run through the streets of one of the best cities in the world. Runners, your Sydney star awaits!
The current six-star medal will remain in place for those aiming to complete the original race.
However, in a few years there could be a nine-star medal, and two other marathons, Cape Town and Shanghai, are contenders to become the world’s major marathon races.
That could happen as early as 2026 and 2027 if they pass inspections during the two-year evaluation.
“Becoming the Abbott World Marathon is just incredible for the event, for the city of Sydney and for the state of New South Wales,” said Sydney Marathon Race Director Wayne Larden.
“We could not have achieved the incredible growth and lift to reach the Majors without the support of the NSW Government and Destination NSW, as well as our key partners TCS and ASICS. Our team is first class and has put in so much work to make this happen. It is really special for all of us.
“This amazing milestone will have a profound impact on running in Australia, inspiring the community to become marathoners and do something special for themselves, their families and friends. The health of the community will benefit along with the huge increase in fundraising.
“We are so excited to deliver the 2025 event as part of the largest marathon series on the planet.”
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