Sydney Marathon added to the Abbott World Marathon Majors

Sydney Marathon has been officially elevated to the ranks of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, becoming the seventh city to join the prestigious series.

Starting in 2025, the Sydney Marathon will become the first major marathon in the Southern Hemisphere. It joins elite races in Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.

To earn this honour, the Sydney Marathon had to meet over 100 different standards, including runner experience, drink station availability, and finisher numbers. In 2022, the race had about 5,000 runners, but by September 2023, it had over 20,000 finishers.

The marathon course starts in North Sydney, takes runners over the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge, and eventually finishes in front of the Sydney Opera House. The course will have the most elevation gain of any major at 1,040 feet, but overall, it’s net downhill.

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There have been clues that Sydney was on the cusp of becoming a major. The race hosted the 2024 World Age Group Championships and gained a major sponsor, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which also sponsors the New York City and London marathons.

The World Marathon Majors have eyed a target of nine races since 2017 when they opened up the candidacy process. That year, the Singapore Marathon announced it would bid to join the ranks, but in 2021, it dropped out of the program.

The Chengdu Marathon, founded in 2017, became a candidate in 2019, but the Chinese race struggled to advance in the process. Last month, the WMM announced that the Shanghai Marathon would replace Chengdu as a candidate marathon.

The Cape Town Marathon is also in the running to join the now-seven-strong circuit. Like Chengdu, it has experienced some hiccups in the process, but if everything goes to plan, the race could become a major in 2026.

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The 2025 Sydney Marathon is scheduled for August 31, with more than 33,000 runners expected to participate, according to the New South Wales government.

Officials there say major status will generate an extra 73 million Australian dollars (Ksh6.2 billion) in tourism spending in the state over the next three years. Sydney is home to more than five million people and is one of Australia’s most visited cities.

Sydney’s marathon route takes in some of the most historic landmarks in Australia’s biggest city, including the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Kenyan athlete Brimin Misoi and Ethipoa’s Workanesh Gurmesa surged to record-breaking victories at this year’s Sydney marathon in September.