By Chris Chavez
November 5, 2024
The Abbott World Marathon Majors have officially announced the TCS Sydney Marathon will join their series in 2025.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Sydney has been a candidate to be elevated to the Marathon Major status in 2022 along with the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa and the Chengdu Marathon in China. Each race was set to undergo two years of assessments as part of its candidacy. Sydney was the first race to pass both assessments in September 2023 and 2024. Cape Town did not pass its first assessment in Oct. 2023. Chengdu did not pass its first two assessments and was replaced by the Shanghai Marathon in the process last month. The earliest Shanghai could be added is 2027.
– Sydney is the first city added to the World Marathon Majors since Tokyo’s addition in 2013.
– The Sydney Marathon started in 2001 as a celebration of the legacy of the 2000 Olympics.
– The race had more than 20,000 finishers in 2024.
– The Sydney Marathon course has an elevation gain of 1,040 feet, a loss of 1,312 feet, and features views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, Centennial Park and the Sydney Opera House.
What does this mean for people chasing the Six Star medal?
– The Abbott World Marathon Majors will continue to award the Six Star Finishers program that celebrates those who complete the Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York and Tokyo Marathon series. Sydney will be part of an additional awards program for runners who achieve the seven races.
– More than 17,000 runners (including me!) have earned the Six Star Medal.
– The World Marathon Majors are targeting a Nine Star program in the future depending on Cape Town and Shanghai’s review process.
What Is The 2025 World Marathon Major Schedule?
- Tokyo Marathon – March 2nd. 2025
- Boston Marathon – April 21st, 2025
- London Marathon – April 27th, 2025
- Sydney Marathon – Aug. 31, 2025
- Berlin Marathon – Sept. 21st, 2025
- Chicago Marathon – Oct. 12th, 2025
- New York City Marathon – Nov. 2nd, 2025
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
