Zug, Switzerland - The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has recently made significant strides in its journey to join the elite Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) after the 2024 edition met the criteria set out. Cape Town will now proceed to the second stage of the candidacy process in its attempt to join the series when it stages its next marathon on October 19, 2025. If it is successful, the race would join the Majors in 2026, following the addition of the TCS Sydney Marathon, which was announced as the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major on November 3 and will take place as a Major on August 31, 2025.
This accolade, currently held by the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW-BERLIN Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon and now TCS Sydney Marathon could soon be a feather in Cape Town's cap.
“Cape Town has continued its impressive progress since joining the candidacy process and we are thrilled that it has now met all of our criteria for the first time,” said AbbottWMM CEO, Dawna Stone. “We know how much the city, the country and the whole continent want the race to become Africa’s first Major, and they have taken a great step in the right direction.”
Since the launch of Infront’s partnership with the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 2021, the organisation leveraged its expertise, networks, and insights to support elevating the event to the next level.
Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President Active Lifestyle at Infront, said: “Meeting the AbbottWMM criteria in 2024 for the first time reflects a true milestone on the journey to making our vision of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon becoming part of the AbbottWMM Series as Africa’s first Major a reality. Sanlam Cape Town marathon will capture the imaginations of a global running community with its unique African spirit and the unlimited touristic offers that the area of Cape and South Africa as a country has to offer. This milestone is the result of the enormous efforts made by the local Cape Town marathon team, and the close partnership with all stakeholders involved that all share the same vision and want to shape the future of running, putting Cape Town as a city and Africa as a continent onto the world map of running.
The vision at Infront has always been to partner with events that have the potential to reach the zenith of their respective fields. By providing strategic guidance and leveraging our global networks, Infront hopes to be not just part of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon’s journey but integral to its success story.
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, Africa's only World Athletics Gold Label marathon, will take place on Sunday, 19th of October 2025. As one of the continent’s most prestigious marathons, it offers participants a scenic route through Cape Town's iconic landmarks, showcasing its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.
In 2024, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon achieved a historic milestone by successfully passing Stage 1 of the rigorous Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) evaluation process. It now sets its sights on passing Stage 2 in 2025, as it strives to become Africa’s first Major.
The marathon weekend also features a range of exciting events, including the 10km and 5km Peace Runs and the 44km Trail Marathon, 22km Trail, and 11km Trail on Saturday, 18th of October 2025. These events cater to runners of all abilities, whether on the road or trail.
The official Expo, where participants can collect their race packs and explore various running products, will be held at the DHL Stadium from Thursday, 16th of October to Saturday, 18th of October 2025.
With the support of our title sponsor Sanlam, alongside partners like adidas and the City of Cape Town, the event continues to attract top-tier athletes and running enthusiasts from around the world.
For more information, visit www.capetownmarathon.com, or follow us on social media @capetownmarathon.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors series consists of seven of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world: the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, TCS London Marathon, TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon.
AbbottWMM hosts a points competition across this series for elite open division and wheelchair athletes, as well as the Six Star program, which rewards any runner who finished all six with the Six Star Medal.
The Age Group World Rankings rewards athletes aged 40+ with the opportunity to compete against their peers for a place at the Age Group World Championship, and the Global Run Club provides a virtual running platform for the community to participate in challenges across a range of distances.
For more information visit worldmarathonmajors.com