Cape Town to Become Eighth Abbott World Marathon Major

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa will join the ABBOTTWMM series in 2027, thus becoming the eighth member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

The race, scheduled to take place on May 23, 2027, joins seven marathons including the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, the TCS London Marathon, the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon.

Cape Town will also represent Africa’s first Abbott World Marathon Major, having completed its second successful evaluation at the 2026 event.

Established in 1994, the marathon is run on a road course centered on Green Point and the Cape Town Stadium precinct.

“It gives me huge pleasure to welcome Cape Town to the family,” said AbbottWMM CEO Dawna Stone. “After watching the race grow in size and stature during its candidacy and also seeing the resilience and dedication of the team lead so wonderfully by Clark Gardner, Africa’s first Major has finally arrived.

“The unique culture, the welcome from the people of the city and the wonderful setting Cape Town provides will bring a whole new dimension to our series. I know runners in Africa and across the world will have a phenomenal experience at this race.”

After the finishers of the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon each received a provisional star for their AbbottWMM journey, their stars will be fully upgraded in the coming weeks.

“To join the Abbott World Marathon Majors as Africa’s first is a profound honor,” said Sanlam Cape Town Marathon CEO Clark Gardner. “This is a moment generations of African runners have waited for, and it belongs to everyone who carried us here.

“We are proud to take our place among the world’s greatest marathons, and we look forward to welcoming the global running community to Cape Town in 2027.”

Nine Star Medal Milestone

Cape Town will now form part of the journey towards the next Major milestone, the new Nine Star medal.

Later this year, the Shanghai Marathon in China could join the ABWMM series as its ninth member. Taking place on December 6, 2026, it requires a second successful evaluation according to the ABWMM criteria to be placed alongside the other major elite races in the world.

For runners striving to complete the original six Abbott World Marathon Major races, the Six Star program will remain in place even when the Nine Star medal becomes available, according to AbbottWMM.

Each runner can build up a collectible medal display to recognize their journey and race achievements across the Majors.

Candidate races are evaluated on every aspect of the runner experience from Expo to race course, the standard of participating elite athletes, operational procedures, safety standards and more.

“For years, we have seen firsthand how running inspires people around the world to prioritize their health and well-being and achieve their full potential,” said Melissa Brotz, chief marketing and communications officer at series title sponsor Abbott. “We welcome the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and a new continent to the series.”

“This is a defining moment for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and for the continued globalization of mass participation running, a true milestone for the global running community,” said Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, senior vice president, Infront Sports & Media, head of Active Lifestyle. “The consistent progress of the event over recent years reflects the shared long-term vision we have among all stakeholders.

“We are proud to be part of another successful AbbottWMM candidacy and that Cape Town takes its place among the world’s leading marathons. I would like to thank everybody involved and for contributing to this success story. Together, we continue to shape the future of running!”