Cape Town becomes first African World Marathon Major

The Cape Town Marathon has become the first African race to be added to the World Marathon Majors (WMM) series and will join the elite circuit in 2027, organisers said.

The World Marathon Majors is a series of the world's most prestigious marathon races, bringing together elite athletes and mass-participation runners and awarding points and prize money to top competitors.

The South African event will become the eighth race in the series, which includes marathons in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney and Tokyo.

"Today, exactly 1,752 days since their candidacy began, it gives me immense pleasure to announce that the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will become the eighth Abbott World Marathon Major from 2027," WMM Chief Executive Dawna Stone said late on Wednesday.

The marathon's inclusion follows a multi-year evaluation process aimed at meeting the organizational, operational and competitive standards required for major status.

The 2026 race served as the final assessment before Cape Town was granted entry to the series. The previous year's event was cancelled because of high winds.

Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa won last month's men's race in a course-record time of 2:04:55, while Kenya's twice Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge finished 16th.

The next edition of the Cape Town Marathon will take place on May 23, 2027.