Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Passes 2024 AbbotWMM Candidate Assessment

November 21, 2024

South African race takes significant step towards becoming Africa’s first Major

• Race must pass two consecutive evaluations to join series
• Next evaluation in October 2025
• Nine Star Medal planned as next milestone
• Six Star Medal to stay for completion of original Six Majors

November 21. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) is delighted to announce that the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will now proceed to the second stage of the candidacy process in its attempt to join the series.

The marathon was assessed for the third time in October 2024 and met all the criteria set by the Abbott World Marathon Majors in order to pass stage one.

Cape Town will now be required to meet the criteria for a second consecutive year 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.

“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.”

Clark Gardner, the Cape Town Marathon CEO, stated: “We are obviously delighted to pass to the next stage and to enjoy the progress after a significant effort this year. I believe the key to passing this stage one was the collective effort from our team, the city, sponsors, service providers, participants and residents who have all bought into the benefits that an AbbottWMM would deliver to the city, country and continent.”

AbbottWMM recently announced a new Nine Star medal will be introduced as the next milestone when two more races are added to the series.

AbbottWMM has also committed to keeping the Six Star medal in place for runners who complete the original six AbbottWMM races of Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

To help commemorate every runner’s journey and race achievements, AbbottWMM also introduced a commemorative coin for each race. Custom displays can be purchased to showcase the runner’s achievements from two races to all seven.

If Cape Town is successful in its second stage of evaluation, the collectible range would expand to recognize its race. The full range is available here.

FAQS

What will happen to the Six Star Medal?

The Six Star program remains unchanged. The Six Star medal will continue to be awarded to runners who complete the original six Majors.

How will the Nine Star Medal be awarded?

If the remaining two races in the candidacy process are successful, the earliest the Nine Star medal will begin is 2027. The plan is for this to be awarded at the end of the marathons in the same way the Six Star medal is awarded.

What is the collectible range?

To help commemorate every runner’s journey and race achievements, AbbottWMM introduced a commemorative coin for each race. Custom displays can be purchased to showcase the runner’s achievements from two races to all seven. The full range is available here.

-Ends-

For more information:

Danny Coyle: press@wmmajors.com
Renata Bossi: renata@faces.africa

About AbbottWMM

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

About the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon
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, or email renata@faces.africa.