In brief
As the New York City Marathon concluded, Sydney celebrated its achievement, paving the way for ambitious runners.
The Sydney Marathon is set to join the ranks of prestigious World Major Marathons, which already include New York, Boston, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. This news was announced as runners celebrated their completion of the New York City Marathon, highlighting the global allure of major marathons. The Sydney Marathon earned its elite status after a thorough three-year review and successfully surpassing 20,000 finishers in its 2024 race held in September.Dawn Stone, CEO of Abbott World Marathon Majors, expressed her admiration for Sydney's progress, showcasing their commitment to enhancing the marathon experience. Sydney will be the first marathon to be inducted into the World Majors since Tokyo in 2013, bringing the total to seven. The World Majors have a special program recognizing Six Star finishers—those who complete all six original marathons. With the addition of Sydney, the program is now termed the Seven Star program.The surge in participation at the Sydney Marathon is remarkable; it saw entries increase to 25,000 runners in 2024 compared to only 5,000 in 2022. The New South Wales government estimates that this number could rise to 33,000 in the 2025 race, set for August 31. This growing trend signals Sydney's rising prominence as a major global running event, with future plans to potentially include Cape Town and Shanghai in a Nine Star program.
