After being listed as a candidate in 2021, the South African race successfully completed its final evaluation in 2026, thereby becoming the first major marathon held on the African continent. The Cape Town Marathon will debut as an Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) event on 23/5/2027.

With this event, the AWMM system now comprises eight races: New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, and Cape Town.

The Cape Town Marathon becomes the eighth member of the world's most prestigious marathon series, Abbott World Marathon Majors. *Photo: Cape Town Marathon*

A race joining the WMM system is always a significant milestone, but Cape Town's journey holds special significance. It reflects the growing international recognition for road races across Africa.

"This is a moment many generations of African athletes have awaited, and this achievement belongs to everyone who helped bring us here," stated Clark Gardner, Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Town Marathon. "We are proud to stand alongside the world's leading marathons and look forward to welcoming the global running community to Cape Town in 2027."

Beyond the organizers, prominent figures in the global marathon community also supported bringing a major race to Africa. Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge actively campaigned for this goal before participating in the Cape Town Marathon last May.

"This is Africa, and this is our continent. I truly hope Cape Town becomes one of the world's great marathons," Kipchoge told eNCA, while calling on 53 African nations to invest in and support the event. "This is our marathon, where we can be proud and showcase African culture to the world."

Among the 27,000 participants in this year's Cape Town Marathon, all received "temporary stars". These stars will be confirmed in the coming weeks and will count towards both the current Six Star medal program and the new Nine Star program.

Currently, the Six Star system is maintained for athletes who complete the six traditional major races: New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.

The WMM is moving towards implementing the Nine Star medal program as its next development milestone. Cape Town becoming the eighth major race has brought this goal closer than ever.

The next candidate is the Shanghai Marathon, which is scheduled for its final evaluation on 6/12. If successful, the Nine Star program will be officially activated, while Six Star medals will continue to be awarded to runners who complete the six traditional major races.

Hong Duy (according to Canadian Running Magazine)