Sydney is on track to join the most high-profile marathon cities in the world, with the Blackmores Sydney Marathon officially announced as a candidate for the Abbott World Marathon Majors series – the first marathon in Oceania to be nominated.
To become a major, the Sydney Marathon will be required to meet “strict criteria over a three-year period”, said worldmarathonmajors.com. If successful, it will join an esteemed group of races – Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW-Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and TCS New York City Marathon – as a new member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025.
Stuart Ayres, the New South Wales minister for tourism and sport, said the candidacy acknowledges the Sydney Marathon as a world-class event with one of the most spectacular marathon courses on the planet.
“No city in the world has a better combination of natural beauty, love of sport and iconic infrastructure for hosting a marathon than Sydney,” he said. “The Sydney Marathon is recognised as one of the world’s best marathon events, uniting people of all backgrounds to enjoy an unforgettable running experience. The World Marathon Majors candidacy recognises Sydney as a premier destination to join the great marathon cities of the world, while showcasing Sydney’s natural beauty and desirable lifestyle to a global audience.
“Achieving the status of an Abbott World Marathon Major would cement Sydney’s position as one of the world’s great sporting event cities. It would attract thousands of visitors to the Harbour City and play a key role in the NSW Government’s ambition to make Sydney and NSW the major events capital and premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.”
With some of the most picturesque running routes in the world, Sydney’s marathon is set against the stunning backdrop of the beautiful Harbour and waterways, dramatic coastline and pristine nature. Held during Australia’s largest running festival, the Sydney Running Festival, the marathon attracts thousands of participants each year who run across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and finish under the sails of the Sydney Opera House. The Blackmores Sydney Running Festival returns on Sunday 18 September 2022.