What does it mean to become an Abbott World Marathon Majors race?

Joining an elite group of races namely, London Marathon, New York Marathon, Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Berlin Marathon and Tokyo Marathon, is a huge deal. It is a three-year process in becoming part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which requires certain criteria and standards to be met. As a runner, it is a dream come true to complete all of the Majors and become part of the family. For the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, the dream (and now almost reality) is to join this elite family.

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon – Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate Race

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has recently been confirmed as an Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) candidate race – the first marathon in Africa to be nominated. The announcement marks the commencement of a multi-year evaluation process conducted by AbbottWMM. In order to become a Major, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will be required to meet certain criteria for three years and if successful, will join the elite group of races previously mentioned.

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has grown in popularity over the last decade, with its route offering spectacular ocean scenery and mountain views while passing many of Cape Town’s great attractions from its famous street art to its iconic historical features, including City Hall where Nelson Mandela delivered his first public speech as a free man in 1990.

The Cape Town Marathon was awarded the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Status for its fourth consecutive year in 2020 – the only marathon in Africa and one of only a select group of marathons in the world to have this status.

But, the Cape Town Marathon has its work cut out for it, as China’s Chengdu Marathon is also currently in the running as an AbbottWMM candidate race. At Africa Marathons, we strongly believe the home of long-distance running, Africa, will secure the seventh star.

What sets Cape Town and the Cape Town Marathon apart?

Cape Town is a major port city on the tip of South Africa’s coast that is overlooked by the world-renowned Table Mountain, an official New 7 Wonders of Nature. It is consistently rated as one of the world’s most beautiful cities and most popular tourist destinations, renowned for its astounding natural beauty, sweeping vistas, beautiful beaches, family-friendly activities & adventures and some of the best restaurants in the world.

The Cape Town Marathon already meets many of the requirements set by the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and that continued enhancements will be made to the race to meet all of the requirements. This includes a new strategic partnership with Infront, media and marketing specialists who will join the event on this exciting journey. As noted by Cape Town Marathon Chairman, Francois Pienaar “We are pulling out all the stops to achieve these goals, and are excited to receive the support from our runners, spectators, sponsors and the City to make this dream a reality.”

Africa Marathons – An Official International Travel Partner for the Cape Town Marathon

At Africa Marathons, we not only assist you in entering the Cape Town Marathon but also make all arrangements in terms of accommodation, local travel, race day support and many other team advantages. We can even aid with air travel if you so choose. We also have a few team members who will be taking part on race day, as we are runners ourselves too.

For more info on the event or to enter Cape Town Marathon 2022 please send us an email at [email protected]. You can also contact us on the button below to enter.

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