Sydney joined on Monday, like London, New York and Boston, the ranks of the most renowned marathons in the world, the World Marathon Majors, now seven in number.
The Australian city’s entry into the circuit of the world’s biggest marathons, which also includes Chicago, Tokyo and Berlin, is the culmination of a three-year program to develop the event.
“We can’t wait to see our community consider this race as a World Major and start planning their visits to run in the streets of one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” said Dawna Stone, World Major. Marathon Majors.
This is a “decisive moment” for this sport, which is increasingly popular in Australia, welcomed the president of Athletics Australia, Jane Flemming.
“This is a success story that will inspire countless Australians to take up running,” she added.
“We are incredibly proud of how far we have come, and we are extremely excited about what this means for the future of sport in Australia.”
The Sydney Marathon is a legacy of the 2000 Summer Olympics held in the city on Australia’s southeast coast.
The first session took place five months before the Olympics, and included 1,200 finishers. Since then, the race has grown in popularity, attracting 25,000 participants in 2024.
