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Sydney's 42.2-kilometre race has just become one of the 7 World Major Marathons

The TCS Sydney Marathon is now certified among the top 7 marathons in the world

Winnie Stubbs
Written by
Winnie Stubbs
Lifestyle Writer
people running in Sydney Marathon 2023
Photograph: Supplied | Destination NSW | Lyndon Marceau
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Back in March, the people behind the TCS Sydney Marathon announced they were pulling the plug on the half marathon option in this year’s race, and focusing all of their attention on the full marathon, in a bid to help the event gain World Major Marathon status. The focus on the full 42.195-kilometre distance allowed a record number of runners to join the race, with 25,000 runners taking place in this year’s full-length race, making it the biggest of its kind to be held in Australia ever. It’s just been confirmed that the focus on the big run paid off, with Sydney Marathon now certified as a World Major Marathon – which should be a boon for tourism to Sydney.

Sydney Marathon 2023
Photograph: Supplied | Destination NSW | Brett Hemmings

Until now, there were just six Major World Marathons around the world, taking place in London, Boston, Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago and New York. From 2025, The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by Asics will become the first Major World Marathon to take place on Aussie soil.

Apart from being good for our tourism industry (the boost in visitor expenditure in NSW thanks to the marathon's new status is estimated at $73 million over the next three years), landing Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) status means big things for the Sydney race. The AWMM certification ranks the run among the most renowned marathons in the world, and will attract big-name athletes from around the globe to the Harbour City. For many competitive athletes, all AWMM events are must-do races, with participation in the Sydney Marathon predicted to rise to 33,300 in 2025, and to 37,800 in 2027.

When is the Sydney Marathon 2025?

The ​​first ever AWMM-certified Sydney Marathon is set to take place on Sunday, August 31, 2025. The route will take runners from Miller Street in North Sydney across the stunning Sydney Harbour, with a dramatic finish at our world-famous Opera House. You can find out more (and get notified when registrations open) over here.

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