Sydney has become the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major alongside New York, London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago and Berlin.
This announcement positions Sydney as the premier events capital of the Asia Pacific, drawing global interest. The Abbott World Marathon Majors made the decision after discussions with international organisers at the New York Marathon.
Wayne Larden, Race Director of the TCS Sydney Marathon, said: “Becoming the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major is just incredible for the event, as well as for Sydney and NSW.
“This amazing milestone is going to have a profound impact on running in Australia, inspiring the community to become a marathoner and do something special for themselves, their families and friends. Community health will benefit alongside a huge increase in fundraising.”
The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a series of the most prestigious and competitive marathons in the world, established to create a global platform for elite marathon running.
In order to achieve this status, a marathon needs to excel in its organisation, feature strong competition among top athletes, attract substantial global attention, actively involve the local community, hold historical significance, attract major sponsorships and ensure wide-reaching media coverage.
In a release, the TCS Sydney Marathon announced that it has taken three years to achieve Major status, thanks to the support of the NSW Government. This effort involved collaboration across various agencies, including Transport for NSW, Destination NSW, NSW Police and NSW Ambulance.
Larden added: “We are so excited to deliver the 2025 event as the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major and join the greatest marathon series and events on the planet.
“We could not have achieved such incredible growth in competitors and uplift in delivery to make it into the World Majors if it wasn’t for the support of the NSW Government through Destination NSW, and our partners TCS and ASICS. Our Pont3 team are first rate and have put in so much work to make this happen.”
Destination NSW estimates that the elevation of the Sydney Marathon will contribute an additional $73m in visitor spending to the NSW economy over the next three years. Over the course of a decade, this figure is expected to reach $300m, as many visitors to Sydney are likely to explore regional NSW during their stay in Australia.
The continued backing for the Sydney Marathon aligns with the Minns Government’s larger strategy to expand the NSW Visitor Economy to reach $91bn in spending by 2035.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham, commented: “They are the bucket list events that runners from across the world want to tick off. Now Sydney Marathon joins them at the starting line.
“Sydneysiders get behind a sporting event like no other city and we know more and more people will embrace the marathon whether that is aspiring to complete it or getting out to support those who do.
“Sydney Marathon 2025 will draw more visitors, but the NSW Government is just as excited by the economic boost this will provide over the long run as the status of the event grows. I congratulate Sydney Marathon organisers and those who worked on its candidacy, backed by Destination NSW. This is a remarkable achievement.”
The Australian Government has boosted its investment in sports, recently renewing its partnership with Football Australia in August. This four-year deal aims to support elite football development and enable regular international matches between Australian and Pacific national teams.
