Sydney Marathon elevated to become seventh Abbott World Marathon Majors race

TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS has been elevated to become the seventh Abbott World Marathon Majors race - marking the second time that a race has been accorded this status since the founding of the majors in 2006, with Tokyo’s inclusion in 2013.

With this inclusion, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) now sponsors five of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors – a series that includes the marathons of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Tokyo, and now, Sydney.

Wayne Larden, Chief Executive Pont3, Race Director, TCS Sydney Marathon advised “we set out to create history together and take the TCS Sydney Marathon to the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and now we have achieved this incredible milestone through an incredible amount of work done by the Pont3 team and the collaboration with partners like TCS, the NSW Government, Destination NSW and ASICS.

“Joining the Majors will create fundamental positive changes to the event and community. From significantly enhanced participation, visitation from international and interstate runners will turbo charge the economic impact of the event, we will also see significantly enhanced contributions to charities through our increased focus on fundraising."

After meeting stage one criteria in the 2023 race, the Sydney Marathon passed the test again in 2024, and was officially confirmed as the latest edition to the Majors at the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday.

Sydney joins Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, Tokyo and London in hosting a Majors Marathon, and is the first to be upgraded to the prestigious status since the Japanese capital was accepted in 2013.

The 2024 edition of the Sydney event was Australia's largest ever marathon, as it surpassed 2023's numbers of 17,000, with more than 25,000 participants in the main race and another 15,000 in shorter events.

NSW Premier Chris Minns heralded the news as a major boost for the state's economy, with the race now set to attract even more runners from across the globe.

"We’re thrilled Australia's only global city, Sydney, is now a member of the world majors club, following the great marathon cities of Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, Tokyo and London," Minister Minns enthused.

"Achieving major marathon status is a huge honour and we are proud to be a funding and strategic partner of the Sydney Marathon.

“NSW is an unbeatable hotspot for tourists across the globe and we look forward to welcoming them next year, providing a multi million dollar boost to the economy and an unforgettable experience for the runners on one of the most scenic marathon courses in the world.”

Abbott World Marathon Majors Chief Executive Dawna Stone said she was excited to welcome Sydney into the elite marathon club and added “we cannot wait to see our community embrace this race and start planning their visits to run the streets of one of the finest cities in the world.”

The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS joins the list of races that marathon runners must compete in to achieve coveted recognitions and rewards, offering participants a unique opportunity to join a global network of elite runners.

As an Abbott World Marathon Major, the TCS Sydney Marathon will attract top marathon runners from around the world and significantly increase participation and investment, strengthening Sydney’s reputation as a premier destination for world-class sporting events.

Vikram Singh, TCS Country Head of Australia & New Zealand advised “we are proud to have played a role in the race’s elevation to world major status. The elevation of the TCS Sydney Marathon establishes the race as the first Abbott World Major in the southern hemisphere.”

Honouring indigenous heritage, TCS supported the appointment of a 2024 TCS Sydney Marathon Indigenous Running Ambassador, Wiradjuri woman and Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF) graduate, Hayley Pymont. The marathon also introduced the TCS Sydney Mini Marathon to promote youth engagement in running. TCS also partnered with the marathon organisers, and the NSW Department of Education, to encourage the next generation of runners and STEM students to develop sustainability solutions for the race, as part of the TCS Sydney Marathon goIT challenge. TCS further expanded its innovative Future Athlete Project by recruiting a group of IMF graduates to the program. This initiative is designed to uncover pioneering insights into heart health and athletic performance using digital twin technology.

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation and is part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group.