The Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) has announced that the Shanghai Marathon will proceed to the second stage of the candidacy process as it bids to join the international series.
Following an assessment in November 2025, the event in China met the criteria set by the AbbottWMM organisers to pass the first stage of the evaluation. To successfully join the series, the Shanghai Marathon must now meet the required criteria for a second consecutive year during its next edition on December 6, 2026. If it passes this final assessment, it is expected to join the Majors in 2027.
Dawna Stone, CEO at Abbott World Marathon Majors, said “We have seen a fantastic level of commitment from the Shanghai team throughout their candidacy. Their hard work has put them firmly on the pathway to success and our evaluation team was very impressed with the event they witnessed in November. We have high hopes that the race will continue on its promising trajectory and make their dream a reality.”
The event, which already holds a World Athletics Platinum Label, is a key part of the city’s strategy to become a globally recognised sports hub.
Xu Bin, Director General of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, said “Shanghai Marathon stands as one of the city’s most influential sport events. We will spare no effort in supporting the race to reach even higher standards, and we look forward to officially joining the Abbott World Marathon Majors family in the near future. Through top-tier international sport events, we will accelerate Shanghai’s development into a globally renowned sports city.”
The event is organised by Donghao Lansheng Group with support from the Shanghai Administration of Sports.
Zheng Yuanhu, Chairman of Donghao Lansheng Group, said “From World Athletics Platinum Label Race to Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate Race, Shanghai Marathon has consistently pursued excellence and refinement, always surpassing its own limits. We sincerely thank the World Marathon Majors for their recognition and encouragement, which will fuel our drive forward.”
The progress of the Chinese event reflects a broader trend of growth for endurance sports across Asia. Infront, the international sports marketing company backed by China’s Wanda Group, is also supporting the candidacy.
Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President Active Lifestyle at Infront, said “Marathons around the world continue to attract growing interest, and the momentum in Asia – especially in China – is remarkable. The Shanghai Marathon’s progress through the Abbott World Marathon Majors evaluation phase underlines both the enormous appetite for high‑quality running experiences in the region and the strong commitment from the city and its stakeholders.”
The Shanghai Marathon is not the only event currently in the pipeline for the series. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa also requires one more successful assessment to join the Majors.
The Cape Town event was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in October 2025 and is scheduled to take place in May 2026.
Should both Shanghai and Cape Town be successful in their upcoming evaluations, the Abbott World Marathon Majors series would expand to a total of nine races in 2027. This expansion would also see the introduction of a Nine Star medal for runners who complete every race in the series.
Following the addition of the Sydney Marathon as the seventh Major, the 2026 Abbott World Marathon Majors calendar features seven races across four continents.
The schedule for the 2026 season is as follows:
www.worldmarathonmajors.com
www.shmarathon.com
