Runners hoping to collect a World Marathon Major star in Africa just got some good news: the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will count, provisionally, toward the coveted Abbott WMM star total.
After the surprise cancellation of the 2025 race, there was some uncertainty around Cape Town’s bid to become the eighth World Marathon Major. But this week, Abbott World Marathon Majors confirmed that all 2026 finishers will receive a provisional star. That star will be made permanent if the race passes its final evaluation next May.
It’s a vote of confidence from AbbottWMM, and a sign that Cape Town is still very much in the running to become the first Major on the African continent.
“We look forward to being back in Cape Town in May next year to see both the runners, and the race, get over that finish line,” said AbbottWMM CEO Dawna Stone.
Following the last-minute cancelation of the 2025 event, AbbottWMM said it supports the cancellation and is still planning to evaluate the race again in 2026.
“We are ecstatic that, should we pass stage two in 2026, all Sanlam Cape Town Marathon finishers will receive an Abbott World Marathon Majors star,” said Clark Gardner, CEO of event organizer Faces.
Cape Town’s title sponsor Sanlam announced it will cover entries in 2026 or 2027 for everyone who had registered for the cancelled 2025 event.
It’s a rare example of a sponsor stepping in to protect runners’ plans, and AbbottWMM praised the move.
“I am grateful to their sponsor, Sanlam, for standing by their runners,” said Stone.
What’s a “provisional” star?
A provisional AbbottWMM star is essentially a placeholder. If you run and finish the 2026 race, you’ll get a star added to your AbbottWMM profile. That star will be fully validated if the race passes its second and final evaluation in 2026.
It’s not something AbbottWMM typically offers, but the exception means runners can confidently race in 2026 knowing it could count toward their Six Star medal.
Ballot entries for the 2026 race open on November 6, and the event is scheduled for May 24, a shift from its usual fall race date.
Cape Town To host the Age Group World Championships
The 2026 Cape Town Marathon will also host the AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships. These invite-only races bring together top amateur runners from around the world to compete by age group.
Finishers of this event will also receive a provisional star, which will be validated if the race passes its evaluation.
Bringing the Age Group World Championships to Cape Town is a strong signal that AbbottWMM sees it as more than just a candidate.
Cape Town’s road to Major status
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was added to the AbbottWMM Candidate Race Program in 2022. To earn full Major status, a race has to pass two evaluations, demonstrating strength in operations, elite field depth, safety, doping control, media, and crowd support.
Cape Town passed its first evaluation in 2023. The 2026 edition will be its second and final chance to meet the standard. If it does, Cape Town will officially become the eight World Marathon Major, joining Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City, Sydney and Tokyo.
That would mark a huge moment for African running, and for the global marathon calendar.
