The Shanghai Marathon has officially been announced as a candidate race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM). The race will replace the Chengdu Marathon as China’s representative in the candidacy process.
China is one of the biggest and fastest-growing running markets worldwide with a host of marathons that are heavily over-subscribed with applicants to participate.
The announcement marks the commencement of a multi-year evaluation process by AbbottWMM. Shanghai now joins the TCS Sydney Marathon and Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as races introduced into the candidate program by Infront under their strategic partnership with Abbott World Marathon Majors.
To become a Major, the Shanghai Marathon will need to meet strict criteria over a three-year period. If successful it will join the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, TCS London Marathon, BMW-BERLIN Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon - as a new member of the prestigious AbbottWMM in 2027 at the earliest.
Dawna Stone, CEO of Abbott World Marathon Majors, said, “AbbottWMM is delighted to welcome the Shanghai Marathon into the candidacy process from 2024. This presents an exciting opportunity to expand our impact into Asia/ China and further our mission to create, grow and support opportunities for all to discover the power of the marathon community. We look forward to working closely with the team in Shanghai as we start this journey together!”
Mr. Cao Wei, Chairman of Donghao Lansheng Group, the organizing company of the Shanghai Marathon, said: “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the Shanghai Marathon for successfully becoming an Abbott World Marathon Majors candidate race!
"This recognition is the highest affirmation of our event organization and service. In the future, the Shanghai Marathon will continue to focus on the principle of "runners first", maintain the highest standards and quality, and work diligently to improve event services, aiming to establish itself as a new benchmark in global road running.”
Founded in 1996, the race has been held 27 times and, in 2020, it became the first event in China to earn Platinum Label status from the World Athletics.
Director General of Shanghai Administration of Sports, Mr. Xu Bin, said: “This is a high-profile recognition from Abbott World Marathon Majors, not just to the event itself, but also to Shanghai's operational capability.
“I believe Shanghai has the capability to pass the evaluation and make the event a member of Abbott World Marathon Majors. We would like to invite to all the marathon lovers in the world to participate in the Shanghai Marathon, experience the Shanghai culture and the city's vitality.”
The candidacy also sees Infront entering a strategic partnership with the organiser of Shanghai Marathon, supporting the candidacy and the Shanghai Marathon with strategic and operational consultancy, expertise in marketing, sponsorship, media, and production throughout the evaluation phase.
Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President Active Lifestyle at Infront, said: “Shanghai is the perfect candidate to put one of the most important running markets on the world map of marathons. We are proud to partner with Shanghai Marathon and will work closely with all stakeholders involved to elevate it to the highest level, making it a member of the AbbottWMM Series.
"With the on-going candidacies in Sydney and Cape Town, Infront has a lot of expertise to share, and we are proud to continuously work with the teams of AbbottWMM. The Shanghai Marathon will inspire hundreds of thousand runners in China and globally, contributing to a healthier and more active lifestyle across generations while showcasing Shanghai as a modern global city.”
The next edition of the race will take place on Sunday 1st December 2024.
Find out more about our candidate races here.
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