CAPE TOWN, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The Cape Town Marathon has become the eighth race in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, South African media reported on Thursday.

The decision was announced on Wednesday by the Abbott World Marathon Majors, confirming the inclusion of the Cape Town race in the elite global series and making it the first World Marathon Major to be staged on African soil.

The Cape Town Marathon had been part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors candidate program since 2024 and went through a two-stage evaluation process. Following the successful staging of the 2026 race on May 24, it passed the second and final phase of assessment, securing its elevation to full Major status after several years in the program.

The Cape Town Marathon now joins Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney to complete the expanded lineup of eight global majors.

"Cape Town brings a new dimension to the series and represents a truly global step forward for marathon running," Abbott World Marathon Majors CEO Dawna Stone said in the announcement.

"To join the Abbott World Marathon Majors as Africa's first is a profound honor," Cape Town Marathon CEO Clark Gardner said. "This is a moment generations of African runners have waited for, and it belongs to everyone who carried us here."

Abbott World Marathon Majors also said Cape Town's inclusion marked a further step in the expansion of the series and the pathway toward the next milestone of the "Nine Star" medal. It added that the Shanghai Marathon, the third candidate race, will undergo a second-stage evaluation when it is staged on Dec. 6, 2026, with the potential to become the ninth Major if it meets all the criteria.