The list of the world’s largest and most renowned marathons just grew by one.

Not only one new race, but a whole new continent.

The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by Asics is now the seventh Abbott World Marathon Majors race. Beginning in 2025, the Australian city will join the AWMM series that currently includes Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

The race is set for Aug. 31, 2025. (You can track Sydney Marathon updates on the Abbott World Marathon Majors website.)

And the excitement surrounding the race is, fittingly, major.

“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,” AWMM CEO Dawna Stone said.

“Runners, your Sydney star awaits.”

Stone was alluding to the Six Star Medal, that highly coveted prize in the world of marathoning. Only runners who finish the first six AWMM races receive that prize — a tradition that will continue even with the addition of Sydney.

At the same time, Australia opens up an exciting new frontier for ambitious distance runners. It represents the start of a journey to a Nine Star Medal.

Two other marathons — in Cape Town, South Africa, and Shanghai, China — are candidates to become Abbott World Marathon Majors races. That could happen as early as 2026 and 2027 if they pass the formal two-year assessment, as Sydney just did.

Next year’s Sydney Marathon will count as a star for runners who complete it, so the path to Nine is ready and waiting. The new collectible range of coins that celebrate each race, along with frames to proudly display them, are available to runners to mark every star, from one to seven.

The bottom line is that, starting next year in the Land Down Under, runners will have “more milestones to celebrate down the road,” said Chris Miller, Divisional Vice President of Brand Strategy and Innovation at Abbott.

All in the name of running their best races and living their healthiest lives.