The Shanghai Marathon has cleared the first major hurdle in its bid to join the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors series.
Organisers confirmed that the race has successfully passed Stage One of the candidate assessment process, following an evaluation of the 2025 edition held in November.
That means Shanghai now moves into the next phase of the process. If the race meets the required standards again when the marathon returns on Sunday December 6th 2026, it could officially join the World Marathon Majors calendar in 2027.
The assessment team reported that the race met all the criteria required to progress to the second stage of evaluation.
Abbott World Marathon Majors CEO Dawna Stone praised the commitment shown by organisers during the candidacy process.
She said the evaluation team was impressed with the event staged last November and believes Shanghai is firmly on the path toward Major status.
Shanghai Targets Global Marathon Elite
City officials say the marathon is already one of the most influential sporting events in Shanghai and that plans are underway to raise the event to an even higher international standard.
Xu Bin, Director General of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, said the city will continue backing the race as it pushes to join the World Marathon Majors and strengthen Shanghai’s reputation as a global sports destination.
Race organisers also stressed that becoming a candidate event marks another milestone in the marathon’s growth, following its previous recognition as a World Athletics Platinum Label Race.
Growing Momentum For Marathons In Asia
Industry partners say the race’s progress reflects the rapidly expanding running scene across Asia.
Hans-Peter Zurbruegg of sports marketing company Infront said the popularity of marathon running continues to grow around the world, with particularly strong momentum across China and the wider region.
He said Shanghai has the potential to become one of the most recognised races on the global calendar if it successfully completes the final stage of evaluation.
One More Test Before Major Status
The next edition of the Shanghai Marathon takes place on Sunday December 6th 2026, when officials will carry out the second and final assessment.
If the race meets the required standards again, Shanghai could officially join the World Marathon Majors in 2027, becoming the latest addition to the elite global series.