June 11 (Reuters) - The Cape Town marathon has become the first African race to be added to the World Marathon Majors (WMM) series, organisers said.
• Cape Town will join the series, which includes races in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney and Tokyo, in 2027.
• "The unique culture, the welcome from the people of the city and the wonderful setting Cape Town provides will bring a whole new dimension to our series," WMM CEO Dawna Stone said late on Wednesday.
• Ethiopian Mohamed Esa claimed the men's title in a course-record time of 2:04:55 during last month's Cape Town marathon, with twice-Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge finishing 16th.
• The 2026 edition was the final assessment ahead of the marathon becoming a major, after the 2025 event was cancelled due to high winds.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed)
