Sydney inaugural World Marathon Majors race with Kipchoge and Hassan

Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan will headline the inaugural World Marathon Majors race in Sydney on Sunday, Aug. 31, as more than 35,000 runners take to a harbour-side course that now sits alongside London, Boston and New York on the global marathon calendar. The event marks a major elevation for the TCS Sydney Marathon, which has drawn an unusually deep elite field and fresh domestic investment as it makes its debut on the majors circuit.

Kipchoge, the 40-year-old Kenyan often called the greatest marathoner of all time, will contest the hilly Sydney route as he pursues a sixth Abbott World Marathon Majors title. He has said he is not retiring and remains driven to compete, while also taking on a new role as an athlete representative for the Kenyan Olympic Committee to mentor younger sportspersons across athletics and other disciplines. "I have been looking for a mentorship position where I could be a voice for the next generation," Kipchoge said, adding that inspiring participation and demonstrating longevity in the sport are now priorities alongside winning.

Hassan, the Dutch Olympic champion, has opted to skip the upcoming World Athletics Championships to race in Sydney,...