Sydney Marathon

Sydney Marathon
Sydney Marathon
	Sydney Opera House near the finish line in 2005
Date	September
Location	Sydney, Australia
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon; (also 10 km, 4.2 km)
Primary sponsor	TCS
Established	2001 (23 years ago)
Course records	Men's: 2:06:18 (2024); Brimin Kipkorir; Women's: 2:21:41 (2024); Workenesh Edesa
Official site	Sydney Marathon
Participants	13,297 finishers (2023)

The Sydney Marathon is a marathon held annually in Sydney, Australia each September. The event was first held on the 30th of April 2000 and called The Host City Marathon as a test event for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and has continued every year since, as a legacy of the 2000 Summer Olympics.^[2] The marathon is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics, and from 2025, as part of the World Marathon Majors^[3]^[4]^[5]

The Sydney Marathon also includes a 10K run, and a 4.2 km (2.6 mi) race.^[6]

History

The Sydney Marathon started in April 2000, following the same course as the marathon during the 2000 Summer Olympics.^[3]^[7] The women's race in 2001 was won by Krishna Stanton, who had never run a marathon before, and was doing the event as a result of a challenge from a friend.^[7]

In 2014 the marathon was awarded a Silver Label Road Race by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), then in December 2014 the race was awarded a Gold Label Road Race^[8] in time for the 2015 race and it is now a Platinum Label Road Race.^[3]

The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all entries automatically transferred to 2021, and all registrants given the option of also running the race virtually for free.^[a]^[10]^[11] Moses Kibet won the 2022 race in 2:07:02, a new course record, and the fastest marathon time run on Australian soil.^[3]

In July 2022, organisers of the race announced that they were applying to be added to the list of World Marathon Majors.^[3] Following the 2023 event, Sydney Marathon achieved a pass, and moved forward to the next assessment step in becoming a World Marathon Major.^[12] The marathon was confirmed as the seventh major on 4 November 2024 following the 2024 race.^[5]

Course

The marathon course initially followed the same course that was used in the 2000 Summer Olympics.^[7]

In 2010 the marathon course was changed to flatten it out which, according to the organisers, makes it "a faster, more scenic and spectator friendly course."^[13]

The marathon runs on a point-to-point course that begins in Bradfield Park, Milsons Point, crosses over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and ends in front of the Sydney Opera House.^[3]^[14]

Other awards

To date, eight runners have competed in every Sydney Marathon, and have been dubbed "Blue Line Legends".^[15]

In addition, runners who have completed at least 10 marathons are eligible to be inducted into the Bridge Club.^[16]^[b]

Other races

In addition to the marathon, a half marathon, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) "Bridge Run", and a 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) "Family Fun Run" are also held under the banner of the Sydney Running Festival.^[17]

The Bridge Run was added in 2002, initially as a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) event, before being reduced to 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) in 2005. The Bridge Run has since returned to being an AIMS certified 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) distance.

All the races finish at the Sydney Opera House, except for the fun run, which ends at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music less than a kilometre from the Opera House.^[6]

Winners

Key: Course record

Year	Athlete	Nationality	Time^[c]	Athlete	Nationality	Time^[c]
Year	Male			Female
2024	Brimin Kipkorir	Kenya	2:06:18	Workenesh Edesa	Ethiopia	2:21:41
2023^[18]	Othmane El Goumri	Morocco	2:08:20	Betsy Saina	Kenya	2:26:46
2022	Moses Kibet	Kenya	2:07:03	Tigist Girma Getachew	Ethiopia	2:25:10
2021	cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic^[10]
2020	cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic^[10]
2019	Filex Kiprotich	Kenya	2:09:49	Stella Barsosio	Kenya	2:24:33
2018	Elijah Kemboi	Kenya	2:13:37	Mercy Kibarus	Kenya	2:31:24
2017	Shota Hattori	Japan	2:15:16	Makda Harun	Ethiopia	2:28:02
2016	Tomohiro Tanigawa	Japan	2:12:11	Makda Harun	Ethiopia	2:32:22
2015	Hisanori Kitajima	Japan	2:12:44	Meriem Wangari	Kenya	2:34:38
2014	Gebo Burka	Ethiopia	2:11:18	Biruktayit Degefa	Ethiopia	2:29:42
2013	Willy Koitile	Kenya	2:13:48	Biruktayit Degefa	Ethiopia	2:32:46
2012	Yuki Kawauchi	Japan	2:11:52	Mitsuko Hirose	Japan	2:48:49
2011	Joel Kemboi	Kenya	2:17:31	Letay Negash	Ethiopia	2:43:22
2010	Issac Serem	Kenya	2:25:17	Helen Stanton	Australia	2:49:58
2009	Julius Seurei	Kenya	2:17:07	Naoko Tsuchiya	Japan	2:52:46
2008	Julius Maritim	Kenya	2:19:01	Lisa Flint	Australia	2:47:43
2007	Julius Maritim	Kenya	2:14:38	Naoko Tsuchiya	Japan	2:43:10
2006	Julius Maritim	Kenya	2:19:51	Naoko Tsuchiya	Japan	2:48:44
2005	Julius Maritim	Kenya	2:21:47	Ruth Kingston	New Zealand	2:53:56
2004	Oswald Revelian	Tanzania	2:21:13	Rina Hill	Australia	2:39:46
2003	Oswald Revelian	Tanzania	2:26:01	Tausi Juma	Ethiopia	2:46:23
2002	Stephen Bwiret	Kenya	2:17:30	Heather Turland	Australia	2:51:06
2001	Damon Harris	New Zealand	2:25:49	Krishna Stanton	Australia	2:38:11

Source (up to 2018): "Previous Winners". Sydney Running Festival. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018.

Multiple wins

Men's
Athlete	Wins	Years
Julius Maritim (KEN)	4	2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Oswald Revelian (TAN)	2	2003, 2004

Women's
Athlete	Wins	Years
Naoko Tsuchiya (JPN)	3	2006, 2007, 2009
Biruktayit Degefa (ETH)	2	2013, 2014
Makda Harun (ETH)	2	2016, 2017

By country

Country	Total	Men's	Women's
Kenya	17	13	4
Ethiopia	9	1	8
Japan	8	4	4
Australia	5	0	5
New Zealand	2	1	1
Tanzania	2	2	0

Notes

^ Before being cancelled, it was postponed to 8 November 2020, with all registrants given the option of obtaining a 75% refund or transferring their entry to another runner or to 2021.^[9]
^ The marathons do not have to be run on consecutive years.^[16]
^ ^a ^b h:m:s