Records tumbled on the streets of Sydney on Sunday as Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan stormed to emphatic victories at the Sydney Marathon, the first edition of the event to be recognised as a World Marathon Major.
Kiros, 28, delivered a commanding performance to clock 2 hours 6 minutes and 6 seconds, the fastest marathon ever run on Australian soil. His time was more than a minute inside the previous course record, set on the hilly harbourside route that drew 35,000 competitors from across the globe.
The Ethiopian held off a late challenge from compatriot Addisu Gobena, who trailed by just 10 seconds, while Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana claimed third. Breaking away from a lead pack of seven in the final stages, Kiros maintained his composure on the downhill run towards the Sydney Opera House to seal victory.
Hassan, a multiple Olympic and world champion across distances, was equally imperious in the women’s race. She clocked 2:18:22, smashing the course record by nearly three minutes. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei followed 34 seconds later, while defending champion Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia placed third in 2:22:05.
“The last five kilometres, I'm dead,” Hassan admitted after clinching her third World Major title. “I felt so good in the first 5Ks and I think I pushed too hard. I pushed really hard the last 10Ks. I was like, 'That's not really smart. I'm going to pay the price', but I feel I got away with it. I'm so grateful. It's the first major marathon in Australia, in Sydney, and I'm the first one to win, so it's big history for me.”
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While the spotlight shone on the winners, Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion, drew the loudest cheers. The 40-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, fell behind the lead group with 10 kilometres remaining and finished ninth, over two minutes adrift. Yet the crowd greeted him with admiration as he crossed the line.
“I'm happy to go across the finish line. I have nothing to prove,” Kipchoge said. “My mission is to bring all the people together. Let us surpass 55,000 (from 35,000 this year), actually, next year to run here. It's a beautiful course. It's a course whereby there is no other in this world.”
The wheelchair events added further prestige. American Susannah Scaroni claimed the women’s title, her first major triumph outside the United States, while Switzerland’s Marcel Hug broke the Sydney record with a time of 1:27:15, eclipsing the previous mark by more than 11 minutes. Hug, already the holder of seven Paralympic golds, extended his haul of major marathon victories to 24.
The Sydney Marathon now stands alongside London, New York, Berlin, Boston, Chicago and Tokyo in the elite roster of World Marathon Majors, and its inaugural year at that level delivered history-making performances befitting its elevated status.
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