Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena and Kenyan world champion Peres Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon in the men’s and women’s races, respectively. This marks Gobena's first victory in a World Marathon Major after finishing second last year, while Jepchirchir adds to her previous wins in Boston, New York, and London.
Gobena completed the race in 2:04:42, finishing four seconds ahead of compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta. Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana secured third place. Gobena's performance broke the previous course record by nearly one and a half minutes. He expressed happiness over his victory, noting that he learned from his previous experience and worked hard to improve.
Jepchirchir finished the race in 2:18:31, nearly four minutes ahead of fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai and Ethiopia’s Shure Demise Ware. She described the race as challenging, particularly the hilly first half, but was pleased with her performance.
During the men’s race, the leading group narrowed to 15 runners by the halfway point, with Gobena and other top competitors among them. As the race progressed, Gobena and Gudeta broke away, with Gobena ultimately outpacing Gudeta in the final sprint. In the women’s race, Priscah Cherono initially led but was caught by Jepchirchir and Cheptai before Jepchirchir surged ahead.
In the wheelchair races, American Daniel Romanchuk won the men’s event, while Switzerland’s Manuela Schar won the women’s race. The marathon saw a record participation of around 40,000 runners, competing over a scenic 42.19km course that included the Harbour Bridge and finished at the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Marathon was elevated to a World Marathon Major last year, joining the ranks of other elite marathons worldwide.