Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena achieved a historic victory in the men’s race at the Sydney Marathon on Sunday, while Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir secured the women’s title.

In ideal racing conditions, Gobena clocked an impressive time of 2:04:42, shattering the previous record by over a minute and a half on the challenging harbourside course, which saw participation from 40,000 competitors worldwide. The 21-year-old athlete, who transitioned from javelin throwing to marathon running in 2023, broke away from the lead pack alongside compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta in the final two kilometres, finishing just four seconds ahead of his rival. After his victory, Gobena expressed his joy, stating, "I am very happy. Last year I came second, I learned from my mistake, and I went back home and I worked on my mistake to perform and break the record today."

Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana finished third with a time of 2:04:57, and notably, all top seven finishers surpassed the previous record of 2:06:06 set by Hailemaryam Kiros last year.

Jepchirchir, meanwhile, dominated the women’s race, crossing the finish line in 2:18:31, more than three minutes ahead of the competition, marking her fourth major marathon victory. She now adds Sydney to her previous wins in Boston, New York, and London. Irene Chepet Cheptai claimed second place with 2:22:11, while Shure Demise Ware of Ethiopia finished third.

The event faced an unusual hiccup with a medal design error, mistakenly featuring Munich’s Allianz Arena instead of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium. Organizers acknowledged this mix-up.

In wheelchair racing, Daniel Romanchuk of the United States also set a course record with his time of 1:26:50, claiming his first Sydney Marathon title. He was followed by David Weir from Britain and Luo Xingchuan of China.

Manuela Schär from Switzerland triumphed in the women’s wheelchair event, finishing in 1:42:04, with Eden Rainbow-Cooper and Tatyana McFadden rounding out the podium. Schär expressed her surprise at the win, stating, "I haven’t had the best start to the season... this is really surprising, and I’m really emotional."