Sydney Marathon – Australian Running history

28 August 2025

Sydney Marathon – Australian Running history

An historic moment in the history of running in Australia will happen on the roads of Sydney this Sunday when the TCS Sydney Marathon becomes the 7th Abbott World Major.

From over 79,000 applications, a record field of 35,000 athletes from over 100 countries will depart North Sydney and finish at the steps of the Sydney Opera House, to become the most scenic of the seven world major marathons. It joins the other six major marathons held in New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago and Boston.

The international field is highlighted by two of the greatest 26-milers in history, two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and Paris Olympic champion Sifan Hassan.

The race also incorporates the NSW and Australian Marathon Championships. With three of Australia’s very best women marathoners on the start line it will be the highest standard ever national championship. Olympians Jessica Stenson and Lisa Weightman, along with national 10,000m champion Leanne Pompeani, represent three of the top-8 of all-time.

Over the 43-year history of the Australian championship, three of the best national women’s races have been in 1983, 1998 and 2009. The 1983 race included three of the top-10 at the end of the year - Megan Sloane 2:37, Jill Colwell 2:39 and Annette Perkins 2:47. The other two strong years were 1998 (Lisa Flint 2:36, Sylvia Rose 2:39 and Sherryn Rhodes 2:43) and 2009 (Lisa Flint 2:34, Magda Karimali-Poulos 2:40 & Michelle Bleakley 2:41).

During the 43-year history of the Australian championship, notable individuals to finish on the podium have included: Sinead Diver, Kerryn McCann, Jackie Turney, Tani Ruckle, Susan Hobson, Lisa Dick, Carolyn Schuwalow, Krishna Stanton, Heather Turland, Jackie Fairweather, Lauren Shelley and Virginia Moloney.

NSW’s Leanne Pompeani will be the favourite for the State title.

In the men’s line-up is a very open field, led by former Australian record holder Brett Robinson, Olympian Liam Adams and two athletes on debut, Sam Clifford and Haftu Strintzos. Also in the mix is NSW favourite Tom Do Canto, a two-time Australian marathon champion with a PB of 2:11.51.

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A question and answer with Jessica Stenson:

Q What does it mean to be participating in this marathon as it becomes a world major marathon?

Jessica: It really just sort of hit home when Sifan Hassan was speaking about it earlier, saying she had to choose between the world champs or the Sydney Marathon, and she chose the Sydney Marathon because this is the first year it's becoming a major, and that just shows what this means. This will be my fourth marathon major and it is just such a privilege to have this opportunity in my career to be able to be at an event where it becomes a major for the very first time.

Q Why did you decide to run Sydney Marathon over the Tokyo World Championships?

Jessica: “When I crossed the line in Tokyo, in a personal best time, I thought the World Championships are going to be here later in the year, obviously it would be special to return to Tokyo, but to run a marathon on home soil and to be a part of something that I know that the Sydney Marathon team have been working so hard towards, I think this is a once in a lifetime experience and my family will be out there watching, along with the Australian community, so I thought that’s something really special.”

Q What do you expect of the crowd that we're going to see on Sunday in Sydney?

Jessica “It's hard to know. When I sort of visualise different marathons I've done and the crowds, you know there are some marathons where it can be really lonely out there for sections but I don't think there'll be too many patches like that in Sydney. From what I'm hearing there are a lot of people coming to be a part of it so I'm expecting a lot of noise particularly at the finish line.

Q What is it like racing greats like Elliot Kipchoge, Sifan Hassan and Bridgid Kosgei?

Jessica “It's a pinch me moment. I've never really been up close to Elliot Kipchoge so I'm still pinching myself just being on stage then thinking this is actually happening like the younger me would have just never imagined this and to see Sifan again I mean she's such an incredible athlete and so I think there'll be a few moments this weekend where I have to just stop myself and think this is actually happening.

Q Can you just talk a bit about what that moment meant to you when you were a 12-year-old girl and you came to the Sydney Olympics?

Jessica: “Mum and dad at the very last minute decided to apply for tickets in the final ballot and I can still vividly recall when mum hung up the phone and said, we've got tickets and my siblings and I were sort of jumping around in the lounge room. We ended up jumping in the car and making a road trip to Sydney and stayed in the Narrabeen Caravan Park because someone from Narra Court where I lived had to pull out of their accommodation. And so it all just fell into place, and we all say like we've been on some fantastic family holidays but that one just, yeah, there was something magical about it. We enjoyed the entire week. We watched the basketball, athletics, swimming, tennis and we actually watched the marathon roadside. My mum's cousin's house was on the course so seeing the likes of Kerryn McCann and the runners go past. I never at that time thought that I'd run marathons one day so it's pretty unreal to be coming back 25 years later to run one that's for sure.

Q What are your hopes and ambitions, expectations of Sunday for you personally?

Jessica: “I think I've done everything I possibly can to prepare and you just hope that when that gun fires you're ready to be at your best. My best on Sunday will be knowing that I've got everything out of myself physically and mentally. I'm just really looking forward to this opportunity. I've done quite a few marathons now, but you still line up feeling just as nervous. Every race means something different, and this one certainly means a lot to me. So I hope that's going to help me to dig as deep as I need to go.”

MEN’S ELITE FIELD

#1 Eliud Kipchoge KEN 2:01:09 - 2 x Olympic Marathon Champion

#2 Dawit Wolde ETH 2:03:48

#3 Hailemaryam Kiros ETH 2:04:35

#4 Jemal Yimer ETH 2:06:08

#5 Tebello Ramakongoana LES 2:06:18 - 4th 2023 World Championships

#6 Birhanu Legese ETH 2:02:38

#7 Samwel Fitwi GER 2:04:56

#8 Laban Korir KEN 2:05:41 - trains with Eliud Kipchoge

#9 Felix Kirwa KEN 2:05:44 - 3rd 2024 Sydney Marathon

#11 Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat KEN 2:04:54

#12 Addisu Gobena ETH 2:05:01

#13 Bernard Koech KEN 2:04:09

Pace

#41 Shadrack Kimining KEN

#42 Timothy Kibet Kosgei KEN

#43 Enock Kinyamal Joshua KEN

Leading Aussies

#14 Brett Robinson VIC 2:07:31 - former Australian record holder

#15 Haftu Strintzos VIC debut (60.36 half m)

#16 Sam Clifford TAS debut (61.49 half m)

#17 Liam Adams VIC 2:08:35 - 3x Olympian

#18 Tom Do Canto NSW 2:11:51 - 2x AUS champion

#20 Nick Earl Jones TAS 2:14.38

#21 Julian Spence VIC 2:14.42

#23 Kieren Perkins QLD 2:17.54

#24 Fraser Darcy SA 2:18.36

#26 Matthew Cox NSW 2:18.42

#27 Steve McKenna 2:18.34

WOMEN’S ELITE FIELD

#46 Sifan Hassan NED 2:13.44 - gold Paris Olympics

#48 Ashete Bekere ETH 2:17.58

#49 Workenesh Edesa ETH 2:17.55 - defending Sydney Marathon champion

#50 Meseret Belete ETH 2:18.21  

#51 Tiruye Mesfin ETH 2:18.35

#52 Brigid Kosgei KEN 2:14.04 - set former world record in Chicago in 2019

#53 Evaline Chirchir KEN 2:20.33

#54 Ai Hosoda JPN 2:20.31

#55 Anchialem Hayanote ETH 2:22.23

#56 Gladys Chesir Kipatgelai KEN 2:20.30 - 3rd 2023 Sydney Marathon

Leading Aussies

#57 Lisa Weightman VIC 2:23.15 - running her 31st marathon

#58 Jessica Stenson SA 2:22.26 - 2022 Commonwealth Games champion

#59 Leanne Pompeani NSW 2:24.53 - Ran the fastest Australian marathon time on debut

#60 Abi Nordberg NSW 2:34.55

#61 Danette Sheehan NSW 2:36.15

#62 Brooke Williamson VIC half marathon 81:07

#64 Lauren Reid NSW - half marathon 72:38

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Sydney Marathon elite athletes at the Sydney Opera House