The 2025 Sydney Marathon has made a spectacular entrance onto the global stage, delivering a record-breaking performance in its inaugural year as the seventh Abbott World Marathon Majors race. The event, held in New South Wales’ capital on Sunday, August 31, welcomed over 35,000 participants, cementing its place as the largest marathon in Australia’s history.
The elite field delivered in abundance, with both the men’s and women’s winners setting new course records. Hailemaryam Kiros of Ethiopia won the men’s race in 2:06:06, and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, the Olympic marathon champion, won the women’s in 2:18:22.
Hassan’s victory was particularly significant. The versatile Dutch athlete, who won Olympic bronze in both the 5000m and 10,000m just days before her marathon gold at the Paris Olympics, chose to bypass the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo to compete in Sydney. She was pushed hard by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, the former world marathon record holder, who finished second in 2:18:56. Together, Hassan and Kosgei became the first women to break 2:20 on Australian soil. Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa completed the podium in 2:22:15.
The men’s race was a thrilling duel, with Hailemaryam Kiros holding off his compatriot Addisu Gobena in the final kilometers to secure his first Abbott World Marathon Majors victory. Gobena finished second in 2:06:16, with Tebello Ramakongoana of Lesotho taking third in 2:06:47.
The Sydney Marathon’s successful debut as a major race is a testament to its world-class course, enthusiastic crowds, and elite field. It has already established itself as a must-run event on the global calendar, with organizers aiming to surpass the 55,000 runner mark next year.
