The Sydney Marathon was elevated as the latest member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in November and now the event debuts on Sunday with an expanded general race and marquee names in the pro fields.
After beating out Cape Town and Shanghai as the newest member of the club to join Boston, Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York on the big stage, Sydney leads off the second portion of the major marathon season.
Helping usher in this new era for Sydney are Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan, who bring Olympic gold medal experience, marquee marathon wins of their own and the high profile names to give the first major in the southern hemisphere instant validation.
Both will be racing the course for the first time and headline a pro field that will have to battle what is now the hilliest course of all the majors withe a men’s group that includes nine sub-2:05 athletes while the six of women’s racers have clocked times below 2:19.
Course Preview
Sunday’s race will be a trek through many of the notable sights in Sydney as the pro field — and 35,000 general participants — will line up at the start that commemorates the 2000 Sydney Olympics marathons. At the 11.9k and 13.1k marks, two huge spectator regions will host crowds in the central business district. The course winds its way through the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Taylor Square, Sydney Swans Zone, Centennial Park and finishes at the Sydney Opera House.
The hills in Sydney are unavoidable as the 1,025 feet of elevation gain are offset by 1,300 feet of elevation loss with significant drops in the first 5k.
Matchups
Kipchoge will likely set out to break the course record, which was set last year by Brimin Kipkorir in 2:06:18. But Kipchoge will be challenged from the opening steps as Birhanu Legese, Vincent Ngetich, Dawit Wolde, Bernard Koech, Hailemaryam Kiros all have the times to clash on the hilly course.
At 40, Kipchoge is on the hunt for another win since dropping out of the Olympic marathon in Paris last year. He rebounded with a sixth place finish at the London Marathon in April in 2:05:25 but his last major win at the 2023 Berlin Marathon seems like ages ago in changing distance running landscape.
In the women’s race, Hassan is still riding the momentum from her stunning win in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games. Her final sprint gave her the win, her third medal of the 2024 Olympics and further boosted her legend on the road — and track.
Hassan first has to get through Workenesh Edesa, who clocked 2:21:41 last year and returns as Sydney’s defending champion.
Both will also have to contend with Meseret Belete, Ashete Bekere, Meseret Belete and Tiruye Mesfin who make up a group that have all posted sub-2:19 times and position themselves to be tactical on a course that is far from flat.
How To Watch
The 2025 Sydney Marathon will be broadcast locally in Australia live on 7mate and 7plus Sport on Saturday, August 30 at 4 p.m. Eastern (Sunday 6 a.m. AEST). In the United States, Flosports will stream the race, while Eurosport will broadcast the race in the majority of Europe.
Women’s elite field
Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – 2:13:44
Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) – 2:14:04
Workenesh Edesa (Ethiopia) – 2:17:55
Ashete Bekere (Ethiopia) – 2:17:58
Meseret Belete (Ethiopia) – 2:18:21
Tiruye Mesfin (Ethiopia) – 2:18:35
Sichala Kumeshi (Ethiopia) – 2:19:53
Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) – 2:20:22
Gladys Chesir (Kenya) – 2:20:30
Ai Hosoda (Japan) – 2:20:31
Evaline Chirchir (Kenya) – 2:20:33
Pascalia Chepkosgei (Kenya) – 2:22:11
Anchialem Haymanot (Ethiopia) – 2:22:23
Jessica Stenson (Australia) – 2:22:56
Lisa Weightman (Australia) – 2:23:15
Leanne Pompeani (Australia) – 2:24:53
Men’s elite field
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) – 2:01:09
Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) – 2:02:48
Vincent Ngetich (Kenya) – 2:03:13
Dawit Wolde (Ethiopia) – 2:03:48
Bernard Koech (Kenya) – 2:04:09
Hailemaryam Kiros (Ethiopia) – 2:04:35
Kenneth Kipkemoi (Kenya) – 2:04:52
Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat (Kenya) – 2:04:54
Samuel Fitwi (Germany) – 2:04:56
Addisu Gobena (Ethiopia) – 2:05:01
Afewerki Berhane (Eritrea) – 2:05:22
Mulugeta Asefa (Ethiopia) – 2:05:33
Laban Korir (Kenya) – 2:05:41
Victor Kipchirchir (Kenya) – 2:05:43
Edward Cheserek (Kenya) – 2:05:43
Felix Kirwa (Kenya) – 2:05:44
Jemal Yimer (Ethiopia) – 2:06:08
Tebello Ramakongoana (Lesotho) – 2:06:18
Enock Kinyamal (Kenya) – 2:06:32
Eyob Faniel (Italy) – 2:07:09
Kento Kikutani (Japan) – 2:07:26
Yuki Kawauchi (Japan) – 2:07:27
Brett Robinson (Australia) – 2:07:31
Masato Arao (Japan) – 2:08:05
Kosei Machida (Japan) – 2:08:17
Mustapha Houdadi (Morocco) – 2:08:24
Shadrack Kimining (Kenya) – 2:08:29
Liam Adams (Australia) – 2:08:39
Brian Shrader (USA) – 2:09:46
