The marathon major season picks up where London left off after world record performances and shifts to Australia as Alphonce Simbu, Hailemaryam Kiros, Sisay Lemma, Peres Jepchirchir and Irine Cheptai headline a loaded field at the Sydney Marathon on August 30.
In just its second year as a major, the race will see an expanded general field of around 40,000 participants as the official kickoff to the fall marathon season.
Kiros returns to defend his title after kicking to a 2:06:06 course record in the men’s race. But he faces some opposition in his quest to repeat as Simbu, Lemma, Timothy Kiplagat, Vincent Ngetich and Dawit Wolde are part of a group that all have the ability to break out in the late stages.
Simbu is still riding the momentum as the current world champion after a dramatic surge to the finish line in 2:09:48 over a diving Amanal Petros inside of Japan National Stadium in Tokyo last September. It also marked the first world title for an athlete from Tanzania.
Lemma is the has the fastest personal best of the entire field at 2:01:48 and already captured titles in Boston and London in addition to having the most experience of the men’s group. Kiplagat has shown disciplined consistency in recent years with a 2:02:55 best time and has the ability to strike at any moment. And Ngetich has legit podium credentials, taking second in the 2023 Berlin Marathon and third at the 2024 and 2025 Tokyo Marathons.
Jepchirchir enters Sydney with a stacked credential list of wins at the Olympic stage, along with grabbing titles in London, Boston and New York City Marathons with a 2:14:43 personal best. She has routinely found the extra gear to lock in on the biggest stages as one of the fastest women all time.
But she faces a women’s group that will look to Cheptai to help set the tone. Cheptai took third in the 2024 Chicago Marathon and has seamlessly moved to the road from the track and ensuring she will always be factor in the closing stages. Her 2:17:51 personal best means she has the speed to stick around in crucial moments well beyond the 35km mark.
Magdalena Shauri finds her way to Sydney with a 2:18:03 personal best and third place finishes in the 2023 Berlin Marathon and 2025 Chicago Marathon, while Stella Chesang already found victory this year with a 2:19:31 win at the Osaka Women’s Marathon in January
Vivian Cheruiyot adds an element of deep experience to the women’s field with best time of 2:18:31 and a win at the 2018 London Marathon, second place finishes at the 2018 New York City Marathon and in 2019 in London along with third in New York in 2024. She hold several world titles across 5,000m and 10,000m disciplines and is a four-time Olympic medallist.
Meanwhile, Simbu and Jepchirchir’s appearances in Sydney will mark the first time the reigning world title holders line up in the same marathon.
Elite Men
Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) – 2:01:48
Alphonce Simbu (Tanzania) – 2:02:47
Timothy Kiplagat (Kenya) – 2:02:55
Vincent Ngetich (Kenya) – 2:03:13
Dawit Wolde (Ethiopia) – 2:03:48
Leul Gebresilase (Ethiopia) – 2:04:02
Tebello Ramakongoana (Lesotho) – 2:04:18
Seifu Tura (Ethiopia) – 2:04:29
Gilbert Kibet (Kenya) – 2:04:31
Hailemaryam Kiros (Ethiopia) – 2:04:35
Chimdessa Debele (Ethiopia) – 2:04:44
Enock Kinyamial (Kenya) – 2:04:46
Chalu Deso (Ethiopia) – 2:04:53
Kennedy Kimutai (Kenya) – 2:04:56
Addisu Gobena (Ethiopia) – 2:05:01
Chala Regassa (Ethiopia) – 2:05:06
Ibrahim Hassan (Djibouti) – 2:05:20
Belay Tilahun (Ethiopia) – 2:05:22
Jemal Yimmer (Ethiopia) – 2:05:48
Andy Buchanan (Australia) – 2:06:22
Melaku Belachew (Ethiopia) – 2:06:30
Ethan Shuley (USA) – 2:07:14
Kosei Shiraishi (Japan) – 2:08:42
Tim Vincent (Australia) – 2:09:40
Liam Boudin (Australia) – 2:10:28
Tom Do Canto (Australia) – 2:11:14
Yudai Fukuda (Japan) – 2:11:16
Yoshihiro Maeda (Japan) – 2:11:56
James Nipperess (Australia) – 2:15:03
Fraser Darcy (Australia) – 2:17:24
Michael Roeger (Australia) – 2:18:53
Elite Women
Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) – 2:14:43
Irine Cheptai (Kenya) – 2:17:51
Magdalena Shauri (Tanzania) – 2:18:03
Ruti Aga (Ethiopia) – 2:18:09
Stella Chesang (Uganda) – 2:18:26
Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) – 2:18:31
Shure Demise (Ethiopia) – 2:18:34
Haven Hailu (Ethiopia) – 2:19:09
Sharon Chelimo (Kenya) – 2:19:33
Joyce Tele (Kenya) – 2:19:50
Meseret Abebaayahau (Ethiopia) – 2:19:50
Aberu Ayana (Ethiopia) – 2:20:20
Waganesh Mekasha (Ethiopia) – 2:20:26
Azmera Gebru (Ethiopia) – 2:20:48
Jackline Cherono (Kenya) – 2:21:14
Fikrte Wereta (Ethiopia) – 2:21:32
Biruktayit Degefa (USA) – 2:21:34
Melody Julien (France) – 2:25:01
Kaoutar Farkoussi (Morocco) – 2:25:12
Priscah Cherono (Kenya) – 2:25:17
Mizuki Nishimura (Japan) – 2:25:54
Ellie Pashley (Australia) – 2:26:21
Caitlin Scott (Australia) – 2:30:26
Rebecca Lowe (Australia) – 2:30:50
Men’s Wheelchair
Josh Cassidy (Canada) – 1:18:25
Jin Hua (China) – 1:18:31
Tomoki Suzuki (Japan) – 1:18:37
Masazumi Soejima (Japan) – 1:18:50
John Boy Smith (Great Britain) – 1:20:01
Kota Hokanuie (Japan) – 1:20:54
Lou Xinghuan (China) – 1:21:25
Daniel Romanchuk USA 1:21:36
David Weir (Great Britain) – 1:22:12
Sho Watanabe (Japan) – 1:22:33
Geert Schipper (The Netherlands) – 1:26:51
Zhang Ying (China) – 1:33:43
Jake Lappin (Australia) – 1:36:29
Sam Rizzo (Australia) – 1:38:19
Miguel Jimenez Vergara (USA) – 1:38:42
Women’s Wheelchair
Manuela Schar (Switzerland) – 1:28:17
Eden Rainbow Cooper (Great Britain) – 1:30:51
Tatyana McFadden (USA) – 1:31:30
Madison De Rozario (Australia) – 1:31:30
Tsubasa Nakamine (Japan) – 1:35:50
Vanessa De Sousa (Brazil) – 1:39:36
Aline Rocha (Brazil) – 1:41:40
Eliza Stankovic-Mowle (Australia) – 1:44:13
Michelle Wheeler (USA) – 1:44:33
Chen Xiaochun (China) – 1:52:21
Mikaela Dingely (Australia) – 2:19:18
