Amid a track and field campaign in a full roar, the fall major marathon season arrives on Sunday with the Sydney Marathon, which enters its second year as one of the world’s premier distance races.
A loaded field will have the unique distinction of having both current world champions as headliners, with Alphonce Simbu and Peres Jepchirchir leading the men’s and women’s races, respectively.
Hailemaryam Kiros returns to defend his men’s title after a course record 2:06:06 last year while the women’s race will see Jepchirchir face Irine Cheptai, Magdalena Shauri, Ruti Aga, Stella Chesang and Vivian Cheruiyot.
Simbu heads into his second major of the year looking to upgrade his second place finish from Boston when he again finished behind John Korir, who won that race in 2025. But he heads into Sydney with defending champion Sisay Lemma into on return back to the top podium spot a loaded group including Timothy Kiplagat, Vincent Ngetich, Dawit Wolde and Leul Gebresilase and several other contenders all have around 2:04 capability (and below) to be a factor late in the race.
Lemma has the fastest time of the entire field at 2:01:48 and will need his speed to stick with what will be an aggressive men’s group in the earl stages.
Meanwhile, Jepchirchir brings a loaded resume and fastest time at 2:14:43 into Sydney after major wins in New York in 2021, Boston in 2022 and London in 2024 with Olympic gold in 2020 in Tokyo and recently when she surged to victory back in Tokyo. Her season took a detour early this year when she withdrew from April’s London Marathon because of injury but heads into Sunday’s race prepared to take a win to kick off the fall majors campaign.
Sydney was upgraded to a world major in late 2024 and debuted last year its its new date in late August instead of September.
More than 40,000 participants are expected to take to the streets on Sunday in the first of the final four fall majors of 2026.
Start times
All times Eastern
4:15 p.m. – Elite wheelchair men’s and women’s race
4:30 p.m. – Elite men’s and women’s open race
4:32 p.m. – Mass start group 1
5:05 p.m. – Mass start group 2
5:29 p.m. – Mass start group 3
5:55 p.m. – Mass start group 4
How To Watch
The 2026 Sydney Marathon will be broadcast live in the United States and Canada on FloTrack with coverage beginning at 4 p.m.
All times Eastern and the above times are for Saturday, August 29.
In the United Kingdom, the race will air live on TNT Sports and TNT Sports 3 starting at 9:00 PM BST local time on Saturday, August 29.
In Australia, coverage will begin at 6 a.m. AEST local time on SBS and SBS On Demand on Sunday, August 30. SBS will broadcast the race until 10:30 a.m. and the event will be streamed on SBS On Demand until 1:30 p.m.
Men’s Elite Entries
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
Women’s Elite Entries
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
