Sydney Marathon Draws Record 35,000 Runners, Sets Fastest Australian Finish

The Sydney Marathon saw a record participation of about 35,000 runners after being elevated to world marathon major status, joining events like London and New York. Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros Kebedew won the men's race with a record time of 2:06:06, the fastest marathon ever run in Australia, narrowly beating Addisu Gobena. In the women's race, Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan set a new record with a time of 2:18:20, becoming the first woman to run the Sydney Marathon in under two hours and 20 minutes. Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge, favored to win, finished ninth after falling behind the leaders near the end. Several Australian women finished in the top ten, including Leanne Pompeani, Jessica Stenson, and Lisa Weightman. Both winners highlighted the competition's toughness and the historic significance of their victories in Sydney's first marathon as part of the world majors series.