Record-Breaking Sydney Marathon Sees Kenyan and Ethiopian Victories

The Sydney Marathon witnessed record-breaking performances as Kenyan athlete Brimin Misoi and Ethiopian runner Workenesh Gurmesa set new fastest times for marathons in Australia. The event took place on Sunday morning, attracting tens of thousands of participants who embarked on a course that started at North Sydney Oval and finished at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

A record number of 25,000 runners took part in the marathon, which started at 6 am. The route led the competitors across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, weaving through the city’s streets and eastern suburbs. Although runners faced challenges from strong winds and a chilly start, these conditions did not hinder the elite athletes’ performances.

Misoi emerged victorious in the men’s race after breaking away from the lead pack at the 30km mark, finishing in a time of 2:06:17. Meanwhile, Gurmesa proved too strong in the women’s race, completing the marathon in 2:21:40, shattering the previous best time set by Japan’s Naoko Takahashi during the Sydney Olympic marathon in 2000.

In the women’s wheelchair race, Australian Paralympic champion Madison de Rozario defended her title with a time of 1:54:09, having remarkably competed in her second marathon in just seven days following her silver medal performance at the Paris Paralympics.

Canadian athlete Josh Cassidy also celebrated a successful defense of his title in the men’s wheelchair category, finishing in 1:38:35.

The marathon is striving to join the prestigious World Marathon Majors series, which includes events in major cities like New York, Boston, and Tokyo. With a participation of over 24,000 runners, the Sydney Marathon hopes to soon be in the company of the world’s leading marathons after meeting the necessary criteria.