Top Ethiopian Runners to Compete in Sydney Marathon

Ethiopia’s renowned athlete Gotytom Gebreslase, the 2022 world champion, along with her fellow Ethiopian runner, Leul Gebresilase, who is a bronze medallist from 2023, will be participating in the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS. This prestigious event, categorized as a World Athletics Platinum Label Road race, is set to take place on September 15, 2024.

Gotytom Gebreslase is celebrated for her impressive achievements in the marathon world. She clinched the world championship title in Oregon and secured a silver medal in Budapest. Her career highlights also include winning the Berlin Marathon in 2021 and securing third place finishes in both the New York and Tokyo marathons in 2022. The 29-year-old athlete achieved her personal best time of 2:18:11 in Oregon and 2:18:18 in Tokyo, before recording a time of 2:21:19 in Hamburg earlier this year.

The competition in Sydney is expected to be fierce, with the participation of four other runners who have achieved sub-2:20 marathon times. Among them is Ethiopia’s Tadu Teshome, who recorded a personal best of 2:17:36 in Valencia in 2022. Tadu has participated in multiple marathons, including notable placements in Chicago, Shanghai, and London, and recently achieved a 10km personal best of 31:13 in Durban.

Also expected to compete are Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga and Buzunesh Getachew, as well as Kenya’s Judith Jeptum Korir, who won a silver medal behind Gebreslase in Oregon. Ruti Aga, recognized for her victory in the Tokyo Marathon in 2019, recently finished second in the Dubai Marathon and first in Daegu, achieving a time of 2:21:07. Buzunesh Getachew set a personal best of 2:19:27 in Frankfurt last year, while Korir’s best time of 2:18:20 was recorded in Oregon, and she finished fourth in the London Marathon.

In the men’s category, Leul Gebresilase stands out with a personal best of 2:04:02 achieved in Dubai in 2018. He became a global bronze medallist in Budapest in 2023 and secured fourth position in the London Marathon the same year. In February, he participated in the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon, finishing in 1:01:24. In Sydney, he will face other elite athletes, including Chalu Deso, who recorded a time of 2:04:53 in Valencia, and Haftu Teklu, who achieved a time of 2:04:42 in Berlin.

Additional strong contenders include Kenya’s Brimin Kipkorir Misoi, who won the Frankfurt Marathon with a personal best time, and other skilled athletes from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Japan. These participants promise an exciting and competitive race in Sydney.