Ethiopian runner Addisu Gobena and Kenyan world champion Peres Jepchirchir emerged victorious at the Sydney Marathon on Sunday, marking a significant day for the elite global racing circuit. For the 21-year-old Gobena, the win represented his first-ever World Marathon Major title, a major milestone following his second-place finish in the same event last year.
Gobena, who previously competed as a javelin thrower before shifting his focus to long-distance running, clocked a time of 2:04:42. He secured the victory by launching a decisive move in the final kilometer, finishing four seconds ahead of his compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta. Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana rounded out the top three.
Reflecting on his performance, Gobena stated, “I am very happy. Last year I came second, I learnt from my mistake and I went back home and I worked on my mistake to perform and break the record today.” The race saw a highly competitive men’s field, with the leading pack narrowing to 15 by the halfway point, including world champion Alphonce Simbu and former winner Hailemaryam Kiros.
In the women’s division, Peres Jepchirchir demonstrated her elite status by crossing the finish line in front of the Sydney Opera House in 2:18:31. Her victory adds to an impressive career resume that already includes wins in Boston, New York, and London. She finished nearly four minutes ahead of fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai and Ethiopia’s Shure Demise Ware.
“I was prepared, but I was not sure when I came here if I would win, so I’m so glad and I’m so happy,” Jepchirchir remarked. She noted the difficulty of the course, adding, “It was so hilly. First half was so tough, but the second was better at least. But it was not easy.” Her time was just nine seconds off the course record established by Sifan Hassan in 2025.
The women’s race saw an aggressive start from Kenya’s Priscah Cherono, who built a 30-second lead by the halfway mark. However, the gap was closed by Jepchirchir and Cheptai just before the 30km mark, after which the world champion pulled away to secure the win.
The event also featured wheelchair competition, with American Daniel Romanchuk taking the men’s title and Switzerland’s three-time Paralympic gold medalist Manuela Schar winning the women’s race.
A record-breaking crowd of approximately 40,000 runners navigated the 42.19km course, which stretched from North Sydney across the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House forecourt. This year’s race continued to highlight the event’s status as the seventh World Marathon Major, placing it alongside prestigious races in London, Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. The report also notes that “I am very happy,” said Gobena, who was a javelin thrower before transitioning to long-distance running, gaining international attention by winning the 2024 Dubai Marathon. The report also notes that dawit Wolde, Vincent Ngetich and Gobena all attempted breakaways, but they were reeled in by a pack reduced to seven with six kilometres left.
