The Ethiopian Addisu Gobena, clocking 2:04:42, and the Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir, in 2:18:31, were proclaimed this Sunday the winners of the Sydney Marathon, one of the eight “majors,” which drew 40,000 runners from 140 countries. The men’s race was decided in an exciting finish with only three seconds separating the winner, Addisu Gobena, who until 2023 specialized in javelin throwing, and his compatriot Chimdessa Debele, who posted 2:04:45. The podium was completed by Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana, who finished in 2:04:57. This is Gobena’s second marathon victory, at 21 years old, after winning in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) in 2024.
In Sydney he achieved that time of 2:04:42 to set a new course record, surpassing the previous best of 2:06:06 held by Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros. In the women’s category, the winner was the Olympic and World champion Peres Jepchirchir, who dominated the race from start to finish and finished nearly four minutes ahead of the second-placed, her compatriot Irene Chepet Cheptei (2:22:11). Third was Ethiopian Shure Demise with 2:22:34. For Jepchirchir this marks her fourth victory in a “major” after winning previously in New York (2021), Boston (2022) and London (2024). The “majors,” the so-called world’s best marathons, are formed by the elite races of London (England), Tokyo (Japan), Boston, Chicago and New York (United States), Berlin (Germany) and Cape Town (South Africa).
