The Sydney Marathon is a

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

held annually in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia each September. The event was first held on the 30th of April 2000 and called The Host City Marathon as a test event for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and has continued every year since, as a legacy of the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

. The marathon is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by

World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

, and from 2025, as part of the

World Marathon Majors The World Marathon Majors (WMM) sponsored by Abbott Laboratories is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on seven major marathon races recognised as the most high-profile o ...

. The Sydney Marathon also includes a 10K run, and a race.

History

The Sydney Marathon started in April 2000, following the same course as the marathon during the 2000 Summer Olympics. The women's race in 2001 was won by Krishna Stanton, who had never run a marathon before, and was doing the event as a result of a challenge from a friend. In 2014 the marathon was awarded a Silver Label Road Race by the

International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, coverin ...

(IAAF), then in December 2014 the race was awarded a Gold Label Road Race in time for the 2015 race and it is now a Platinum Label Road Race. The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, with all entries automatically transferred to 2021, and all registrants given the option of also running the race virtually for free. Moses Kibet won the 2022 race in 2:07:02, a new course record, and the fastest marathon time run on Australian soil. In July 2022, organisers of the race announced that they were applying to be added to the list of

. Following the 2023 event, Sydney Marathon achieved a pass, and moved forward to the next assessment step in becoming a World Marathon Major. The marathon was confirmed as the seventh major on 4 November 2024 following the 2024 race.

Course

The marathon course initially followed the same course that was used in the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2010 the marathon course was changed to flatten it out which, according to the organisers, makes it "a faster, more scenic and spectator friendly course." The marathon runs on a point-to-point course that begins in Bradfield Park, Milsons Point, crosses over the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...

, and ends in front of the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

Other awards

To date, eight runners have competed in every Sydney Marathon, and have been dubbed "Blue Line Legends". In addition, runners who have completed at least 10 marathons are eligible to be inducted into the Bridge Club.

Other races

In addition to the marathon, a

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

, "Bridge Run", and a "Family Fun Run" are also held under the banner of the Sydney Running Festival. The Bridge Run was added in 2002, initially as a event, before being reduced to in 2005. The Bridge Run has since returned to being an AIMS certified distance. All the races finish at the

, except for the fun run, which ends at the

Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM) — formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music, and known by the moniker "The Con" — is the music school of the University of Sydney. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious music ...

less than a kilometre from the Opera House.

Winners

Key: Course record : Source (up to 2018):

Multiple wins

By country

Notes

References

{{IAAF Road Race Label Events Marathons in Australia Sports competitions in Sydney Annual sporting events in Australia Sydney Opera House World Marathon Majors