Hassan Kiros sets new records at Sydney Marathon, shattering previous marks in the event
In the historic debut of the Sydney Marathon as a World Marathon Major, athletes from around the globe gathered to compete in the challenging 26.2-mile race. Among the participants were some of the world's most renowned runners, including Eliud Kipchoge, the dual Olympic gold-medallist, and Sifan Hassan, the current marathon record holder.
Despite Kipchoge's impressive resume, which includes gold medals from the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, his run in the Sydney Marathon did not result in a victory. With 10 kilometres to go, Kipchoge fell off the lead pack and was unable to regain contention, finishing in ninth place. However, the Kenyan athlete was warmly embraced by his competitors and enthusiastically cheered by the crowd as he crossed the line. Kipchoge, content with his performance, stated, "I have nothing to prove."
The men's race was won by Hailemaryam Kiros, who set a new record for the fastest marathon in Australia with a time of two hours six minutes and six seconds. Kiros' victory was closely followed by Addisu Gobena, who finished second, 10 seconds behind the winner, and Tebello Ramakongoana, who took third place.
In the women's race, Sifan Hassan continued her dominance, setting a new record time of 2:18:22. Workenesh Edesa, who held the previous record time for the women's race in Sydney, set last year, was not able to defend her title. The first woman to win the marathon in Sydney as a World Marathon Major is not explicitly named in the search results provided, as the city was added to the series in 2024.
The women's wheelchair event was won by Susannah Scaroni, a United States resident, who expressed her belief that sports can improve every human being. In the men's wheelchair event, Marcel Hug, a Swiss athlete with a total of 7 Paralympic gold medals and 23 other major marathon victories, broke the previous record by more than 11 minutes with a time of 1:27:15.
Kipchoge, who aims to increase the number of participants in the Sydney Marathon, suggested a goal of 55,000 runners for the next year. As the race comes to a close, it is clear that the Sydney Marathon has established itself as a significant event in the world of marathon running.
