Addisu Gobena wins the Sydney Marathon (© Getty Images)
Addisu Gobena broke the course record to win the TCS Sydney Marathon in 2:04:42, while world champion Peres Jepchirchir was a clear winner of the women’s race in 2:18:31 at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race and Abbott World Marathon Majors event on Sunday (30).
Ethiopia’s Gobena emerged from a seven-man lead group in the closing stages to take his second career marathon victory, finishing three seconds ahead of compatriot Chimdessa Debele. Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana was third in 2:04:57 as the first seven men all finished inside Hailemaryam Kiros’ previous course record of 2:06:06.
Jepchirchir, meanwhile, gradually reeled in early leader Priscah Cherono before breaking away from Irine Cheptai after 30km. The Kenyan went on to win by more than three minutes in 2:18:31, just nine seconds shy of the course record set by Sifan Hassan last year.
A large group remained together through the opening stages of the men’s race, passing 5km in 14:30 and 10km in 29:22.
Halfway was reached in 1:02:28, significantly faster than the 1:03:45 split recorded last year when Kiros went on to win in 2:06:06.
The first significant move came at about 25km, when Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde and Kenya’s Vincent Ngetich opened a small gap. They were quickly brought back by a group that still contained most of the main contenders, including world champion Alphonce Simbu, former Boston and London winner Sisay Lemma and defending champion Kiros.
Gobena then made his first move shortly after 28km, but his advantage lasted for only about a kilometre before the field regrouped.
Ten men remained in contention beyond 30km, although Lemma – the fastest entrant with his 2:01:48 PB – had by then dropped away from the leaders.
The group had been whittled down to seven by 36km, but they were still together and running 27 seconds inside course-record pace. Debele briefly tried to force the pace at about 37km, but again the group closed the gap.
Those seven – Debele, Gobena, Jemal Yimmer, Simbu, Kiros, Ramakongoana and Ngetich – remained together approaching 40km, which they reached in 1:58:38, by which point they had opened a lead of more than a minute on the chasing pack.
Only in the closing stages did the group finally fragment. Gobena and Debele broke clear and the Ethiopian pair fought for victory, with Gobena edging away to cross the line in 2:04:42. Debele followed in 2:04:45, with Ramakongoana taking third in 2:04:57.
Just 17 seconds separated the top five, while Simbu and defending champion Kiros were also among the seven athletes to finish inside the previous course record.
For Gobena, it was his first marathon victory since his debut over the distance in Dubai in 2024. He won there in 2:05:01 – his PB coming into Sydney – and returned to the Australian city after finishing second to Kiros last year.
Peres Jepchirchir wins the Sydney Marathon (© Getty Images)
The women’s race unfolded in very different fashion as 46-year-old Kenyan veteran Cherono made an audacious early break.
The 2007 world 5000m bronze medallist passed 5km in 15:34, with Jepchirchir leading a 10-woman chase group 13 seconds behind. Cherono extended her advantage to 23 seconds at 10km, which she reached in 31:37 – 16 seconds faster than her official PB for the distance, set in 2002.
She continued to lead through 15km in 48:20, although her margin had been cut to 15 seconds over Jepchirchir and 2017 world cross-country champion Cheptai. The Kenyan pair had in turn opened a small gap on Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye.
Cherono was still clear at halfway, reaching that point in 1:07:58 – 37 seconds faster than her official half marathon PB from 2012. Jepchirchir and Cheptai were 29 seconds behind.
The pace put the leaders well ahead of the schedule set during Hassan’s course-record victory last year, when the Dutch athlete passed halfway in 1:10:01 before winning in 2:18:22.
Cherono’s advantage gradually disappeared, though, and shortly before 28km Jepchirchir and Cheptai caught her. The Kenyan trio passed 30km together in 1:37:48, equivalent to 2:17:34 pace, and were already 1:46 clear of Uganda’s Stella Chesang in fourth.
Cherono finally began to lose contact a couple of kilometres later, leaving the two pre-race favourites together at the front.
Jepchirchir then began to pull away from Cheptai before 35km, reaching that checkpoint in 1:54:47 – exactly on course-record pace. Although her tempo gradually slowed over the final kilometres, her advantage over the rest of the field continued to grow.
By 40km she led Cheptai by about two minutes and the Olympic and world champion was able to enjoy an unchallenged run to the finish, crossing the line in 2:18:31.
Cheptai held on for second in 2:22:11, while Ethiopia’s Shure Demise came through to take third in 2:22:33. Cherono eventually finished sixth but was rewarded for her aggressive run with a PB of 2:23:49, more than a minute faster than the mark she had brought into the race.
Leading results
Women
1 Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:18:31
2 Irine Cheptai (KEN) 2:22:11
3 Shure Demise (ETH) 2:22:33
4 Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:22:57
5 Meseret Abebayahu (ETH) 2:23:40
6 Priscah Cherono (KEN) 2:23:49
7 Stella Chesang (UGA) 2:23:52
8 Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:25:18
9 Ellie Pashley (AUS) 2:28:28
10 Aberu Ayana (ETH) 2:28:30
Men
1 Addisu Gobena (ETH) 2:04:42
2 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:04:46
3 Tebello Ramakongoana (LES) 2:04:57
4 Alphonce Simbu (TAN) 2:04:57
5 Jemal Mekonnen (ETH) 2:04:59
6 Hailemaryam Kiros (ETH) 2:05:16
7 Vincent Ngetich (KEN) 2:05:28
8 Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:06:41
9 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:06:50
10 Gilbert Kibet (KEN) 2:07:13
