2026 Sydney Marathon winners and records across categories
Consensus Summary
The 2026 Sydney Marathon saw record-breaking performances across all categories with 40,000 competitors participating. Ethiopian athlete Addisu Gobena won the men's race in 2:04:42, shaving over a minute from the 2025 winner Hailemaryam Kiros's time of 2:06:06. Kenyan runner Peres Jepchirchir claimed the women's title in 2:18:31, just nine seconds behind the 2025 record set by Sifan Hassan at 02:18:22. Wheelchair athletes also set new records, with Daniel Romanchuk winning the men's event in 1:26:50 and Manuela Schär winning the women's event in 1:42:04. The marathon started at 6:15am with road closures affecting major Sydney routes, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which remained closed until 11am. The event was notable for its elite competition, with the top seven men finishing under Kiros's 2025 record time, and Jepchirchir adding Sydney to her collection of four marathon majors. The Guardian also reported a medal mix-up involving incorrect landmarks on the medals.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Addisu Gobena won the 2026 Sydney Marathon men's race with a time of 2:04:42
- Peres Jepchirchir won the 2026 Sydney Marathon women's race with a time of 2:18:31
- Daniel Romanchuk won the 2026 Sydney Marathon wheelchair men's race with a time of 1:26:50
- Manuela Schär won the 2026 Sydney Marathon wheelchair women's race with a time of 1:42:04
- The 2026 Sydney Marathon had 40,000 competitors
- The 2026 Sydney Marathon route was 42.2-kilometre
- The 2025 Sydney Marathon men's winner Hailemaryam Kiros had a time of 2:06:06
- The 2025 Sydney Marathon women's winner Sifan Hassan had a time of 02:18:22
- The 2026 Sydney Marathon started at 6:15am
- The Sydney Harbour Bridge was closed until 11am during the marathon
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The 2026 Sydney Marathon is in its second year as an Abbott World Marathon Major
- The first tranche of 40,000 runners started at 6:15am
- Road closures affected Oxford Street, Flinders Street, and Anzac Parade
- Public transport was recommended with additional services running during the morning
- Wheelchair marathoners were the first to cross the finish line on Sunday morning
- Addisu Gobena was a javelin thrower until 2023
- Gobena broke away from compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta in the final two kilometres
- Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana was third in 2:04:57
- The top seven finishers were all inside Kiros’ 2025 record time of 2:06:06
- Jepchirchir won by more than three minutes, claiming her fourth marathon major
- Irene Chepet Cheptai was second in 2:22:11, with Shure Demise Ware third 22 seconds behind
- Daniel Romanchuk won bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020
- David Weir was second in the wheelchair men's race at 1:31:33, with Luo Xingchuan third two seconds behind
- Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Britain was second in the wheelchair women's race over five minutes behind Schär
- Tatyana McFadden of the United States was third in the wheelchair women's race
- There was a medal mix-up with Munich’s Allianz Arena incorrectly etched on medals instead of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The ABC states the 2026 Sydney Marathon is in its second year as a major, while the Guardian does not specify the year but implies it is the second year as a major
- The ABC mentions the 2025 Sydney Marathon winner Hailemaryam Kiros's time of 2:06:06, but the Guardian does not explicitly state the year for Kiros's win, only that Gobena finished second behind him last year
- The Guardian states Gobena was 21 years old, but the ABC does not mention his age
Source Articles
Addisu Gobena wins the 2026 Sydney Marathon, as 40K runners take part
Ethiopian athlete Addisu Gobena wins the 2026 Sydney Marathon, touted as the largest marathon in the Southern Hemisphere.
Addisu Gobena smashes Sydney Marathon record as Jepchirchir wins fourth women’s major
Ethiopian former javelin thrower claims men’s race in 2hr 4min 42sec Kenyan adds harbourside crown to Boston, New York and London titles Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena surged to a record-breaking victory in the men’s race at the Sydney Marathon, while Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir claimed the women’s crown on Sunday. In perfect conditions, Gobena won the hotly contested men’s race in two hours four minutes and 42 seconds – more than a minute and a half quicker than the previous record on the hilly harbour
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