Multiple Olympic gold medallists Sifan Hassan and Eliud Kipchoge will make their Sydney Marathon debuts when they race the World Athletics Platinum Label event on Sunday (31).
They form part of the strongest fields ever assembled for the event, as the race makes its debut on the Abbott World Marathon Majors calendar. The women’s line-up for the TCS Sydney Marathon Presented by ASICS includes six athletes with PBs under 2:19, while the men’s field features nine sub-2:05 runners.
Who will Sifan Hassan face in the Sydney Marathon
Hassan will take on former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei and defending champion Workenesh Edesa, while Kipchoge will face Vincent Ngetich, who has achieved three Platinum race podiums in the past couple of years, plus his fellow sub-2:04 athletes Birhanu Legese and Dawit Wolde.
Dutch star Hassan has won three of the five marathons she has contested so far: in London in 2023, when she triumphed on her debut over the distance; in Chicago later that year, when she ran 2:13:44 for the third-fastest time in history; and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she got gold in an Olympic record of 2:22:55 after earning bronze in both the 5000m and 10,000m.
She also placed third in the London Marathon earlier this year and fourth in the Tokyo Marathon in 2024.
“I’m really looking forward to racing another Major and experiencing the energy of the Sydney crowds,” she said. “Australia is such a strong athletics nation, and a great marathon needs passionate and loud fans, so I’m excited.”
Kenya’s Kosgei also makes her Sydney Marathon debut with an impressive resume that includes five World Marathon Majors victories: London in 2019 and 2020, Chicago in 2018 and 2019, and Tokyo in 2022. She ran her PB of 2:14:04 in 2019 and more recently finished second in Hamburg in April, clocking 2:18:26.
Ethiopia’s Edesa returns to defend her title after setting a course record of 2:21:41 when winning last year. She has raced twice since then, winning both – the Osaka Women’s Marathon in January and the Hamburg Marathon ahead of Kosgei in April, setting a PB of 2:17:55.
Her compatriot Sichala Kumeshi was third in Hamburg and is again among their rivals in Sydney, while they will all also take on three other sub-2:19 runners in Ashete Bekere, Meseret Belete and Tiruye Mesfin of Ethiopia.
Australian athletes in action include Commonwealth Games champion Jessica Stenson and four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman.
What Eliud Kipchoge said about participating in Sydney Marathon
Kenya’s former world record-holder Kipchoge has an impressive record of 16 victories from 22 official marathon races. That tally includes 11 wins in World Marathon Majors and an unbeaten streak of 10 marathons between 2014 and 2019.
He claimed his two Olympic marathon titles in 2016 and 2021 and also still holds the second-fastest marathon time in history: 2:01:09. Most recently, he finished sixth at the London Marathon in April in 2:05:25.
“This is not only my first time racing the TCS Sydney Marathon, but also my first time running in Oceania,” he said. “Competing in Australia is a huge opportunity for me. Sydney looks like a stunning city with so many iconic sights. It’s going to be a new and special experience for me.”
In the race, he will renew his rivalry with his Kenyan compatriot Ngetich, who ran 2:03:13 when finishing second to Kipchoge in the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Ngetich has also claimed consecutive podium finishes in Tokyo, placing third in the 2024 and 2025 editions of the race.
Wolde has a personal best of 2:03:48 and won the Xiamen Marathon in January, while his Ethiopian compatriot Legese is the 2019 and 2020 Tokyo Marathon champion who set his PB of 2:02:48 at the Berlin Marathon in 2019.
Australia’s entries include former national record-holder Brett Robinson as well as Olympian Liam Adams.
The course record of 2:06:18 was set last year.
Sydney Marathon Elite fields
Women
Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:13:44
Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04
Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:17:55
Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:17:58
Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:18:21
Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:18:35
Sichala Kumeshi (ETH) 2:19:53
Buze Diriba (ETH) 2:20:22
Gladys Chesir (KEN) 2:20:30
Ai Hosoda (JPN) 2:20:31
Evaline Chirchir (KEN) 2:20:33
Pascalia Chepkosgei (KEN) 2:22:11
Anchialem Haymanot (ETH) 2:22:23
Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:22:56
Lisa Weightman (AUS) 2:23:15
Leanne Pompeani (AUS) 2:24:53
Men
Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:01:09
Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48
Vincent Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13
Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48
Bernard Koech (KEN) 2:04:09
Hailemaryam Kiros (ETH) 2:04:35
Kenneth Kipkemoi (KEN) 2:04:52
Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat (KEN) 2:04:54
Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:04:56
Addisu Gobena (ETH) 2:05:01
Afewerki Berhane (ERI) 2:05:22
Mulugeta Asefa (ETH) 2:05:33
Laban Korir (KEN) 2:05:41
Victor Kipchirchir (KEN) 2:05:43
Edward Cheserek (KEN) 2:05:43
Felix Kirwa (KEN) 2:05:44
Jemal Yimer (ETH) 2:06:08
Tebello Ramakongoana (LES) 2:06:18
Enock Kinyamal (KEN) 2:06:32
Eyob Faniel (ITA) 2:07:09
Kento Kikutani (JPN) 2:07:26
Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:07:27
Brett Robinson (AUS) 2:07:31
Masato Arao (JPN) 2:08:05
Kosei Machida (JPN) 2:08:17
Mustapha Houdadi (MAR) 2:08:24
Shadrack Kimining (KEN) 2:08:29
Liam Adams (AUS) 2:08:39
Brian Shrader (USA) 2:09:46
