Sydney Marathon 2026 Results: Gobena 2:04:42 Course Record, Jepchirchir Wins

Addisu Gobena ran 2:04:42 to smash the Sydney Marathon course record on 30 August 2026. Peres Jepchirchir won the women's race in 2:18:31. Full elite, Australian, and wheelchair results.

2026-08-30 · 7 min read · Athletics News

The second TCS Sydney Marathon as an Abbott World Marathon Major delivered the fastest men's race in Australian history. Ethiopia's Addisu Gobena won in 2:04:42 on Sunday 30 August 2026, cutting 1:24 off Hailemaryam Kiros's 2025 course record of 2:06:06. Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir took the women's title in 2:18:31, nine seconds outside Sifan Hassan's course record of 2:18:22.

Around 40,000 runners started from North Sydney toward the Opera House. The top seven men all finished inside last year's record. Below are the confirmed elite times from MultiSport Australia and matching race recaps.

Men's marathon results

Gobena breaks the course record

Gobena, 21, finished second here in 2025 in 2:06:16. He was a javelin thrower until 2023. This time he sat in a six-man lead pack, then broke away with compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta inside the last two kilometres and won the downhill finish to the Opera House by four seconds.

"I am very happy. Last year I came second, I learned from my mistake, and I went back home and I worked on my mistake to perform and break the record today," Gobena said through an interpreter.

Tebello Ramakongoana (LES) and world champion Alphonce Simbu (TAN) tied for third in 2:04:57. Kiros, the defending champion, was sixth in 2:05:16. Sisay Lemma, the fastest man on paper, finished 14th in 2:08:47. Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet debuted in 17th at 2:10:56.

Andy Buchanan was the first Australian, 16th in 2:10:14.

Full men's top 20

| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Addisu Gobena ⭐ CR | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:04:42 | | 2 | Chimdessa Debele Gudeta | 🇪🇹 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 Arega | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:06:41 | | 9 | Kennedy Kimutai | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:06:50 | | 10 | Gilbert Kibet | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:07:13 | | 11 | Enock Kinyamal Joshua | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:08:02 | | 12 | Seifu Tura Abdiwak | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:08:26 | | 13 | Ethan Shuley | 🇺🇸 USA | 2:08:34 | | 14 | Sisay Lemma | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:08:47 | | 15 | Degefa Tola | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:09:58 | | 16 | Andy Buchanan | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:10:14 | | 17 | Hagos Gebrhiwet | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:10:56 | | 18 | Timothy Kiplagat Ronoh | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:12:09 | | 19 | Chala Ketema Regasa | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:12:14 | | 20 | Yudai Fukuda | 🇯🇵 JPN | 2:13:28 |

Women's marathon results

Jepchirchir wins her fourth major

Jepchirchir broke the field early and won by more than three minutes. The Kenyan already held titles in Boston, New York, and London. Sydney makes it four of the seven World Marathon Majors. She is also the Tokyo Olympic champion and the reigning world champion.

Her 2:18:31 is the second-fastest women's marathon ever run in Sydney, nine seconds slower than Hassan's 2025 mark. Compatriot Irine Cheptai was second in 2:22:11. Ethiopia's Shure Demise Ware took third in 2:22:33.

Ellie Pashley was the first Australian, ninth in 2:28:27. Amelia Clark finished 11th in 2:29:47, and Caitlin Scott 13th in 2:31:11.

Full women's top 20

| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Peres Jepchirchir | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:18:31 | | 2 | Irine Cheptai | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:22:11 | | 3 | Shure Demise Ware | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:22:33 | | 4 | Haven Hailu Desse | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:22:57 | | 5 | Meseret Abebayehu | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:23:40 | | 6 | Priscah Cherono | 🇰🇪 KEN | 2:23:49 | | 7 | Stella Chesang | 🇺🇬 UGA | 2:23:52 | | 8 | Fikrte Wereta Admasu | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:25:18 | | 9 | Ellie Pashley | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:28:27 | | 10 | Aberu Ayana Mulisa | 🇪🇹 ETH | 2:28:30 | | 11 | Amelia Clark | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:29:47 | | 12 | Mizuki Nishimura | 🇯🇵 JPN | 2:31:01 | | 13 | Caitlin Scott | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:31:11 | | 14 | Myrthe Irene Keetels | 🇳🇱 NED | 2:40:23 | | 15 | Rosie Weber | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:40:56 | | 16 | Shiu Yan Leanne Szeto | 🇭🇰 HKG | 2:42:56 | | 17 | Sarah Ludowici | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:43:04 | | 18 | Melina Kürschner | 🇩🇪 GER | 2:43:09 | | 19 | Kathryn Parkinson | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2:43:22 | | 20 | Kimberly Bennett | 🇨🇦 CAN | 2:44:05 |

Course records

| Race | Previous CR | 2026 result | Broken? | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Men's marathon | 2:06:06 (Hailemaryam Kiros, ETH, 2025) | 2:04:42 (Addisu Gobena, ETH) | Yes | | Women's marathon | 2:18:22 (Sifan Hassan, NED, 2025) | 2:18:31 (Peres Jepchirchir, KEN) | No | | Men's wheelchair | Previous mark stood until Sunday | 1:26:50 (Daniel Romanchuk, USA) | Yes | | Women's wheelchair | Previous mark stood until Sunday | 1:42:04 (Manuela Schär, SUI) | Yes |

The Harbour Bridge start and the climbs in the eastern suburbs still decide most races here. Fast times on Sunday came from patience, not from treating Sydney like a flat Major.

Wheelchair results

The wheelchair races started first. Daniel Romanchuk (USA) won the men's race in a course record 1:26:50, never threatened after an early surge. Britain's David Weir was second in 1:31:32.

Manuela Schär (SUI) won the women's race in a course record 1:42:04. Eden Rainbow-Cooper (GBR) was second in 1:47:17, with Tatyana McFadden (USA) third in 1:51:08. Australia's Madison de Rozario finished fourth in 1:53:34. Eliza Ault-Connell was sixth in 2:01:14.

| Pos | Men's wheelchair | Time | Women's wheelchair | Time | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Daniel Romanchuk (USA) ⭐ CR | 1:26:50 | Manuela Schär (SUI) ⭐ CR | 1:42:04 | | 2 | David Weir (GBR) | 1:31:32 | Eden Rainbow-Cooper (GBR) | 1:47:17 | | 3 | Luo Xingchuan (CHN) | 1:31:35 | Tatyana McFadden (USA) | 1:51:08 | | 4 | Tomoki Suzuki (JPN) | 1:31:41 | Madison de Rozario (AUS) | 1:53:34 | | 5 | Gerard Schipper (NED) | 1:31:52 | Vanessa Cristina de Souza (BRA) | 1:54:45 |

Why this matters for everyday runners

Sydney is not Berlin. The pack went out fast enough that seven men beat last year's course record, and plenty of those same athletes paid for it later. Lemma and Gebrhiwet came in with the best paper times and finished 14th and 17th. The lesson is not "go with the Major pack." It is run *your* race on a course that keeps asking for more.

The opening kilometres across the Harbour Bridge feel quick. The drop off the bridge tempts you to cash in early. Then Centennial Park and the eastern suburbs start stacking short climbs when your legs are already tired. If you raced today and faded after 30 km, that is the course doing what it does, not a character flaw.

Lock an honest target with the marathon pace calculator before you line up again. Build the hills into your long runs, not just the flat kilometres, using the marathon training plan. If you are still deciding whether Sydney is the right Major for you, start with our World Marathon Majors guide and the 2026 elite preview.

Where to find your own result

Age-group and recreational finishers can search gun time, net time, and splits on the MultiSport Australia results page or the official past results hub. Compare your finish against average marathon time and what counts as a good marathon time for your age group.

Sydney also hosted the 2026 Australian Marathon Championships. Search the same timing file by name for open and age-group championship placings.

Planning your next Sydney attempt

If this was your first Major, keep the date and treat the next 12 months as a rebuild, not a victory lap. Use the run planner to set weekly volume, then practise the bridge-to-park rhythm on the routes in our Sydney scenic running guide. For field-size context, Sydney now sits with the other giants on our biggest marathons by finishers list.

Find races: Browse marathons and road races in Sydney on Your Run Guide to compare events, dates, and distances for your next race weekend.