Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena and Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir delivered record-breaking performances to win the Sydney Marathon on Sunday, setting the fastest marathon times ever recorded in Australia.

Gobena, 21, claimed his first World Marathon Major title with a winning time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 42 seconds. The Ethiopian athlete secured victory in the closing stages of the race by pulling ahead of fellow Ethiopian Chimdessa Debele Gudeta. Gobena’s triumph marks a significant progression after finishing second in last year’s event. Reflecting on his improvement, he credited learning from his previous experience.

Jepchirchir, a world champion and multiple major marathon winner, completed the women’s race in 2:18:31. Her time outpaced her nearest competitor, Kenyan Irine Cheptai, by nearly four minutes, underscoring her dominance. Jepchirchir’s victory adds to her previous wins in Boston, New York, and London marathons.

The event attracted a record 36,287 finishers, highlighting the growing popularity of long-distance running in Sydney. Gobena, who initially competed as a javelin thrower before turning to marathon running, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome after narrowly missing the top spot in the previous year’s race.

Overall, the performances by both athletes set new benchmarks for marathon running in Australia, with their times surpassing previous course records and reinforcing East Africa’s dominance in the sport.