Sydney Marathon 2025: Sifan Hassan and Hailemaryam Kiros smash course records as Eliud Kipchoge finishes ninth

Sunday, August 31, 2025, will go down as a landmark date for running in Australia and for marathon history. In its first appearance on the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit, the Sydney Marathon delivered a world-class spectacle. In the cool Sydney morning sunshine, Sifan Hassan led from the front and obliterated the course record in 2:18:22. In the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros took the win in 2:06:06, also lowering the course best. Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge finished a respectable ninth in 2:08:31. Here’s a look back at a spectacular weekend on Australian soil.

Sifan Hassan is the queen of Sydney

She was the favorite, and she delivered. As usual, the Dutch star Sifan Hassan approached the race with a blend of focus and composure. Paced by a group of male pacemakers, she reached halfway in 1:10:01 alongside Brigid Kosgei and defending champion Workenesh Edesa. She then waited until a downhill section at 35 kilometers to make her move, surging clear of her rivals.

The 32-year-old distance star blew the race apart and powered toward a solo victory. Despite a difficult stretch on a downhill section, she maintained an impressive pace to cross the finish line in 2:18:22, taking more than three minutes off the record set last year. She was without question the queen of Sydney. Kenya’s Brigid Jeptchirchir Kosgei, the 2021 Olympic champion in Tokyo, finished second in a superb 2:18:56, while Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa Gurmesa completed the podium in 2:22:15.

With this victory, the supremely versatile Sifan Hassan has now won all four of her marathons (London and Chicago in 2023, followed by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Sydney). At 32, she continues to write some of the finest chapters in marathon history.

Results – Women

1. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), 2:18:22
2. Brigid Jeptchirchir Kosgei (Kenya), 2:18:56
3. Workenesh Edesa Gurmesa (Ethiopia), 2:22:15
4. Kumeshi Sichala (Ethiopia), 2:22:50
5. Evaline Chirchir (Kenya), 2:23:13
6. Ai Hosoda (Japan), 2:23:27
7. Leanne Pompeani (Australia), 2:24:47
8. Jessica Stenson (Australia), 2:28:56
9. Lisa Weightman (Australia), 2:29:34
10. Abigail Nordberg (Australia), 2:35:43

Hailemaryam Kiros wins like a champion, while Eliud Kipchoge rolls on

The men’s race delivered plenty of suspense. The lead pack reached halfway in 1:03:45, with Hailemaryam Kiros, the young Addisu Gobena and, of course, Eliud Kipchoge. But the relentless pace set at the front and the succession of climbs gradually whittled down the pack. The pacemakers stepped off at 30 kilometers, after which the leaders continued to wind it up, trading blows on the climbs and descents.

From 36 kilometers, Gobena tried to force the pace and found himself alone at the front. Kiros caught him at 40 kilometers before delivering a decisive surge on another climb. Stronger on his legs, he opened a gap and was never caught.

The Ethiopian won in 2:06:06, also breaking the course record. After a strong 2024, which included an impressive fifth place at the Berlin Marathon in 2:04:35, there is little doubt that this Sydney victory will open the door to the world’s biggest marathons. His compatriot Addisu Gobena held on for an excellent second place in 2:06:16, while Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana completed the podium in 2:06:47.

Behind the younger generation, Eliud Kipchoge showed all his experience, managing his race to finish in 2:08:31. Already feeling the strain after 30 kilometers, he chose to let the lead group go and ease off slightly over the final stretch. At 40, the marathon legend did not claim a 12th Major (his 21st career marathon), but he continues to inspire the world with a solid performance on this demanding course.

Results – Men

1. Hailemaryam Kiros Kebedew (Ethiopia), 2:06:06
2. Addisu Gobena Aga (Ethiopia), 2:06:16
3. Tebello Ramakongoana (Lesotho), 2:06:47
4. Mustapha Houdadi (Morocco), 2:07:17
5. Edward Cheserek (Kenya), 2:07:38
6. Masato Arao (Japan), 2:07:42
7. Laban Korir (Kenya), 2:08:06
8. Felix Kiptoo Kirwa (Kenya), 2:08:18
9. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya), 2:08:31
10. Victor Kipchirchir (Kenya), 2:09:08

The Sydney Marathon may be the toughest Major of them all

The times were remarkably fast, but they become even more impressive when you consider the unique nature of the Sydney course. With its constant climbs and descents, the race is a genuine roller coaster. Holding a perfectly even pace is virtually impossible. In total, the course features 313 meters of elevation gain and 396 meters of elevation loss, a cocktail guaranteed to test the quads.

Against that backdrop, Hassan and Kiros’s records are even more impressive. They underline not only their exceptional level, but also their ability to excel on demanding courses, far removed from the flat Berlin and Valencia routes, which are optimized to the last detail for record attempts.

Sydney has made a successful entry into the exclusive World Marathon Majors club. Between Sifan Hassan’s dominance, Hailemaryam Kiros’s outstanding performance and Eliud Kipchoge’s resilience, the 2025 edition will stand as a defining moment in marathon history.

✔ Find all the results from the 2025 TCS Sydney Marathon here.