Haftu Strintzos Is Now the Fastest Australian Marathoner in History

Haftu Strintzos crossed the line, fell flat on his back, and let the moment wash over him. He’d just won the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon in 2:06:20, the fastest marathon an Australian has ever run and the first home win in the men’s race since Lee Troop back in 2006.

“It hasn’t quite registered yet, I’m sure it will soon,” Strintzos said. “It’s quite a memorable moment, a breakthrough moment for me.”

Andy Buchanan’s old mark of 2:06:22 had stood since Valencia in 2024. The Australian record has only fallen three times in the past 40 years, and Sunday was the first time in that stretch it happened on home soil. Strintzos also took 73 seconds off the course record of 2:07:33 that Japan’s Yuki Takei set just a year ago. For anyone counting, 2:06:20 is about 2:59 per kilometer, or 4:49 per mile, all the way home.

The race came down to one move. Japan’s Hidekazu Hijikata hung with Strintzos until the northern turn at 36.6km, where the Australian pulled away and never looked back. Hijikata’s 2:07:20 for second was also under the old course record.

“I wanted to take first place, so a bit disappointed about the second place, however this is my second-best time ever, so the way I handled the race itself I am quite satisfied,” Hijikata said. “The crowd was cheering for the Australian very loud, the loudest crowd I have ever raced in front of.”

Jinya Ozaki ran 2:07:48 for third in his first-ever marathon, and Japanese runners took seven of the top ten spots.

Strintzos’s plan going in was simple: sit tight until 30km, then take a swing.

“I discussed with my coach Adam prior to the start of the race, depending on how I felt at the 30km mark to just go for it and take my chances and whatever happens, happens,” he said. “I knew I had it in me and it was a matter of when – not if, and this was a perfect opportunity for it with a top field. The last 10km was ecstatic, the energy of the crowd was incredible.”

The form was there all season. Strintzos won the Southern Cross University 10km on this same weekend in 2024, then ran 1:00:41 to win the Launceston Half Marathon earlier this year, an Australian all-comers record.

His backstory is one of the more remarkable in Australian sport. He spent his early childhood as a shepherd in northern Ethiopia, where he met Australian aid worker Maria Strintzos. She later adopted him and brought him to Melbourne. He’d never run a step competitively until a primary school teacher pointed him toward Little Athletics. A scholarship to Haileybury College followed, then Villanova University in the US, and national teams at the Oceania Championships and World Cross Country Championships.

“I’ve been working hard for this, grateful for all the support I’ve got,” he said. “Super excited and more to come.”

Kebebe Takes the Women’s Race

Ethiopia’s Almaz Kebebe, 20, won the women’s race in 2:24:53, 31 seconds shy of the course record of 2:24:22 set by Japan’s Yuki Nakamura in 2024.

“This is a big victory for me, this is unbelievable,” Kebebe said. “The pace was really good, and then the other runners came for me before I chased them. I’m really happy, it’s a surprise for me.”

Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai was second in 2:25:41, with Japan’s Kaede Kawamura third in 2:28:00. Two-time Sydney Half Marathon winner Abigail Nordberg was the first Australian woman home, fourth in a personal best of 2:30:22. Four Australian women finished in the top ten.

Men’s Top 10