Eliud Kipchoge, the most decorated marathoner in history, is set to race the 2025 TCS Sydney Marathon, joining what is being billed as the deepest elite men’s field ever assembled for a marathon in Australia.
The race, scheduled for September, will be Sydney’s first edition as an official Abbott World Marathon Major. That status has attracted a long list of international athletes, 15 of whom have run faster than the current course record of 2:07:03.
For Australian fans, it’s a rare chance to see some of the world’s top distance runners compete on local streets.
Kipchoge, 40, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record holder, with an official personal best of 2:01:09.
He’s also the only person to have ever run a marathon under two hours, though his 1:59:40 at the 2019 INEOS Challenge was achieved under controlled, non-record-eligible conditions. His appearance in Sydney marks his first time racing in Australia, and comes after a quiet 2024 season that included a 10th-place finish in Boston.
He won’t be short on competition. Vincent Ngetich of Kenya is one of the top contenders after a breakout 2023 Berlin Marathon, where he ran 2:03:13, the third-fastest debut ever.
Since then, the 26-year-old has finished third at the Tokyo Marathon in both 2024 and 2025, and currently ranks ninth in the world by World Athletics.
Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde and Birhanu Legese are also in the mix. Wolde, a former Olympian, won the 2025 Xiamen Marathon in January, setting a course record of 2:06:06. Legese holds a best of 2:02:48 and is a two-time winner in Tokyo. He’s part of the NN Running Team, the same training group as Kipchoge.
Edward Cheserek, the former NCAA star who dominated the U.S. collegiate system with 17 national titles, will line up after running 2:05:24 in Valencia last year.
And Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi, best known for his surprise win at the 2018 Boston Marathon, brings an unmatched racing resume that includes over 100 sub-2:20 finishes, the most in history.
While the front of the pack features many of the sport’s biggest names, a strong group of Australian athletes will also be in the field.
Brett Robinson (2:07:31) and Liam Adams (2:08:39) lead the domestic charge, joined by several marathon debutants including Haftu Strintzos, a former NCAA standout, and Samuel Clifford, who recently broke the Australian 10km road record with a 27:34 performance in Japan.
Race Director Wayne Larden called the men’s field “exceptionally deep,” noting that it includes athletes “capable of running under the course record, rising stars, and of course, Kipchoge.” While that kind of lineup has been typical of the majors in Tokyo, Berlin, or London, it’s largely new territory for a race in Australia.
The Sydney Marathon has spent several years working toward World Marathon Majors status, meeting benchmarks around elite participation, field size, and event management. The 2025 edition is the first to carry the Major label, joining the global series alongside Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo.
With Kipchoge in the field and a long list of sub-2:05 runners alongside him, the Sydney Marathon looks set to deliver a fast and competitive race. But beyond that, it’s a signal of where Australian road running is headed, and how far the country has come in drawing world-class talent to its biggest events.
Men’s Elite Field:
| NAME | PERSONAL BEST | COUNTRY |
| Eliud Kipchoge | 2:01:09 | Kenya |
| Birhanu Legese | 2.02.48 | Ethiopia |
| Vincent Ngetich | 2:03:13 | Kenya |
| Dawit Wolde | 2:03:48 | Ethiopia |
| Bernard Koech | 2.04.09 | Kenya |
| Hailemaryam Kiros | 2.04.35 | Ethiopia |
| Kenneth Kipkemoi | 2:04:52 | Kenya |
| Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat | 2:04:54 | Kenya |
| Samuel Fitwi | 2:04:56 | Germany |
| Addisu Gobena | 2:05:01 | Ethiopia |
| Afewerki Berhane | 2.05.22 | Eritrea |
| Mulugeta Asefa | 2:05:33 | Ethiopia |
| Laban Korir | 2:05:41 | Kenya |
| Victor Kipchirchir | 2.05.43 | Kenya |
| Edward Cheserek | 2.05.43 | Kenya |
| Felix Kirwa | 2:05:44 | Kenya |
| Jemal Yimer | 2:06:08 | Ethiopia |
| Tebello Ramakongoana | 2.06.18 | Lesotho |
| Enock Kinyamal | 2.06.32 | Kenya |
| Eyob Faniel | 2.07.09 | Italy |
| Kento Kikutani | 2.07.26 | Japan |
| Yuki Kawauchi | 2:07:27 | Japan |
| Brett Robinson | 2:07:31 | Australia |
| Masato Arao | 2.08.05 | Japan |
| Kosei Machida | 2.08.17 | Japan |
| Mustapha Houdadi | 2.08.24 | Morocco |
| Shadrack Kimining | 2.08.29 | Kenya |
| Liam Adams | 2:08:39 | Australia |
| Brian Shrader | 2.09.46 | USA |
| Bjorn Koreman | 2.10.32 | Netherlands |
| Thomas Do Canto | 2:11:51 | Australia |
| Reece Edwards | 2:13:23 | Australia |
| Martin Olesen | 2.14.35 | Denmark |
| Nick Earl | 2:14:38 | Australia |
| Julian Spence | 2:14:42 | Australia |
| Dean Menzies | 2:17:41 | Australia |
| Kieren Perkins | 2:17:54 | Australia |
| Fraser Darcy | 2:18:36 | Australia |
| Matthew Cox | 2:18:42 | Australia |
| Timothy Kigel Kosgei | Debut | Kenya |
| Haftu Strintzos | Debut | Australia |
| Samuel Clifford | Debut | Australia |
| Joel Tobin White | Debut | Australia |
