Everything you need to know about the Sydney Marathon
Last year, it was announced that the Sydney Marathon had passed its first assessment in its attempt to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) series. The Majors currently comprise of six marathons: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City. On completion of all six races, runners are awarded the coveted 'Six Star Finisher' medal.
Rest assured, though – if successful in its second assessment this autumn, the Sydney Marathon will be part of an additional awards programme for runners achieving more than six stars. The Six Star Finisher medal will remain.
That said, it will still be an exciting addition to the AWMM line-up and the first of the Majors to be held in the southern hemisphere.
The Sydney Marathon was first held in 2001 as a legacy race of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. According to race director Wayne Larden, that's why it takes place in September each year – 'it's the yearly anniversary of the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.'
RW caught up with Larden to chat about the race's growth and what will happen if it does pass its second assessment to become one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025. According to Larden, the Sydney team has already been working closely with the AWMM race directors.
'They're all a little bit different,' he tells RW. 'We pick up little nuggets here and little nuggets there. And we're trying to incorporate what we can into each year's development.'
Got your eye on a ticket Down Under? Here's what you need to know.
When is the 2024 Sydney Marathon?
This year's Sydney Marathon will take place on Sunday 15 September 2024. Registration is open now and ranges from $165 to $230, depending on when you enter.
How many people run the Sydney Marathon?
In its first year, there were just 1,200 finishers at the Sydney Marathon. Even when Larden took over as race director in 2005, there were still only 2,300 finishers.
But the marathon's participation has seen rapid growth in the last couple of years. 'In 2022, we had 5,300 registrations,' says Larden.
'Then, with a full year of marketing, community engagement, working with the running community and run clubs, and our candidacy to become a World Major, we saw a swing really quickly. In 2023, we grew to 16,800 entries – 48% of those 16,800 runners were first time marathoners.'
As of April, the 2024 race has over 18,000 entrants. 'Our trend analysis is showing that if we let it run, we'll be at 34,000 on race day,' says Larden. 'That's amazing, but we're not going to get to that. We want to make sure we can manage the growth because the criteria [to become a Major] is pretty detailed and a lot of it revolves around how well we deliver the event.'
Is the Sydney Marathon hilly?
If you're familiar with the Majors, you'll know that they are all quite different in their elevation profiles and routes. (In fact, we've ranked them from easiest to hardest here). In general, Berlin, Chicago and (to an extent) Tokyo are quite fast and flat. Boston, New York City and London are a bit more scenic – with London being slightly faster than the two US races.
'Sydney's not a flat city,' says Larden. 'It's an undulating city. So, to put [the Majors] into these pockets, I'd say we're more aligned with the New York City Marathon. It will be more of a scenic, beautiful experience running through Sydney and over the Harbour Bridge. One of my goals is to make the Sydney Marathon one of the funnest Abbott World Marathon Majors.'
According to Larden, the 2024 route has had some 'significant changes' from 2023, based on operational feedback from Abbott.
'We needed to move the start line so we had more space to accommodate growth,' says Larden. 'The old start line only had one train platform to the start area. The new start line [just a little bit further north] has four different train stations beside it.'
The footprint for the race has grown, too, meaning the team has been able to 'get rid of the out and back sections' – and there's two lanes the whole way.
Starting in North Sydney, the route heads down across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and loops around Darling Harbour into the Pyrmont suburb. From there, runners turn around and head back toward the Harbour Bridge before moving into the Royal Botanic Gardens. The course then sweeps all the way south to Kingsford (a new part of the route for 2024), before coming back on itself, looping around the Centennial Park and finishing at the Sydney Opera House.
'We're spending a lot of money on spectator zones, entertainment zones and marketing and communications to the local community to get out and support these marathon runners on their journey,' Larden adds.
Will there be a ballot system for the Sydney Marathon?
Currently, all you need to do to run the Sydney Marathon is to sign up and pay the entry fee. (Yes, it really is as simply as that.) However, if the race is successful in its quest to become a Major, Larden thinks it's 'inevitable' that there will be a ballot system put in place.
'The question, is when we do it?' he says. 'I think we're going to work out what sort of growth we want and can manage successfully. There's a lot we still have to learn and we know we're not a Major yet. We've got work to do, but we're doing it diligently.'
Is there an elite field at the Sydney Marathon?
Since the race is a platinum level marathon, it has to have an elite international field, says Larden.
'And that will be something that we maintain [if we become a Major]. So, yeah, we will be investing in the elite fields. We probably won't see world records at the Sydney Marathon, but we will attract some of the best runners in the world.'
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