As the Sydney Marathon became a Major for the first time on Australian soil, female distance runners gave the nation some even more history-making moments.
In the women’s marathon, Dutch multi-distance phenomenon Sifan Hassan took victory, setting a race record of two hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds across the 42km course. This smashed the previous course record by nearly three minutes and means she’s now run the fastest marathon ever recorded by a female athlete in Australia.
Before the race on Sunday, Hassan had said she decided to run the Sydney marathon because she wanted to be a part of its history as one of the seven Major’s. This win marks her third Major victory, alongside the London and Chicago marathon.
The other Majors that are part of the elite series include Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, and New York.
Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei from Kenya crossed the line after Hassan in an impressive 2:18.56, followed by the race’s defending champion Workenesh Edesa, who got on the podium in a time of 2:22:15.
Leanne Pompeani was the first Aussie woman to cross the women’s race, and in an emotional moment for the Australian running community, was seen hugging fellow Aussie runners Jess Stenson and Lisa Weightman.
The three runner’s group hug was spotlighted due to reconciliation of selection drama that had occurred ahead of the Paris Olympics marathon, where Weightman was left out of being selected for the Australian team, despite running the third-fastest time in the qualification period.
Stenson was selected to go to the Olympics over Weightman, and yet, on Sunday, the pair’s hugging embrace showed a beautiful moment of athletic sportsmanship and good character.
Speaking to Channel 7 after the race, Stenson said Weightman had told her at the start line that she wished to leave any animosity between them behind.
“Credit to Lisa; she said to me on the start line, ‘Everything, we’re putting it behind us, today we go and soak up this moment’, and we both did,” Stenson said.
“A few tears were shed at the finish for sure. It was a beautiful moment with all three of us.”
In the wheelchair marathon, USA’s six-time Paralympic medallist Susannah Scaroni dominated the women’s category to win in a blistering time of 1:45:52.
Scaroni beat the Australian star Madison De Rozario’s previous record time of 1:54:10, which she set last year. De Rozario, who has claimed back-to-back Sydney Marathon wins from 2023, did not compete this year.
Also part of the race’s history, Jo Tebbutt, 59, became the only woman to have run every Sydney Marathon since it began in 2001. She completed the race in a time of 3:55:57, telling SMH that being the only woman to run every race makes her feel a responsibility to “carry on for as long as possible” for other female runners.