Ethiopia's Addisu Gobena, who until 2023 was a javelin thrower, decided that running 42 kilometres was a better use of his time, and it paid off. On Sunday, he surged to a record-breaking victory at the Sydney Marathon, finishing in two hours, four minutes, and 42 seconds - more than a minute and a half faster than the previous record on the hilly harbourside course that attracted 40,000 competitors from around the world.
The 21-year-old Ethiopian broke away with compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta from a lead pack of six runners inside the final two kilometres, then surged ahead on the downhill finish to the Sydney Opera House to win by four seconds. He celebrated by punching the air, probably because he had just learned that all those years of throwing a spear had prepared him for a career in long-distance running, a fact that would surprise no one who has seen javelin throwers run.
Gobena, who finished second behind Hailemaryam Kiros last year, said through an interpreter: "I am very happy. Last year I came second, I learned from my mistake, and I went back home and I worked on my mistake to perform and break the record today." Apparently, the mistake was not running fast enough, and the fix was running faster - a stunning revelation that has revolutionised the sport.
Lesotho's Tebello Ramakongoana was third in 2:04:57, and the top seven finishers, including Kiros, all beat Kiros' record time of 2:06:06 set in last year's race. It was the Sydney Marathon's second year as a major, joining the elite ranks of New York, London, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo, and Chicago. Because, as everyone knows, the more majors there are, the more opportunities there are for medal mix-ups.
In the women's race, Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir broke the field early and raced away to win by more than three minutes, claiming her fourth marathon major. She crossed the line in 2:18:31, just nine seconds behind Sifan Hassan's mark from last year, and has now added Sydney to her wins in Boston, New York, and London. Her compatriot Irene Chepet Cheptai was second in 2:22:11, with Shure Demise Ware of Ethiopia another 22 seconds behind in third.
The event was not without its own version of a speed bump: an embarrassing medal mix-up. A design error resulted in Munich's Allianz Arena being etched onto the medals instead of Sydney's Allianz Stadium, depicting a German landmark on medals intended to feature a Sydney one. Organisers acknowledged the mistake, probably with a collective facepalm. Because nothing says 'Sydney' like a football stadium in Bavaria.
In the wheelchair events, Daniel Romanchuk of the United States smashed the course record in his first Sydney Marathon men's title. The 28-year-old, who won bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, was never threatened as he bested the field early and crossed in 1:26:50, more than 30 seconds better than the previous mark. "I wasn't sure what to expect throughout … I decided to put in a test surge and see what response I got, and I just decided I made a little bit of space, I'll see if I can hold it, and I was able to hold it," he said, in a quote that perfectly captures the strategic brilliance of 'try something and hope it works'.
Britain's David Weir was second at 1:31:33, with Luo Xingchuan of China two seconds further back in third. In the women's wheelchair event, Switzerland's Manuela Schär won in a record time of 1:42:04, with Britain's Eden Rainbow-Cooper second, over five minutes behind, and Tatyana McFadden of the United States third. "I haven't had the best start to the season. I'm getting older, and it's getting harder, and this is really surprising, and I'm really emotional," Schar said, proving that even record-breaking athletes are not immune to the universal experience of being surprised by their own success.