Jepchirchir wins Sydney Marathon
Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon in 2:18:31, securing her fourth World Marathon Major title after overtaking Priscah Cherono.
Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya won the women's Sydney Marathon in a time of 2:18:31 on Sunday. The victory marks her fourth World Marathon Major title, for which she earned $139,000 Australian dollars ($100,000 U.S. dollars).
According to a report from Runner's World, the 32-year-old reigning world and Olympic champion moved into the lead around the 18-mile mark. She built a decisive advantage over the final stages, finishing almost four minutes clear of her nearest rival.
Jepchirchir narrowly missed the course record of 2:18:22, set last year by Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands. In a finish line interview, she described the course as "tough" due to its hills in the first half. "I was prepared. But I was not sure if I'm going to come and win. But I'm so glad, and I'm so happy," she said.
Race Dynamics
The early stages of the race were controlled by an unexpected front-runner. Priscah Cherono, a 46-year-old Kenyan with a personal best of 2:25:17, built a sizable lead. She passed the halfway point in 1:07:59, a time 36 seconds faster than her official half marathon best.
Jepchirchir, however, was lurking 20 seconds behind. She and Irine Cheptai eventually caught Cherono, and the three ran together briefly before Jepchirchir made her decisive move.
Cheptai finished second in 2:22:11 but was visibly suffering, vomiting at the finish line. Shure Demise of Ethiopia took third place in 2:22:33. Despite her strong start, Cherono faded to sixth place by the finish, though her time of 2:23:49 was still a large personal best on a difficult course.
Top Finishers
The top ten finishers, as reported by Runner's World, were:
| Position | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peres Jepchirchir | KEN | 2:18:31 |
| 2 | Irine Cheptai | KEN | 2:22:11 |
| 3 | Shure Demise Ware | ETH | 2:22:33 |
| 4 | Haven Hailu Desse | ETH | 2:22:57 |
| 5 | Meseret Abebayehu | ETH | 2:23:40 |
| 6 | Priscah Cherono | KEN | 2:23:49 |
| 7 | Stella Chesang | UGA | 2:23:52 |
| 8 | Fikrte Wereta Admasu | ETH | 2:25:18 |
| 9 | Ellie Pashley | AUS | 2:28:27 |
| 10 | Aberu Ayana Mulisa | ETH | 2:28:30 |
Major Credentials
With the Sydney win, Jepchirchir adds another major to a resume that already includes victories at the London (2024), Boston (2022), and New York City (2021) marathons. She holds a personal best of 2:14:43 from the Valencia Marathon last year, which ranks seventh on the all-time list. The Sydney Marathon is now part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, a key detail for followers of the global standings.
Her performance in Sydney, coming off a 2:14 personal best, is a significant data point for analysts tracking athlete stats and form. Jepchirchir noted that all the competitors were well prepared for the challenging event.
