Historic elite female field set to descend on iconic TCS Sydney Marathon course in 2025

The Sydney Marathon has today unveiled its elite women’s field, with the 2025 edition of the race set to feature the strongest lineup of international and domestic female marathoners ever assembled on Australian soil.

Leading the charge is four-time Olympic medallist, and reigning Paris Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan (NED), whose personal best of 2:13:44 ranks her as the third-fastest woman in marathon history.  Hassan’s rapid rise in the marathon ranks includes back-to-back victories at two Abbott World Marathon Majors, winning both the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the TCS London Marathon in 2023.

She will be joined by former world record holder Brigid Kosgei (KEN),  setting the stage for a history-making showdown on the streets of Sydney.  Kosgei has finished first or second in all but one of her ten marathon appearances since transitioning to the marathon distance in 2015.  An Olympic silver medalist, Kosgei will make her TCS Sydney Marathon debut with an impressive resume that includes five Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) victories; London (2019, 2020) Chicago (2018, 2019) and Tokyo (2022).

TCS Sydney Marathon Race Director Wayne Larden said the calibre of this year’s women’s field marks a turning point for marathon racing in Australia: “This is without question the greatest women’s marathon field ever seen in Australia.  With some of the world’s fastest and top-ranked athletes confirmed, Sydney is now firmly on the map as a world-class marathon destination.  This is what AbbottWMM racing is all about, and we’re proud to deliver it right here in Sydney.”

The TCS Sydney Marathon, now officially a member of the prestigious AbbottWMM, is expected to be the scene of another all-time performance, with seven athletes boasting personal best times under 2:19.

Returning to defend her 2024 title is Workenesh Edesa (ETH), who set the Australian all-comers record last year in a time of 2:21:41, shattering the long-standing Olympic record from Sydney 2000. She will face tough competition from a host of sub-2:19 athletes including Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:17:58, Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:18:21 and Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:18:35.

The women’s elite list also features some of Australia’s most celebrated distance runners. Commonwealth Games gold medallist and two-time Olympian Jessica Stenson (AUS) will make her highly anticipated debut at the TCS Sydney Marathon.

Joining her is four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman (AUS) who boasts an extraordinary competitive career spanning nearly two decades, including top-10 finishes in London, New York and Chicago.  Weightman is also a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, having won bronze in 2010 and silver in 2018.

Rounding out the list of elite Australian women is rising star Leanne Pompeani (AUS), the 2022 City2Surf champion and a national 10,000m titleholder, who continues to establish herself as a force across both road and track events.  Pompeani made a statement in her marathon debut earlier this year, clocking 2:24:53 to set a new Australian Debut Marathon Record. Widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Australian distance running, she continues to build impressive momentum in the sport. 

The TCS Sydney Marathon is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The event is owned by Athletics Australia and managed by Pont3.

WOMEN’S ELITE FIELD

By Sydney Marathon,
Posted 27/6/2025