Sydney Marathon returns with new course record
On Sunday, 30 August 2026, the Sydney Marathon hosted another successful edition, bringing together around 40,000 runners from more than 140 countries. Our partner, MultiSport Australia, was present to time all participants using MYLAPS BibTag technology.
For the second year in a row, the course record was broken in Sydney. Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena took first place in the men’s race with an impressive time of 2:04:42. Running at an average pace of 2:57 per kilometer, Gobena lowered the men’s course record by over a minute.
His winning time of 2:04:42 is officially the fastest marathon time ever recorded in Australia. This 2026 edition produced extraordinarily competitive racing at the front. The top seven male finishers all crossed the line inside the previous course record of 2:06:06.
Timing an iconic route with MultiSport Australia
The 42.195 km course is widely known as one of the most scenic marathon routes in the world. Since last year, the Sydney marathon has been recognised as one of the seven majors(Tokio, Boston, Londen, Berlin, Chicago, New york and Sydney). Starting in North Sydney, athletes crossed the Harbour Bridge, passed through the city center and Centennial Park, before making their way toward the historic finish line at the Sydney Opera House foreshore.
To accurately capture split times and generate live results for tens of thousands of participants, MultiSport Australia deployed MYLAPS BibTag technology across the entire layout. Timing mats and BibTag decoders were placed at key points along the course, including the start line, 5 km split points, half-marathon mark, and the finish line. Each runner wore a lightweight ThinTag attached to their race bib, allowing the system to process timing data seamlessly as athletes crossed each check point.
Reliable timing technology for mass participation events
MYLAPS pioneered automatic sports timing in 1982 and continues to support events at every level, from major global marathons to thousands of local community races each year.
BibTag technology has become the standard for large-scale active sports. Built specifically for events with mass participants, the system uses lightweight timing tags attached directly to race bibs. This setup provides high detection rates when large groups of runners cross the timing mats at the same time.
Beyond tracking split times, the technology is designed for efficient logistics and sustainability. The thin design of the tag reduces overall package size and shipping weight, helping organizers decrease waste and transport emissions.
About MultiSport Australia
MultiSport Australia was founded in 1995 by Belinda Soszyn and Greg Darcy, two active athletes who recognized the importance of accurate results for race participants. Over the past three decades, the company has grown its operations to manage timekeeping for some of the largest endurance events in the region.
Today, MultiSport Australia operates as one of the largest timing companies in Australia. Expanding its reach globally under the SportSplits brand, the team provides timing services in multiple countries and operates in the top mass-participation timing providers worldwide.