Olympic Champion Sifan Hassan will face five-time Abbott World Marathon Major winner Brigid Kosgei after The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS confirmed their elite women’s field.
The heavyweight showdown marks Sydney hosting their inaugural World Major Marathon, becoming the seventh city to do so.
Dutch superstar Hassan has enjoyed an astonishing rise through the marathon ranks, winning in London and Chicago two years ago to become Abbott World Marathon Majors Elite Series Champion.
Her personal best of 2:13:44 ranks is the third-fastest run by a woman.
Kenyan legend Kosgei has been a titan over the distance since 2015, winning London and Chicago twice and Tokyo in 2022.
Her run of 2:14:04 in Chicago in 2019 broke the world record.
The stellar pair will face fierce competition from last year’s winner Workenesh Edesa, 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.
Included in the field are a host of sub-2:19 athletes including Ashete Bekere, Meseret Belete and Tiruye Mesfin.
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 will make her highly anticipated debut at the Sydney Marathon.
Joining her is four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman who boasts an extraordinary competitive career spanning nearly two decades, including top-10 finishes in London, New York and Chicago.
Rounding out the list of elite Australian women is rising star Leanne Pompeani, who made a statement in her marathon debut earlier this year, clocking 2:24:53 to set a new Australian Debut Marathon Record.
“This is without question the greatest women’s marathon field ever seen in Australia,” said Race Director Wayne Larden.
“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.”
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