Eliud Kipchoge won the Nike Melbourne Marathon on Sunday in 2:09:10, a course record that beat the previous mark by two seconds. At 41, the Kenyan claimed his 17th career marathon victory and his first since the Berlin Marathon in 2023, finishing inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Kipchoge broke away from the field over the final 10km. Australia's Thomas Do Canto was second in 2:10:35, with fellow Australians filling the remaining top-five places behind Reece Edwards in third, followed by Bailey Murzecki-Hince and James Whelan. The course included a section of the Albert Park Formula One circuit before the finish at the MCG.
Melbourne was the third leg of Kipchoge's project to complete a marathon on all seven continents over two years, including Antarctica. The tour aims to raise US$1 million for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, which supports education and environmental causes. His result showed that the double Olympic champion can still win at a competitive level while pursuing the wider goal.
After the finish he said it had been a 'special day' for Melbourne and described the occasion as 'bigger than sport', closing with the words 'Melbourne, we are one'. The race drew a field of about 66,000 across its distances, as previewed on Running Lookout last week.
In the women's race, New Zealand's Camille French won in 2:28:25. Australia's Sinead Diver was second in 2:28:49 and Ireland's Nichola Sheridan third in 2:29:13, with Rebecca Lowe and Abigail Nordberg completing the top five.