Sydney Marathon 2026: Land Down Under Major

Julia K Garling(MM3960, HF2566, DA2566)- Nothing is too far, if ones’ desire is great enough. The world is little, people are little, human life is little. There is only one big thing—desire. And before it, when it is big, all else is little.
Sydney, you shine so brightly! A delayed #medalmonday
It has been an amazing week, and I still have to pinch myself. I feel so incredibly lucky that I got to experience this incredible journey to the land down under. I loved every minute of the trip—except, perhaps, for the jet lag that comes with such a long flight. But in all honesty, that is such a small price to pay to be in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and make lasting memories with good friends.
As I squeeze myself into an economy seat for 18 hours, I feel so incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity to participate in such a truly iconic event!
While Sydney wasn’t a new city for me, the experience was entirely transformed now that it has joined the World Marathon Majors. When I last ran Sydney, in 2017, there were only about 3,000 finishers; this past Sunday, there were over 40,000 people who crossed that famed finish line. I love the Majors so much—the crowds, the amenities, and the electric energy—so I knew I couldn’t be disappointed.
What truly surprised me, however, were the hills. I have run the New York City Marathon enough to feel comfortable with elevation, but Sydney proved to be the hilliest Major I have ever encountered. The course featured relentless undulating terrain and rolling hills, including the crossing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, totaling about 1,040 feet of elevation gain. Even at the very end, when the finish line was so close, the hills kept coming.
I almost lost my resolve in that last mile, as I told myself, out loud, ‘suck it up buttercup and keep pushing.” I hung on for dear life and am so grateful I was able to pull through in the end, finishing just within my targeted goal.
Marathoning is much like life: you get out of it what you put into it. While most participants trained intensely for the last three months, I chose to take the summer off to give my body a real break. My last marathon was exactly three months ago in Cork, Ireland, and I entered this race with a tiny bit of fear, wondering if I had forgotten how to push hard when the exhaustion sets in.
I haven’t taken a three-month break like that since 2010, before I became a Marathon Maniac. Despite that fear, I finished with a mile wide smile on my face and gratitude in my heart. I leaned on muscle memory, and even though my longest run recently was only 18 miles, at Summer Streets, I still remembered how to persevere when every part of my body screamed that it had had enough. I haven’t worked this hard for a medal in a very long time. Thank you, Sydney, for showing me that I am still strong, and thank you to my body for learning to bloom from the wound where I once bled.
This is certainly not the last time I will pin on a bib and set an audacious goal, but for now, I am simply looking at this beautiful medal and smiling from ear to ear. Gratitude is pouring out of every sore muscle. Marathoning for me is about passion, purpose, and community. Thank you, Sydney Marathon, for giving me everything I crave in spades.
And now, the numbers, 8th marathon this year, ✅; 349 lifetime marathons, ✅, 33 world marathon majors, ✅, a lifetime of memories made with good friends, priceless!

Photo and post credit Julia K Garling