Overview

• Sifan Hassan confirmed she will skip next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo to race in Sydney, citing recovery needs and a desire to be part of the event’s first Majors edition.
• Eliud Kipchoge, 40, lines up for his first race in Australia after a DNF at the Paris Olympics and sixth place in London, saying his focus is on inspiring others rather than chasing records.
• Sydney becomes the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major and the first in the southern hemisphere, a step organizers say brings global visibility and long-term growth.
• Organizers expect about 35,000 runners, clear skies and cool temperatures, and a course that starts in North Sydney, crosses the Harbour Bridge and finishes at the Opera House.
• The elite fields are exceptionally deep, featuring Birhanu Legese, Vincent Ngetich, Brigid Kosgei and defending champion Workenesh Edesa; prizes include A$30,000 for winners and a A$10,000 bonus for breaking Australian records, with roughly 313m of elevation making it one of the hillier Majors.