The plan worked. In 2023, 13,298 runners finished the race and in 2024, there were 20,272 finishers – well over the 15,000 mark required. Later that year, Sydney was announced as the seventh World Major Marathon.
“I understand, because I’ve done all the world majors,” Goodwin said. “I know they’re massive, and I know Sydney’s only going to grow. But I’m not happy with them becoming a major because now … after doing 15, I might not get to do [another] one now on the luck of the draw. I might miss out next year, the year after, then the year after.”
Over 33,000 runners finished the Sydney Marathon in its first year as a World Major.Credit: Edwina Pickles
The entry ballot has made the dreams of some runners, like 54-year-old Meredith Thornton, come true at last. Thornton, from Arkansas, has spent five years trying to secure a place in a World Major. While there are three in the US – New York, Boston and Chicago – Thornton will have to travel all the way to Sydney to finally compete in a World Major next year.
With about a third of 2025 entrants coming from overseas, a spokesperson for Destination NSW said the marathon’s surging popularity with international runners would provide an even bigger boost for the economy.
“In its first year as an Abbott World Marathon Major, the 2025 event is estimated to have injected more than $22 million into the NSW visitor economy and is projected to contribute a further $109 million over the next two years, supporting businesses and jobs across the state.”
However, Goodwin – who has run all seven majors and some multiple times – believes it is one thing to miss out on a place in a marathon on the other side of the world, but another to miss out on your local race.
“With London and New York, I’ve applied so many times to a ballot and not got in, and [you] just get on with your life after that,” he said. “But this one’s different because I’ve done so many. I just feel like the local guys who have been there for a long time haven’t been looked after,” he said.
Goodwin could opt to secure a spot through a tour company or a charity spot. Most charities require a minimum of $3,000 to be raised, compared to the $250 entry cost for other runners. “It doesn’t sit right with me to have to do that for my own race, which I’ve done 15 times,” Goodwin says.
Nicki Dadic, 43, who has run two Sydney Marathons and used her Candidacy Club year to run in 2025, was successful in the ballot for 2026. While thrilled to get in, Dadic also believes there should be a separate ballot to give priority to runners from the city or across Australia.
Nicki Dadic (centre) training with her club, the Paddo Panthers, in Centennial Park. Credit: Kate Geraghty
“I almost think every city should have that localised ballot so that the local people do have a higher chance of getting in. But at the same time, I also understand that it becomes a big race, you really want to get people moving and travelling between countries.” she said. “Ultimately, running in Sydney it what it is because of the people who do it here.”
