Thousands of runners and walkers took over Canberra on Sunday morning for the annual marathon, greeted by chilly autumn weather. The event has more than doubled in size since 2019, with a record field of 12,000 participants over the weekend, including 3,000 in the full marathon and 4,000 in the half-marathon.
Triathlete Jarrod Osborne, a 27-year-old lawyer living in Canberra, won the men's title with a time of 2:24:49 over the 42.2km course. 'It was a good route... nice and flat early, with a lot of hills and undulations in the second part,' he said. 'Now I'm just trying to walk without limping.'
Trail runner Demi Caldwell won the women's circuit in her first-ever road marathon. She credited her preparation, which included 'lots of trail running' around Mount Tuggeranong, for helping her conquer the hill sections. 'Going into races, you always have the thought that you want to win,' she said.
About 8,000 runners took part in Sunday's marathon, while approximately 14,000 spectators lined the streets, many waving homemade signs. Among the finishers was Richard, who crossed the line shortly before 9:30am, three years after recovering from cancer. His wife Betty said, 'We are very, very proud of him.'
In the half-marathon, Sydney-based runner Ed Goddard won the men's title in 1:06:02, while Czech triathlete Radka Kahlefeldt secured the women's title in 1:18:39. Sunday's clear skies were a contrast to rainy weather in previous years.
