Australia’s Top Road Runners Gear Up for HOKA Runaway Sydney Half Marathon Title Shot

Elite road runners from around Australia are putting the final touches to their preparations for the HOKA Runaway Sydney Half Marathon, with former champions Ed Goddard and Marnie Ponton highlighting the men’s and women’s fields.

Two-time champion and Sydney local Goddard will line up at the event on Sunday for the third time in a row, aiming to secure a hattrick of titles.

“The course is so iconic, and the race is a date I mark on the calendar every year,” said Goddard. “I’d love to make it three in a row, I enjoy racing on the course and all the different sections of it which make it such an iconic race. It’s such a great day for the Sydney running community and I just love being part of it.”

Goddard posted almost identical times of 65:21 and 65:43 in his 2023 and 2024 victories respectively, and after a successful end to last year and a solid block of early season training over the past few months, the 27-year-old is excited to put his hard work into practice on Sunday.

“Training has been going really well. I’ve been enjoying spending more time in Sydney this year and I’ve had a solid block of training these last few months,” he said. “So far this year, it’s been lots of training, but I ran 61:58 for the half marathon in November so I hope to be in good form.”

Goddard’s closest challenger is likely to come in the shape of West Australian Matt Smith, who finished second to Goddard in last year’s Runaway Sydney Half Marathon.

“Finishing second was one of my standout results last year, and I think my chances are similar to last year. Ed Goddard, as nice of a guy he is off the track, is a cutthroat racer, and it gets me excited to race against guys of his calibre and class on the big stage,” said Smith. “Knowing the course will certainly help me run a smarter race this year compared to my debut last year. Ed likes to take it out hard, so I predict it’ll be fast from the get-go.

“West is best, but Sydney sure does know how to put on an amazing running festival. This course really is beautiful and challenging, two things I love. Also being a HOKA athlete, it’s a great opportunity for me to race in my home colours and represent my favourite running brand,” he said.

Similar to Goddard, Smith’s preparation for this Runaway Sydney has been limited to mostly training runs, having only just kicked off his season officially last weekend.

“Preparation has been a mixed bag for me this year. I had a bit of an unavoidable slow start to the year which saw me taking time off training, but the last five to six weeks have been full steam ahead and I’m happy with how my fitness seems to be tracking,” he said.

“I’m just starting my 2025. This previous weekend I raced the 2025 Middle Distance World Championships in Alsdorf, Germany. Although my end result wasn’t something I’d normally be pleased with, given my limited prep I think it was a very solid season opener, and I can only continue to improve into my winter season as races come and go.”

In the women’s elite race, 2023 Runaway Sydney Half Marathon champion Marnie Ponton will line up as favourite to reclaim the title she won two years ago.

But Ponton won't have it all her own way as the women’s start list features nearly 20 other talented runners all vying for this year’s title, including Sydney-based British runner Alice Daniel, who finished fourth at the 2023 Runaway Sydney Half Marathon.

“It's really hard not to come into a race without a set time or place expectation, but I always try to see each race in isolation and run my own race. As long as I know I've given it my all I tell myself I can't really be disappointed with the result,” said Daniel.

“I always expect a race to go out fast but at least the wide roads of the Cahill Expressway allows you to try and settle into your pace. I know there is a mixture of terrain and several switchbacks, so this is always something I bear in mind and will make the course slightly more challenging.

“Previously competing in fell running at university and growing up in the English countryside means I used to do a lot of hill running. I enjoy that this race offers slightly more undulating terrain than other courses, and I also like that the course includes the loop around Mrs Macquarie's Chair – one of my favourite spots in Sydney,” she said.

The elite half marathon race kicks off at 6:40am on Sunday morning, starting at the entrance to the Cahill Expressway along Macquarie Street and finishing 21.1 kilometres later at The Domain Sydney. More than 25,000 runners will lace up alongside them for the biggest Sydney Half Marathon in the event’s 32-year history.

Below are the elite start lists (subject to change):