Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge won the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday, October 11, 2026, finishing in a course-record time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds. The victory was his first marathon win in three years and his 17th career marathon triumph.
The two-time Olympic champion, aged 41, broke away in the final 10 kilometres on a course that ran partly along the Australian Formula One track at Albert Park before finishing inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He finished ahead of Australians Thomas Do Canto, who placed second in 2:10:35, and Reece Edwards in third at 2:14:33.
Kipchoge described the experience positively, noting the enthusiastic crowds and unique elements of the route. "On the course, it was really wonderful, I enjoyed seeing people standing, cheering, and shouting my name," he said. He added that his body remains competitive: "I believe that my body is still peaking – still able to compete with the next generation."
The women's race was won by New Zealand's Camille French in 2:28:25. The event formed part of Kipchoge's ongoing world tour to run marathons across seven continents.
