Results from Gold Coast Marathon running festival 2025
The main event of the Gold Coast Marathon has brought even more broken records. Find out all the results from the race here.
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The 2025 Gold Coast Marathon has been run and won with thousands of runners taking to the course in an action-packed.
Check out who claimed victory and added their name into Gold Coast sporting history from every event from the junior 2km dash right through to the main race below.
GOLD COAST WHEELCHAIR MARATHON 4-TIME CHAMPION
Madison de Rozario has cemented herself as one of the Gold Coast Marathon’s all-time greats after she claimed her fourth women’s wheelchair marathon victory on Sunday.
The Sydney local claimed a resounding win with a time of 1.51.28 and cherished the chance to return to the city which put her in the world spotlight when she won gold in the wheelchair marathon at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“The Gold Coast is an amazing race out here, it is nice to come home with a fourth one,” she said.
“This course on the Gold Coast made my career in 2018 at the Commonwealth Games so it’s always amazing to come back.
“One of the beautiful things that people love about the marathons is the crowd, the environment and the energy that it brings.
“In the wheelchair division we often don’t get to see that in the elite field because we start a little bit earlier, we often have empty roads in front of us, we get the crowds but we don’t get the full running experience that most people typically do.
“So here specifically because the course does double-back on itself, we do get that entire energy that we don’t get in a lot of places.”
De Rozario had her family passionately supporting her throughout the race which provided her with an extra boost.
“One of the best things about racing in Australia is you get to bring people with you,” she said.
“Racing around the world is amazing but you’re mostly out there on your own doing it.
“There’s not too many Australians that travel the circuit so it is nice to get to race in the Australian field and have my family here.”
The 31-year-old now turns her preparation to her home Sydney Marathon and is excited to return to action with another victory under her belt.
“The last race you do shouldn’t be as defining as it is but it definitely feels like it is sometimes so it is nice to come away with a win,” she said.
“Sydney Marathon is at the end of August, it’s the first year as a major which is exciting.”
MEN’S WHEELCHAIR MARATHON WINNER
Samuel Rizzo asserted himself as Australia’s next wheelchair marathon star as he came within touching distance of breaking legend Kurt Fearnley’s Gold Coast course record set in 2016.
Rizzo smashed his own PB to finish with a time of 1.31.12 in the men’s wheelchair marathon.
However, he was still 54 seconds behind Fearnley’s record and has already vowed to return next year to chase the three-time Paralympic gold medallist’s time.
“I am stoked, a huge PB, I think my last PB was the low 1.40s, it is a great course with great conditions so I decided to go for it,” Rizzo said.
“I was hoping for the low 1.30s, I was going to be happy with anything sub 1.40, so 1.31 can’t complain at all.
“To be near Kurt was pretty incredible, I didn’t think I was going to go that close to it but next year that will be the aim.”
This was Rizzo’s first time taking on the Gold Coast Marathon after previously competing in the 10km event.
“I didn’t expect to win, I was just going to go out hard and see what I could do and I am super happy with the result,” he said.
“I am happy to have the win under my belt, it is a bit of a confidence boost leading into other races.
“I know I can now push faster with other people around, I did a 1.31 by myself so that sub 1.30 is coming.”
FULL MARATHON DEBUTANTE CLAIMS WIN
Ethiopia’s Tegest Ymer claimed a stunning win in her full marathon debut at the 2025 Gold Coast Marathon.
Ymer previously plied her trade in half marathons but made the step up this year to the full distance event and sealed a win which will live long in her memory.
“To cross the finish line, that made me so happy,” she said.
Ymer was visibly emotional when she crossed the line after her incredible feat.
She was patient throughout the race and followed Kenyan runner Caroline Kilel before she broke away with a stunning burst of speed in the final stages.
“I knew that because I came from short distance (events), I knew the finishing was mine,” she said.
GOLD COAST MARATHON COURSE RECORD SMASHED
Japan’s Yuki Takei etched his name into Gold Coast Marathon history with a record-breaking win in the men’s marathon on Sunday morning.
Takei set a scintillating time of 2.07.33 – seven seconds quicker than the previous record set in 2023.
This was Takei’s first overseas marathon and he was delighted to claim the win and add his name into the history books.
“This is my first overseas marathon so I stayed a few days prior and really enjoyed the ambience and everything about the Gold Coast,” he said.
“So I am very happy that I made the course record of such a good, vibrant marathon.
“It’s going to be a stepping stone to go higher and better and be a stronger athlete.”
Takei was on course for the record throughout his run and hit the afterburners in the final five kilometres to stretch out a 58-second lead over fellow Japanese star Aoi Ota in second place.
The 25-year-old said the perfect weather for running at this time of year made the Gold Coast the ideal setting for him to make his overseas debut and now dreams of representing his nation at the Olympics in 2028
“One of the big goals is next winter I want to try more marathons so this is a very good stepping stone,” he said.
“If I have a chance (of making the Olympics) I would really like to go for it.”
ANDY BUCHANAN BREAKS 33-YEAR-OLD RECORD
Bendigo marathon runner Andy Buchanan has broken a record held for more than 30 years in the Gold Coast Half Marathon on Saturday morning.
The previous record for the course was set by Kenya’s Benson Masya back in 1992.
Buchanan set a stunning time of 1.01.08 beating the previous Gold Coast record by eight seconds.
See all the colours and characters from the GC marathon course here.
He added his name into Australian running history once again as he also broke Pat Carroll’s 31-year Australian All-Comers Half Marathon record of 1.01.11 in the process.
Buchanan said he was delighted to claim his second straight Gold Coast Half Marathon and make history in the process.
“I can’t believe I won last year and it’s really special to back it up,” he said.
“There was a bit of pressure, people were saying ‘you won it last year so you should win it this year’ I think we ran really fast which is awesome so it’s good to see fast times here at the Gold Coast.
“I didn’t even know it was a course record, Brett (Robinson) went out fast and that got the whole tempo of the race going fast … I am super stoked with that.”
Buchanan’s experience from 2024 proved crucial as like last year, he very nearly fell off the lead pack, but made a clutch move in the final stages to breakaway and set history.
“When I’ve been dropped like that I feel I’ve got nothing to lose so I just make one big move because I was nearly off the back of the group anyway,” he said.
“I just put it all out there so it was very similar to last year.”
The Olympian said this moment was one of the highlights of his career and already has his eyes on creating further history on the Gold Coast.
“I think winning it for the first time was special but doing it again was phenomenal, obviously running the Aussie record in Valencia and the Paris Olympics are my highlights but this was a pretty close third,” he said.
“I have spent a lot of time at this race over the years and to win it, it means a lot, I love running in Australia in front of the home crowd, the weather, everything’s good about it.
“I will be back so I will try and go for the hat-trick.”
LEANNE POMPEANI BACK FROM INJURY, BETTER THAN EVER
Australian distance running star Leanne Pompeani has bounced back from injury in style to claim the Gold Coast Half Marathon with a time of 1.09.14.
Pompeani entered the weekend under an injury cloud after battling a calf injury in recent months but was back to her best with a sensational performance on Saturday morning.
“It’s so special, I come back every year because I love it and it feels so good to win but I am just super grateful to be on the start line today,” she said.
“It has been a rough couple of months, I didn’t know what shape I’m in so I’m pleasantly surprised with that.
“I had a calf injury a few months ago and sometimes these things just drag out and you don’t plan for them to last as long as they do so you get a bit anxious.
“Running out here is our job but you just have to be patient, trust the people around you and eventually you’ll be back on track.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better race today because I was so unsure, so that will hopefully just take me for the next two months going into the Sydney Marathon.”
Experience on the streets of the Gold Coast proved crucial as Pompeani and Andy Buchanan both defended their 2024 Gold Coast Half Marathon titles.
“It definitely boosts your confidence, when you go into a race with our competitors many times throughout a year especially the Australian women, you have to take confidence from when you race them last,” Pompeani said.
“But you also know elite running, there are a lot of ups and downs, so everyone’s on a different path at different times but I have gained lots of confidence going into the next race.”
Pompeani was in the lead pack with Australian running legend Jess Stenson throughout the first half of the race before the latter dropped off and finished 12th.
The 29-year-old said she looks up to Stenson as an idol and loved the chance to gain bragging rights over her.
“I am going up against Jess Stenson a lot and again in Sydney and I learn so much from her, she’s so gracious and so helpful to me on my marathon journey because she’s so experienced,” Pompeani said.
“I love racing Jess, she’s so courageous when she runs and I really look up to her.”
BIG DAY FOR BENDIGO ATHLETES
It has been a day to remember for Bendigo runners as Matthew Buckell claimed the city’s second win of the day when he took out the men’s 10km run.
Buckell lit up the course with a time of 29.13 and was delighted to seal his first victory as an Asics athlete.
“I am super stoked, first time in an Asics singlet so I’m keen for the opportunity and happy that I got the win in the debut,” he said.
Buckell said consistency and enjoying training has been the key to him and fellow Bendigo runner Andy Buchanan claiming victory.
It was third-time lucky for the 22-year-old on the Gold Coast and he expects this breakthrough win on the Glitter Strip to launch his running to even greater heights.
“This is my third time up at Goldie, first time racing well so I’m pretty stoked that today worked out,” he said.
“It was awesome, the energy in the last two keys was phenomenal so it was good fun.”
The picturesque final stretch of the course provided Buckell with the crucial boost to see off Matthew Clarke, who was 17 seconds behind in second place.
“It gives you lots of boost and gives you something else to think about so it is really good,” he said.
Buckell is set to take on the Sydney 10k race later this year and is excited to tackle the event with the Gold Coast win now under his belt.
“I will be able to be confident in being competitive and just getting in the mix and having fun,” he said.
100 TO 1 FOR WOMEN’S 10KM WINNER
Hobart’s Ruby Smee backed up her Launceston 10km victory in June with a dominant win in the women’s Gold Coast 10km run.
Smee has been in scorching hot form since her return from a stress fracture earlier this year and has now put the nation on notice.
“I am so excited, I came off winning the Launnie 10km about a month ago so it’s really exciting going into the next one with that confidence boost and also nerve-wracking because there’s a bit more expectation,” she said.
“It was a shock I was coming off a big injury so I didn’t expect to win or run that fast, it was huge.”
Smee said the long hours of recovery earlier in the year were now worthwhile after picking up two stellar wins in her return.
“It was a four to five month recovery process but I think it makes you miss the sport a lot and once you are back, you are just so grateful to be back running,” she said.
“It’s not great at the time but in the long term it was probably a good forced break and now I’m back very energised.
“I know everyone that’s starting can relate to working through an injury and being on the sidelines because it’s not just the performance side, it’s such a big social sport for all of us.
“All my friends run so not being able to see them every day and just chatting on a run it’s hard but it’s just good to be back.”
Smee said she took a similar approach to this race as her Launceston victory.
“In a 10km you pay for it later if you go out too hard so I just wanted to stay back, see what happened and then just feel it out,” she said.
“We line up all the time and you’re not going to get the perfect race every time, you have to keep lining up and it’ll click eventually and today was that today.”
This was Smee’s second time competing on Gold Coast Marathon weekend, after she took part in the junior dash 10 years ago.
“It feels a bit more elite from when I was 100th in the junior dash so I’ve come far,” she said.
MEN’S WHEELCHAIR 10KM
The Gold Coast Marathon was the ultimate holiday event for dual Paralympian Tyler Byers and his family.
Byers’ family travelled from the United States to the Gold Coast to watch him compete in the men’s wheelchair 10km race, and their trip was made well worth it as he claimed his victory.
“I did the Gold Coast Marathon I think in 2009, it is a long way from the States to get over here but I came on vacation with my wife and three kids and they all ran in different races,” he said.
“We wanted to come down here for vacation with family, I looked at the calendar once we’d decided the dates and went ‘hey we’ve done this event before’.
“All my kids are into running and it just works out to be a great race weekend, my wife ran the half marathon she finished at two hours two minutes.
“It is so great, my kids, my oldest one is 14 and he’s finally found his love for running in the past year or two so I’m now sharing some tips on how to train with him.”
Byers was born with Sacral Agenesis and has been in a wheelchair since he was three years old.
He has participated in more than 80 marathons and said it was races like this which were his ticket to independence.
“It’s just important for disabled people to stay active, it is easy to become inactive and just sit around and not do much,” he said.
“Staying fit and competing in races is my ticket to continued health and continued independence and mobility.
“While it is fun to come out to the race, the bigger picture is it’s just what keeps me moving day-to-day.”
Byers has loved the reception he has received on the Glitter Strip both in the races and throughout the city on holiday.
“It is gorgeous here and the roads, I forgot how smooth they are here, I could definitely feel the crowd getting behind me,” he said.
“It is fun with the stickers on the helmets because you hear the fans yelling your name out there.
“We’re having an absolutely wonderful vacation, my kids spent a couple of hours playing at the beach on Friday and walking around Surfers Paradise, this is a special place.”
WOMEN’S WHEELCHAIR RACES
Sharnie Digby may have been the only competitor in the women’s 5km and 10km wheelchair races, but that could not stop the smile from leaving her face when she crossed the line on Saturday.
Digby is competing in all three wheelchair events and is excited to race in the marathon on Sunday morning.
“I am feeling amazing,” she said.
“This is my third time coming up to the Gold Coast, the last couple of years I’ve done the half and full, this year I’m doing all the wheelchair events.”
It is set to be an action-packed year for Digby as she prepares to take on several events across the globe.
“I’ve got a few more marathons this year, I’ve got Cairns next weekend, then Melbourne, Sydney and then I’m off to do New York at the end of the year,” she said.
“I am extremely excited, I’ve done Berlin, so now it is time to do New York.”
Digby battles a rare neurological illness in Transverse Myelitis and said racing has changed her life.
“It’s been amazing, my life is so different because I found running,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be this fit and healthy, I wouldn’t be travelling the world, I wouldn’t be doing a lot of things that I’m just doing a social wheelie, it’s just amazing.”
MEN’S 5KM WHEELCHAIR RACE
Tony Sandoz claimed the men’s 5km wheelchair win with a superb time of 19.41.
The Canadian - who now resides in Redlands - took on his first road race and barely looked out of place as he sealed a win by 40 seconds.
“I feel good, tired but good, it was a fast race,” he said.
“This is my first road race, I only competed in track in March for the first time.
“I think for the most part there’s a lot of transferable skills but the U-turn at the 2.5km mark was a bit of a new experience for me.
“That was a bit of a challenge but everything else was pretty much what I expected.”
Sandoz said he loves the adrenaline which comes with racing and is excited to take on more events later this year.
“I used to run charity runs and triathlons before I got hurt at age 25 and I wanted to get back into what I used to do in a slightly different way,” he said.
“I am hoping to compete at nationals in January in Canberra and I’m also going to be doing the Bridge to Brisbane as a charity run.”
MEN’S 5KM
Palm Beach’s Harrison Martinenko etched his name into the history books as he eclipsed the men’s 5km course record he set two years ago by two seconds to claim a thrilling victory.
Martinenko was delighted to win again in front of the local fans in what turned into a “chess match” between the leaders.
“I feel good, it was a good hitout, bit tactical out there,” he said.
“The boys went hard in that first two and a half kilometres and the pace just dropped off.
“We were into the wind the whole way back so no one wanted to lead and then I just had to play the chess game and be the last one to make the move.
“I was lucky enough to be the last one to make the move”
Martinenko has his sights set on competing in the 2032 Olympic Games and hopes to keep up the momentum over the next seven years.
“I’m a 1500 to 800m runner so this isn’t actually my forte,” he said.
“But as long as I keep getting fitter and be consistent over the next four years I think the Olympics is definitely on the radar.
“That’s the big overarching goal but I’ve got a lot of work to do.
“Brisbane 2032, the home crowd, I’d do anything to get on that start line.”
WOMEN’S 5KM
Isabella Valinoti could not have asked for a better Gold Coast 5km debut as she claimed victory in the women’s race with a sensational run.
Like many, Valinoti made the most of the flat course and set a new PB in the process.
“This is my first Gold Coast race, I have heard about how quick the course is,“ she said.
“I think I got a minute PB, putting it down to the nice flat course, it wasn’t too hot there and it’s a nice racing temperature.”
Valinoti comes from a triathlon background but has recently turned her attention to running.
“I’ve been a competitive triathlete at state and national level for five years and at the end of last year I did my first ever state track race and did pretty well and just kept going on from there,” she said.
“I think at the moment, running is definitely my priority, I’ll still do a few triathlon races at the end of the year when the season picks up again.
“But the ultimate goal is probably sticking with running at this point.”
In a relatively new environment, Valinoti said she was not sure what to expect from her rivals.
“I haven’t raced many of the girls in the field but I knew how they raced and what sort of times they raced,” she said.
“My plan was just to try and stick with them for as long as I can and I knew I could win if I was feeling good and I was obviously feeling good.”
JUNIOR DASH
Australia’s next generation of superstars were in action for the junior 2km dash with Cameron Cox and Victoria Huang taking home the victories.
It was a jam-packed day of running for Cox, who backed his 10km run with a stunning victory in the boys’ 2km dash.
“It feels really good, I had a good warm down after it, had some gels to give me the energy but after that I was really tired,” Cox said.
Cox relished the opportunity to race on the rapid Gold Coast course as he shattered his 10km PB by 48 seconds earlier in the day.
Huang has been running for five years and was delighted to take out the victory in the girls’ race and revealed the strategy to success.
“I am really excited and happy,” she said.
“I pace it evenly from the start and then see how I feel and then start speeding up towards the end.”
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Originally published as Results from Gold Coast Marathon running festival 2025
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