Meghann's Sydney Marathon 2026 Race Recap

I’ve wanted to visit Australia for as long as I can remember, so getting to experience Sydney for the first time, gain my 7th World Marathon Majors star, and be there with ASICS for the Sydney Marathon was pretty surreal.

As a sports dietitian who spends so much of my time talking about running, fueling, recovery, and all the little things that go into getting to a starting line… it was pretty special to step back and simply experience the magic of marathon weekend.

A marathon is so much more than the 26.2 miles. It’s the months of training, the early mornings, the meals, the recovery, the nerves, the people who support you, and the moment when all of that comes together.

Australia, you were worth the wait. Still pinching myself that I finally got to visit Australia — and that I got to experience it through the running community.

Thank you to ASICS for bringing me along for such an unforgettable weekend.

First things first, the food in Australia is absolutely incredible. I did not need to use any of my own personal snacks to carb load for the first time ever. Everything I could possibly need and want was right at my fingertips. To be honest, I would move to Australia in a heartbeat for the food alone! Using my Carb Load Calculator, my goal is around 500 g of carbs daily x three days. 

Day One Carb Load started the morning I landed. This was a little wild because it was still Wednesday back home as we time-traveled across the world. Keep this in mind if you plan to run Syndey! Eating while jet-lagged can be hard, so day one was a little bit of a struggle. It started with some pancakes at 2am on the plane, followed by a bagel at the airport. After a quick shake-out run, we grabbed avocado toast at the hotel. I downed a couple of Rice Krispies treats, knowing I needed more carbs. Then, we went to an epic dinner with the ASICS crew that involved a full loaf of bread, the best steak I have ever eaten and a slice of chocolate cake. Then, good-night! Carbs = 475 g. 

Day Two Carb Load was much easier and started with a massive carb room at the hotel’s breakfast. I had an English muffin, a pistachio roll, and a bagel. At the ASICS house, I had a waffle and a ginger drink. Next, we headed to the expo, where I got the group a wood-fired pizza to smash while we waited for our bus back to the hotel. We went back to the ASICS house for A&P sandwiches, which, quite frankly, were the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. One had pickled zucchini and white cheese on a baguette. And the other was white bread with a massive hunk of roasted pumpkin. We made dinner reservations at Baia Italian in Darling Harbor and smashed more pizza and another piece of cake before bed. Carbs = 510 g.

Day Three Carb Load was again a success, starting with graham crackers and a granola bar at my hotel pre-shakeout run. Then, the Rise and Shine ASICS shake-out run had massive ASICS’s ‘A’-shaped soft pretzels to carb us all up right. Plus, another delish ginger drink. After doing some shopping, we found two big slices of avocado toast back at Darling Harbor. My daughter, Sloane, told me I had to try a Brooki cookie so I clearly got one of those too. (She watches the owner’s show on kids’ YouTube.) I had a Maurten solid bar and some Australian ‘nouget’ as a snack. Then, an entire wood-fired pizza in bed to close out the carb-load night. Carbs = 525 g. 

In the past, I have worried about ‘different’ foods upsetting my stomach on race day and haven’t been super adventurous, but in Australia, the food hit right and was perfect. This is hands down the most fun I’ve ever had with carb loading. The food was just SO GOOD!

Can you guess what I had?! That’s right. Graham crackers. Well, I also had a Maurten solid bar. Some research suggests that fructose pre-marathon helps restock liver glycogen stores after an overnight fast, and these bars provide that. I also drank some RNWY Salty Carbs before I left the room. 

The logistics of the Sydney Marathon are pretty easy. You just take the Metro to your stop, which only took us about 10 minutes. Get off at the stop and walk about a half mile up the street, and you are in the village. The bathroom situation was minimal, so our entire pre-race ‘wait’ was in the bathroom line, which was fine. 

Race Morning Nutrition: 6 graham crackers + Maurten solid bar + RNWY Salty Carbs = 145 g carbs + 16 oz fluid

Meg Murray and I planned to run the entire race together and set out with a 20-minute range to our finishing time (2:55 – 3:15). Neither of us planned on ‘racing’ this marathon given the logistics of travel. In training, I decided to get as fit as possible so that whatever pace we ran on race day was enjoyable. And, let me tell you, I nailed that one! I had an absolute BLAST out there. And this is definitely a race you want to be present for, as there are so many beautiful sights to see. I will say, the crowds are sparse for 50% of the race, but when they show up, they SHOW UP. 

Because of that, I wasn’t exactly sure how many gels I would need, but I planned to take one every 25-30 minutes. And that’s exactly what I ended up doing. 

Gels

10 minutes pre-race: Maurten 100 caffeine

30 minutes: Maurten 100

55 minutes: Maurten 100 caffeine

1:20 hours: Maurten 100

1:50 hours: Maurten 100 

2:20 hours: Maurten 100

2:50 hours: Maurten 100

The weather was perfection. It was 48 degrees F at the start and 59 degrees F at the finish. It was full sun but slightly breezy, so I never felt overheated, even in the sun. Even the weather is perfect in Sydney! I know my sweat rate in this weather, so I knew hydration would be super manageable. I started with a 20 oz Amphipod handheld, 1 scoop Skratch Labs Hydration Sport mix, and 2 scoops Skratch Everyday drink mix. This lasted me until mile 19, and then I took water on course as needed.

Hydration

1 scoop Skratch Labs Hydration Sport mix

2 scoops Skratch Everyday drink mix

20 oz water in Amphipod 20 oz

Water on course

Total Nutrition + Hydration for the Sydney Marathon

57 g carbs per hour

400 mg sodium per hour 

9 oz water per hour

These totals were significantly less than I would take if I was racing a marathon, as we burn more carbohydrates per hour when we are running at our goal marathon pace. To see how I fueled for a race-paced marathon, visit my Berlin Marathon 2024 race recap. 

With a studly carb load, solid pre-race nutrition, and steady during-race nutrition, I felt well fueled and happy the entire race. Remember that solid fueling isn’t just about performance; it also keeps our minds healthy, happy, and positive when we do hard things.

I’m sure no one is shocked that The Meg’s dressed the same and in all black. It’s my first marathon in the Metaspeed Edge! I am quite the princess and the pea when it comes to shoes, aka I am very picky. But these shoes felt like little bouncy slippers that supported me well throughout the entire race. I will definitely be wearing these again. I wore the Metarun Split Short, and let me tell you. These shorts are a dream. All the pockets. All the airflow. If you want to feel like you’re running a marathon in your PJs, these are your shorts. On top was the Metarun Tank. It’s breezy with all the holes and a lovely tank. Finish this out with the Fractel Believe in the Run hat and a great pair of shades. As you can see, I am pretty practical with my running gear, and I love to feel cozy out there clicking off the miles. 

Another amazing thing about the Sydney Marathon is that they put this lovely bridge over the marathon course, so it is super easy to get back to your hotel post-race. We didn’t hang around the finish for long, as we knew there were thousands of runners coming to fill our spots. We headed back to the InterContinental Hotel, which has a great location for pre and post-race, for the coveted post-race shower. I also smuggled a Nurri vanilla protein shake in my checked luggage and saved it for post-race. 

Once our crew of five ladies all finished, showered, and somehow looked like they didn’t even run a marathon, we ventured out for the classic ‘burger and fries’ move post-race and some fun. Perhaps the funniest moment was the A P Bakery employees on the street handing out ‘Recovery Croissants’ for free. Told you Australia was epic. 

Australia was a 30-hour trip from Cleveland, Ohio, so I decided to stay an extra two days after the race to enjoy the country a little. This may not sound like long enough (I agree!), but for someone who always leaves to come home the Monday after any international race, this was lovely. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I missed my kids dearly, and running your own business never actually stops, so I needed to get home. 

Meg and I were on a mission to see kangaroos and koalas, and to try to take photos with them and our medals. Quite frankly, we succeeded epically at an animal sanctuary Meg found online. We got to feed all the kangaroos, get inches from koalas, and see all the native animals of Australia in 90 minutes. Success!

We then took a short ride up to Bondi Beach for two days to relax and enjoy the beautiful beach. The day we arrived was the first day of Spring, so it wasn’t quite beach weather, but that didn’t stop the surfers. One thing you have to do if you head to the Sydney Marathon is the Bondi to Coogee hike. It’s around 6.7 km and has the most epic sights you will never forget. 

We ate more great food. Slept a lot. Laid on the beach. And then, made the long trek home. 

While I said Sydney was a bucket-list trip, I am constantly daydreaming about when I can return.