‘We’re not going to run from it’: Sydney Marathon laughs off medal error
Sydney Marathon organisers have made light of a design blunder that saw the wrong stadium etched onto this year's finisher medals, mistakenly depicting Munich's Allianz Arena instead of Sydney's Allianz Stadium. The error was spotted by social media users after the medal design was unveiled, prompting the organisers to admit "a little too much international flavour" had crept onto the medal, while confirming runners would still receive the misprinted design rather than a corrected one.
The double-sided medal otherwise features recognisable Sydney landmarks along the 42.2km course, including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, alongside a First Nations-designed reverse side by artist Ambrose Killian, who was not involved in the stadium error. Germany's Allianz Arena joined in the joke on Instagram, noting the shared "unique architecture" between the two venues. Around 40,000 runners are set to take part in the race on 30 August, following a record 120,000 ballot entries.
- Sydney Marathon medals mistakenly show Munich's stadium, not Sydney's
- Organisers are keeping the misprinted medals, calling it "unique"
- Race takes place 30 August with 40,000 runners from 120,000 entries
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Sydney Marathon is one of the world's major city marathons, taking place along a 42.2km route through the city, taking in landmarks such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. This year's event has attracted around 40,000 runners, chosen from a record 120,000 ballot entries, and is scheduled for 30 August.
Finisher medals are a traditional keepsake for marathon runners, and organisers had designed a double-sided medal featuring Sydney landmarks on one side and First Nations artwork by Ambrose Killian on the other. The controversy centres on an image meant to depict Sydney's Allianz Stadium, which was instead found to show Munich's Allianz Arena, a similarly named stadium in Germany.
Both the Sydney Marathon organisers and Germany's Allianz Arena have responded to the mix-up with humour rather than dispute, and the medal will not be redesigned before the race. The story matters mainly as a light-hearted moment of embarrassment for the event, rather than any deeper controversy.