2026 Sydney Marathon
Abbott World Marathon Major #5
The Sydney Marathon was our second marathon overseas. However this time, we did it solo. As much as we would have loved to have travel companions, it just wasn't possible on this trip. With the furthest and hilliest major to tackle, our efforts had to pivot in more ways than one. Help from unexpected people and places surrounded us throughout most of our journey. Interviews with our local WTHR news, CBS News and Abbott World Marathon Majors made this race even more special. We got to visit with local Australian friends and fundraising for our nonprofit hit nearly $30,000 with 10% going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association!
MEETING OF A LIFETIME
This marathon was special for several reasons, but the biggest was that we got to meet someone just like Amy. Rhi Anderson and Amy first met online in 2020 when our Muscular Dystrophy journey was just beginning. Rhi is technically diagnosed with Ullrich MD, but also has symptoms of the same type of MD that Amy has called, Bethlem Myopathy. There were tears of joy for this meeting 6 years in the making. We were able to meet with her parents, Jay and Tamara as well as have them support us before and after the race. It was so great to see them cheering for us at the finish line near the Opera House! This was the hilliest marathon for us with over 40,000 runners and we were just one of 6 duo teams on the course. (Finish time 4:11:41)
Race Highlights
This was only the 2nd year for the Sydney Marathon as part of the Abbott World Majors. Similar to Berlin, they allowed duo teams but they also placed us with the rest of the field based on our projected finish time. So again, we were not put up front with other disabled athletes which would have made for a safer experience for all. Fortunately, with a smaller field of runners than Berlin, there were less people to have to dodge during the race. As always, the other runners and fans always had a ton of encouragement for us throughout the entire race. Overall, we had a great experience but this race proved much more difficult due to the hills for us. The finish line beauty of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House along with the perfect weather made it all worthwhile in the end though. Also, it was great to meet up with a past high school friend, Brenda and her husband Mark who live in the Sydney area.
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