Fast times and firsts at 2025 ASICS Gold Coast Marathon
New race records, debut wins, and local champions defined the 2025 ASICS Gold Coast Marathon’s biggest field yet.
What’s Happening?
The 2025 ASICS Gold Coast Marathon saw Japan’s Yuki Takei and Ethiopia’s Tegest Ymer claim top honours in the men’s and women’s marathons respectively, both delivering standout performances in their first overseas races. Takei broke the race record with a time of 2:07:33, while Ymer secured the women’s crown in 2:29:27. The weekend’s events drew more than 39,000 participants and delivered multiple race records and personal bests across the board.
Why It Matters
The 2025 event reinforced the Gold Coast Marathon’s reputation as a flat, fast, and world-class course ideal for PBs, national records, and international debuts. Both elite and everyday athletes embraced the calm, windless race day conditions, while international participation and podium diversity highlighted the race’s global standing.
Local Impact
Gold Coast local Riine Ringi successfully defended her title in the 2025 Queensland Marathon Championships. Simone McInnes placed 7th overall and won the 2025 Oceania Marathon Championship, helping strengthen local representation on the global stage. The large number of interstate and international entrants also contributed to increased visitation and economic activity across the region.
By the Numbers
39,000+ participants competed across all weekend events, including 3,500 international runners from 50 countries.
2:07:33 is the new men’s race record set by Japan’s Yuki Takei, beating the 2023 record by 7 seconds.
2:15:04 and 2:31:34 are the new Indonesian national marathon records, set by Robi Syianturi and Odekta Elvina Naibaho respectively.
Zoom In
Men’s Marathon:
Yuki Takei led an exceptional field to win the men’s title and set a new race record. “Instead of chasing my PB or the record, I was simply aiming for the first place today,” he said. “But to break the course record at such a good and vibrant marathon is amazing.” Takei, who arrived days earlier to familiarise himself with the course, added, “This has been a great stepping stone and makes me want to try more marathons and come back next year to defend my title.”
Aoi Ota (2:08:31) placed second in only his second marathon. “It’s only my second marathon – the first one I’ve actually finished and the first of many I hope to compete in overseas,” he said. He credited his pre-planned pacing strategy, though admitted, “When Takei took off at the end, I couldn’t match him.”
Third-placed Ryoma Takeuchi (2:08:38) also recorded a personal best. “I knew I was on track for a PB, and I made it, so I’m feeling 100 percent,” he said. Having paced the 2024 event, he said the flat course drew him back, and praised the support: “Everyone was cheering by my first name today because they could see it on my bib; it was just so great.”
Eight of the top 10 finishers were Japanese, with Josh Izewski (USA, 7th) and Mathew Samperu (Kenya, 8th) breaking the near-sweep. Australia’s top male finisher, Reece Edwards, finished 20th in 2:17:57, second in the Oceania Marathon Championships behind New Zealand’s Chris Dryden (2:17:34). Alex Harvey (2:19:40) was third in the Oceania standings and winner of the 2025 Queensland Marathon Championships.
Women’s Marathon:
Tegest Ymer took victory in her marathon debut, winning in 2:29:27. “I'm happy to be the champion today and I’ll be coming back to this beautiful place,” she said. Her winning tactic was to sit on the shoulder of veteran Caroline Kilel before sprinting clear with 800 metres to go. “Half-marathons can be hard, but the marathon is a lot harder; I felt very good today though.”
Kilel, 44, ran her 40th marathon and placed second in 2:29:44. “I was with the group at the halfway mark… I gave a couple of kicks at the 30km and 35km mark, but when Tegest made her break… I couldn’t keep up with her.”
Ethiopian Alemtsehay Zerihun (2:31:17) secured third, making her move at the 25km mark. “I’ve never run the Gold Coast Marathon before, but it was a good race and went to plan,” she said. Zerihun, who trains with Ymer, was thrilled to learn of her teammate’s win: “I didn’t know that my teammate had won, so I’m very happy for her.”
Simone McInnes was the top Australian woman, finishing 7th in 2:37:05 and winning the 2025 Oceania Marathon Championship. Ella McCartney (2:43:20) and Nikki Curry (2:43:41) completed the Oceania podium. Riine Ringi retained her Queensland title.
Two Indonesian runners rewrote their national record books. Robi Syianturi (13th in 2:15:04) and Odekta Elvina Naibaho (4th woman, 2:31:34) now hold the men’s and women’s national marathon records.
Zoom Out
Wheelchair Marathon:
Sam Rizzo won the men’s wheelchair event in 1:31:12, the second-fastest ever on the course. “It was a huge PB for me, I’m just so happy with everything,” he said. “I made my bed early and had to go with it for the whole race.” Rizzo noted the pressure of racing in front, with experienced competitors chasing him from early on. “I was a little worried about rain at about the 20km mark, but then I realised it was just sweat and kept going.”
Kota Hokinoue (1:40:35) and Jake Lappin (1:46:09) finished second and third respectively. “I didn’t plan that Sam was going to actually leave me, that wasn’t really part of the plan,” Hokinoue said. Lappin, a two-time winner, said, “It’s always a nice course, always a good race; I just didn’t have it today.”
In the women’s event, Madison De Rozario (1:51:28) won her fourth Gold Coast Wheelchair Marathon. “It’s nice to be back and get another win,” she said. “Australia has this unreal love for wheelchair racing that started here on the Gold Coast in 2018, so, racing here feels sort of like coming home for me.”
De Rozario raced the first 20km alongside two male competitors before pushing solo. “It was nice to have someone out there on the road with me, but for the rest of it, it was just me and Nigel [no friends],” she joked. She is now focused on the Sydney Marathon in eight weeks, saying, “We can try some new things and get some bigger base training in… and see what works with the hard work.”
Mikaela Dingley (2:19:49) placed second in her marathon debut, and Sharnie Digby (3:22:41) was third, wrapping up her third race of the weekend.
What to Look for Next?
With record participation, elite performances, and international breakthroughs, the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon continues to grow as a key fixture on the global running calendar. Attention now turns to the upcoming marathon season and how athletes build on their results, with many already eyeing a return to the Gold Coast in 2026.