The TCS Sydney Marathon’s ‘Make Sydney a Major Campaign,’ led by Pont3 and Destination NSW, has been named Project of the Year at the 2025 Sydney Awards – as well as being voted as the People’s Choice Award winner.   

Wayne Larden, CEO of Pont3, said: “To achieve major status for the TCS Sydney Marathon, we first had to change the thought process in the Australian running community around what the real bucket list is for your running goals.”  

“We had to find a way to encourage people who hadn’t run marathons before to think that they could step up and complete a marathon – that anything is possible.  

“We had to excite Australia to get behind Sydney’s bid to become an Abbott World Marathon Major, to be on the world stage. It wasn’t just runners, it was everyday Aussies who were looking to do something amazing and support us during candidacy.”  

Karen Jones, CEO of Destination NSW, said: “This was only possible through really strong collaboration, because achieving major status doesn’t just entail designing a course route.”   

“It takes buy-in across government to coordinate agencies like Transport for NSW, the NSW Police and Ambulance Service to ensure it runs safely and at scale. Businesses and the wider public have to be engaged to ensure the entire city is ready and able to accommodate, transport and host thousands of people in the lead up, during and after the event.”  

The campaign to make the TCS Sydney Marathon a major succeeded in November 2024, with Sydney joining an elite group alongside New York City, London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago and Berlin.  

As part of the case for achieving the prestigious status, the marathon team drove a huge surge in participation, from around 5,308r runners in 2022 to 32,963 finishers in its first year as an Abbot World Marathon Major in August 2025.  

The Committee for Sydney’s Project of the Year Award, supported by Aqualand, celebrates those daring to dream big and bring reshape the way we experience and live in our city.  

Eamon Waterford, CEO of the Committee for Sydney, said: “The buzz this year’s Sydney Marathon created was unmatched. When you think about the visitors it brought in, the impact it had on our economy, the vibrancy and the sheer camaraderie around the event, it was a no brainer it should be named Sydney Project of the Year.”  

“Sydney’s a city of 5am starts to catch the sunrise as you’re out running, a city that loves a post-run coffee catchup with mates, and this year it was a city that came out to cheer and support as people took on the huge challenge of running 42.2 kilometres. Sydneysiders have voted with their feet again, emphatically selecting the marathon as this year’s winner of the annual People’s Choice Award.”  

Ian Devereux, Group Head of Development, Aqualand, said: “The ambition to create an iconic, internationally renowned event has reinforced Sydney as a global destination for unforgettable experiences, and aligns perfectly with Aqualand’s dedication to creating vibrant, world-class lifestyle precincts.” 

Professor Leonie Tickle, Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School, said: “Becoming a World Marathon Major is more than a sporting milestone for Sydney – it’s a celebration of our city’s energy, diversity and global outlook, inspiring new possibilities for how we connect, move and thrive together.” 

Jane Flemming, Chair of Athletics Australia, said: “No one could even fathom the volumes of work and the boxes they had to tick off to do this, and you know what, hat’s off to Wayne Larden and the Pont3 team, they even dreamed big enough to think they could do it. I think that’s a really inspiring Australian story.”  

It started with the blue line of the 2000 Olympic Games Marathon course, which wound its way through the city. As the city celebrates the 25th anniversary of that extraordinary event, it’s fitting that the TCS Sydney Marathon has now cemented its status as a premier global marathon alongside New York City, Tokyo and Berlin. 

Wayne Larden, CEO of Pont3, said: “I hope one day we can see the TCS Sydney Marathon having 50,000 finishers. I can see us having a million spectators on the course cheering these runners through the streets of Sydney, just like you see in London and New York.” 

“I can see the TCS Sydney Marathon as being known as the most fun marathon out of all the Abbott World Marathon Majors and the destination that the major communities talk about the most.”  

Designed to celebrate people whose efforts make Sydney the greatest city in the world, there are five categories: Sydneysider of the Year, Young Sydneysider of the Year, Project of the Year, Local Project of the Year, and Unsung Hero. 

The judging panel for the awards included:  

• Kate Russell, CEO of Supply Nation  

• Chris Minns, Premier of NSW  

• Beau Neilson, Owner and Operator of The Vanguard  

• Mark Speakman, NSW Liberal Leader  

• Usman Iftikhar, CEO of Catalysr  

• Gabrielle Trainor AO, Pro Chancellor of Western Sydney University  

• Professor Leonie Tickle, Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School  

• Nicholas Hansen, Deputy Editor of The Daily Telegraph 

• Christine Covington, Consultant and Head of Gender Equality at Corrs Chambers Westgarth 

• Gail Connolly PSM, CEO of City of Parramatta.  

The Sydney Awards are supported by major partner Macquarie Business School, media partner The Daily Telegraph, and award sponsors Aurecon, Australian Unity, Aqualand, Coles, Endeavour Energy and KPMG.