The Sydney Marathon hasn't even started yet and it already has a curious story to tell. A week before the race (Sunday, August 30), the organizers acknowledged an unusual error in the design of the medals that participants crossing the finish line will receive: one side features the Allianz Arena in Munich, home of Bayern, instead of the Allianz Stadium in the Australian city.
The design was presented on the official social media of the TCS Sydney Marathon and quickly caught the attention of users. The medal aims to represent some of the most recognizable places in Sydney, such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, both linked to the race route. However, among those urban elements the German stadium mistakenly slipped in.
The confusion arises from the name of both venues, although they are completely different constructions located thousands of kilometers apart. The Allianz Stadium in Sydney is one of the city's iconic spots, while the Allianz Arena is home to Bayern Munich.
The Allianz Arena (above) and the Allianz Stadium (below)
The organization admitted the mistake and chose to take it with humor. "A little extra dose of international flavor slipped into the back of the medal," explained a spokesperson for the TCS Sydney Marathon, according to The Guardian. "We’re not going to run away from this; it was an unfortunate mistake, although it gave everyone something to talk about this weekend, mostly in good humor," added the representative. They also emphasized that, despite the error, the medals will still be awarded to the runners who complete the 42.195 kilometers, as there is no time to produce new ones.
The mistake was even celebrated from Germany. The official account of the Allianz Arena took advantage of the design going viral to joke about the situation and wished good luck to the runners: "Good luck to all participants! Go and get that medal".
The front and back of the Sydney Marathon 2026 medal
Setting aside the curious error on its front, the back of the piece was designed in golden tones and with blue stones by Aboriginal artist Ambrose Killian and combines various symbols of the Australian city.
