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The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-10-12 · by Michael Gleeson
Izzi Batt-Doyle broke Australia’s women’s marathon record with a time of 2:20:38 in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, surpassing Jess Stenson’s previous mark by more than two minutes. Batt-Doyle, a dual Olympian from South Australia, expressed her joy and relief over achieving this long-term goal. The same day saw Eliud Kipchoge setting a new Melbourne marathon record with a time of 2:09:10, while thousands participated in the Melbourne event.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 9, Adelaide runner Izzi Batt-Doyle broke the Australian women's marathon record at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:20:38, shaving 46 seconds off the previous mark set by Jess Stenson in Valencia. Batt-Doyle, supported by her fiancé Riley Cocks as a pacer, finished sixth overall among women, behind Ethiopian champion Hawi Feysa who won in 2:13:33. The South Australian athlete improved her own personal best by more than two minutes and expressed relief and pride over achieving this goal that had been on her mind for years. Batt-Doyle's achievement came as Eliud Kipchoge set a new record in the Melbourne Marathon on the same day, highlighting a remarkable weekend for long-distance running globally.
Written for “Australian Marathon Record Broken” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
On a stunning Sunday to run a long way very fast, Izzi Batt-Doyle broke the Australian marathon record in Chicago – on the same day Eliud Kipchoge set a Melbourne marathon record.
asserted
Kipchoge → run → record
Batt-Doyle ran 2:20:38 in Chicago to break Jess Stenson’s record of 2:21:24.
asserted
Doyle → run → 2:21:24
“I’m very, very happy.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I feel a sense of relief because it’s something I really felt I could achieve and it’s been on my mind the past couple of years.
uncertain
it → feel → years
I’m really proud I could achieve it today and I’m so happy,” she said.
uncertain
she → ’m → it
“I think it’s really validating for the hard work I’ve put in and it feels really special to be part of history.”
asserted
it → think → history
The 31-year-old South Australian Batt-Doyle, who is a dual Olympian in the 5000 metres and 10,000m, smashed her own personal best time by two minutes.
asserted
who → smash → minutes
Racing at the same marathon where Benita Willis set an Australian record that stood for 16 years, Batt-Doyle said she had WIllis in mind throughout.
asserted
she → race → mind
She wrote on Instagram: “I thought about Benita Willis out there and her incredible run of 2:22 in 2006 here in Chicago that stood for 18 (sic) years!!
asserted
that → write → years
Willis held the Australian record until Sinead Diver cut the time by 1.02min in 2022 then Stenson set a new record, trimming another 10 seconds from the time last year.
asserted
Stenson → hold → time
Batt-Doyle’s effort came on the same day that Kipchoge, the two-time world record holder and dual Olympic gold medallist, ran 2:09:10 to win the Melbourne marathon – beating the previous best time by two seconds – on a day that 20,000 people ran the Melbourne marathon and more than 60,000 ran in events over the two-day festival.
asserted
60,000 → come → festival
“Most of the race I was fortunate my fiance Riley [Cocks] was running with me.
asserted
fiance → run → me
I was isolated the whole race.
asserted
I → isolate → ?
The gun went off and second kilometre it was just the two of us because we were running between groups.
asserted
we → go → groups
You don’t have masses of people in groups.
asserted
You → have → groups
I spent most of the race trusting our plan and the pacing strategy.”
asserted
I → spend → plan
At the halfway mark Batt-Doyle knew she was on track to break the record but wondered if she could hold on.
“We went through halfway in under the time needed to run 2:21.
uncertain
We → know → 2:21
But I wasn’t sure because I felt like I was slowing in the second half as it was warmer, and just the general fatigue of the marathon.
asserted
it → feel → marathon
“But once I turned, there is a small hill about 400 to go and then you turn into the last 150 metres and I saw the clock and that’s when I really started celebrating.
asserted
I → turn → clock
I knew I was going to get under 2:21.”
asserted
I → know → 2:21
“I was able to celebrate the last 150m after seeing the clock.
asserted
I → celebrate → clock
I gave a few fist pumps and smiles.
asserted
I → give → pumps
You can think you can do it and hope you can do it, and be on pace to do it, but there is so much that can happen in the last five kilometres, or last one kilometre or even the last 400m.
asserted
that → think → kilometres
People can cramp, and have all sorts of things happen.
asserted
sorts → cramp → things
“It feels really special to be part of history because there have been some fantastic runners before me.
asserted
It → feel → me
I really feel honoured to be in that class of athletes.”
asserted
I → feel → athletes
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday.
asserted
News → send → sport
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