Sydney Marathon organisers admit 'unfortunate error' after Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena etched onto medals

In a week, up to 40,000 runners will take part in Sydney's Marathon, but a mix-up means they will be handed medals decorated with a German stadium.

Various iconic landmarks from Australia's biggest city are engraved onto the medals alongside Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, which is located over 10,000 miles away, rather than Sydney's Allianz Stadium.

The event's organisers acknowledged the "unfortunate error" in a post on Instagram, but joked: "We're not going to run from it."

TCS Sydney Marathon championed the record participation and fundraising but said: "A little too much international flavour has found its way onto the back of the finisher's medal".

The post confirmed that: "With the event a week away, this is the medal our finishers will receive.

"It's a beautiful medal, and now a little more unique. What it represents does not change.

"We're grateful to our participants and partners for taking it in such good humour, and our focus now is where it should be, on delivering a safe, spectacular and unforgettable weekend."

The post is rounded off with the caption: "You noticed. We noticed. We're human. See you in Sydney."

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It is not the first time a medal mix-up has made headlines.

Last year, the organisers of the Great North Run, from Newcastle to South Shields, had to issue an apology after participants spotted a glaring error on their medals.

The 2025 medal featured a map of Sunderland and the River Wear - and not Tyneside.

(c) Sky News 2026: Sydney Marathon organisers admit 'unfortunate error' after Bayern Munich's Allianz Ar