Emirati runner Abdullah Al Shamsi successfully crossed the finish line at the Sydney Marathon in Australia, adding his seventh star to his record in the World Marathon Majors series after completing the Sydney Marathon last Sunday with a new personal best time of 3 hours and 29 minutes, breaking his previous record of 3 hours and 40 minutes for the 42.195-kilometer distance.

With this, he has completed all seven major marathons, following Sydney’s inclusion this year alongside the Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York marathons.

Al Shamsi has joined an elite group of runners who have earned seven stars from seven global participations, marking a new milestone in his sports career spanning over 15 years.

Al Shamsi told Emarat Al Youm: “It was a very tough marathon, being at high altitude and full of challenges, but I was committed to reaching the finish line to continue pursuing my ambition and raise the country’s flag at a global sports event, which will remain etched in my memory for life.”

He added: “My participation in global marathons has a humanitarian and charitable nature, as well as reflecting the importance of sport as not just a competition but a lifestyle that helps maintain physical and mental health and supports community sports.” He emphasized that this achievement is not personal but a message of inspiration to the youth in the UAE and all athletes that ambition and community work know no limits, and that hard work and commitment can turn aspirations into reality.

It is worth noting that the Sydney Marathon saw a record participation of about 35,000 runners. Ethiopian runner Haile Mariam Kiros won first place with a record time of 2:06:06, becoming the fastest marathon runner in Australia’s history. In the women’s category, Dutch runner Sifan Hassan won first place with a time of 2:18:22.