23 May 2025
By James Mullan
It is the 1st of October 2000, and the world’s eyes are on Sydney as the city down under hosts the Olympics for the first time. The city is abuzz with athletes, tourists, media, and celebrities from all over the globe.
On this day, the focus is sharply on our little patch of the world: North Sydney. Specifically, Miller St, just outside Percy’s and across the road from the iconic North Sydney Oval, where the start line for the marathon is located. The streets are packed to the brim in anticipation of the start of the event, as for one brief moment in history, the attention of the world is on North Sydney.
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Fast forward 25 years, and the iconic blue start line can still be seen today – albeit after a few repainting jobs over the years. Don’t be fooled though; this part of Australian history isn’t just an artifact. It still serves as the start line for the annual Sydney Marathon. This year, the event will be hosted on Sunday, 31 August, with North Sydney expected to be just as crowded as it was back in 2000.
North Sydney Council has put out a call to arms for North Shore locals to help make this huge event possible, launching a community challenge to recruit 100 volunteers in 100 days.
Volunteers will get a limited-edition volunteer shirt, ASICS cap, snacks, and exclusive access to a ballot for entry into the 2026 event. The shirt is based on the iconic Sydney 2000s volunteer shirt, in all its aqua and gold glory. Unfortunately, volunteers must provide their own Olympics volunteer Drizabone, which can still be found online and in secondhand markets around the city.
In November 2024, the Sydney Marathon was added to the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The race is the largest marathon in Australia and is expected to welcome a record-breaking 35,000 marathon runners, featuring participants from over 120 countries.
Volunteer to help recapture the magic of Sydney 2000 here: https://shorturl.at/1NBXL