Australia: Sydney Marathon medal wrongly shows German landmark

Munich’s Allianz-Arena is definitely the odd man out on the Sydney Marathon medal – Image: Heike Feiner/HMB Media/picture alliance

A medal minted for finishers in the Sydney Marathon features a skyline of the city — with one landmark from rather far away. Organizers in Australia say the muddle-up only makes the medal “a little more unique.”

Organizers of the 2026 Sydney Marathon in Australia are making the best of the situation after minting tens of thousands of medals engraved with depictions of landmarks from the eastern Australian city along with one that doesn’t belong — the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

The medal should have shown Allianz Stadium in Sydney, one of the sights participants in the upcoming race will pass as they run the 42.2-kilometer (26.2-mile) course.

More than 40,000 participants are expected to earn the medal as a “badge of honor” for completing the race on August 30.

Other landmarks shown include the famous Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Australia: What have organizers said about the medal mix-up?

“A little too much international flavor has found its way onto the back of the finishers’ medal, with an incorrect depiction of the stadium,” a Sydney Marathon spokesperson said.

“We’re not going to run from it, it was an unfortunate error; though it’s certainly given everyone something to talk about this weekend, mostly in good humor,” the spokesperson said.

“With the event a week away, this is the medal our finishers will receive.”

Sydney’s Allianz Stadium also has its own unique appearance – Image: Rafael Ben Ari/Newscom/picture alliance

“Behind every one of these medals is months of early mornings, long runs and quiet determination, and having it placed around your neck at the Sydney Opera House is a moment our participants will never forget,” the spokesperson in Australia added.

“It’s a beautiful medal, and now a little more unique.”

Good-humored reaction from Munich

Munich’s Allianz Arena has responded in a light-hearted manner.

“Oh wow, we didn’t have that on our bingo card!” it posted on Instagram.

“Perhaps they tried to find something else they had in common: Allianz Arena — Sydney Opera — Unique Architecture — Both are worth a visit!”

The daily Sydney Morning Herald in Australia also came up with a gleefully teasing headline: “The medal that will put Sydney on the map. The wrong map.”

The other side of the medal shows a gold-and-indigo pattern by First Nations artist Ambrose Killian that has been widely commended.

Killian has said he was not involved in the design of the side showing the landmarks.