Haftu Strintzos has broken the Australian record while becoming the first Australian man to win the Gold Coast Marathon in 20 years.
Strintzos strode through the finish line tape in a blistering 2:06:20 on Sunday, bettering previous holder Andy Buchanan’s record set in Valencia, Spain in 2024 by two seconds.
It's just the third time in the last 40 years that the Australian milestone has tumbled and the first time it has happened on home soil in that period.
The 26-year-old Strintzos also smashed the course record by 73 seconds, collapsing on his back in elation - the first Aussie winner of the race since Lee Troop in 2006.
"It’s quite a memorable moment, a breakthrough moment for me," he said.
“I felt pretty good by about 30km, I want to give a shoutout to the pacers, they were spot on with their pacing.
“I knew I had it in me and it was a matter of when - not if, and this was a perfect opportunity for it with a top field.
"The last 10km was ecstatic, the energy of the crowd was incredible."
Japan's Hidekazu Hijikata finished second in 2:07:20 - also finishing under the former race record.
Strintzos spent his early childhood as a shepherd in northern Ethiopia before meeting Australian aid worker Maria Strintzos, who would later adopt him and bring him to Melbourne.
He discovered love for competitive running through Little Athletics after encouragement from a primary school teacher.
And he became one of the country's elite distance runners while at Villanova University in the US, representing Australia at the Oceania Championships and worldcross country championships .
The rest is now history.
