Sydney Marathon medals feature Munich stadium instead of local landmark

The Sydney Marathon has made an embarrassing mistake with its 2026 participation medals. When organisers shared the medal design on Instagram this week, fans quickly noticed something wrong. The medal shows a stadium in Munich, Germany, not Sydney's Allianz Stadium, which runners pass during the race.

The two stadiums look quite different. Munich's Allianz Arena has a distinctive diamond pattern on its outer walls. Sydney's stadium has a flatter design with bronze fins.

Organisers had said the medal would capture "the story of the course." They called the error "unfortunate" but confirmed they will not replace the medals already made. Munich's stadium even commented on social media, finding the situation funny. The mistake became a popular topic online.