The Sydney marathon

WOW! Sydney, you were a tough one. We knew going into this fifth world marathon major that it was going to be challenging for my husband with the duo bike. The hills of the New York City marathon still haunt him, and going into this one, he was nervous knowing hills were a big part of it.

You can research and watch videos of the racecourse, but until you are on it, you cannot imagine the rolling hills of the Sydney marathon. I realized very quickly my encouragement of “you’ve got this, almost to the top!” was not going to work. I would have been saying that nonstop.

Along with the rolling hills, the racecourse itself was tight. As with Berlin, we had to start back in the corral that we would be in as a “typical” runner with our time. We talked to race officials ahead of time and told them it really is ideal and safest for us to start behind the wheelchair participants. Sydney is still new to the majors, so this was only their second year. They are still ironing out the kinks. Especially for the athletes with disabilities.

Despite our efforts, they would not change our starting position. We had to go with it.

Along with filming and documenting with my camera, the folks at Abbott World Marathon Majors had given me a GoPro to capture our perspective of the marathon. Although I was excited for the opportunity, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Juggling two cameras, my husband’s race nutrition, and watching out for our safety and the safety of the other runners from the bike, at all times. It was a heavy mental load. Plus, I wanted to take in all the sights in Sydney along the way and engage with the amazing crowds.

Speaking of crowds, we had met Chloe who works in Sydney as a sport journalist. She was working with Abbott that weekend. When she was interviewing us before the marathon, she told us the crowds would be next level. She was not wrong. I would rank Sydney at the top for crowd participation along the course. Pretty cool to see the human spirit in full force, and such diversity. It always gives me chills.

Early in the race, I could gauge that this was not going to be Jamie’s best race. I could just feel it from his energy. With each hill, and like I said they were plentiful, I felt him getting more discouraged. I felt helpless. I did my best to keep producing new and encouraging things to say. My energy felt off that day too. Perhaps it was the 14-hour time difference still getting us down?

At one point he said, “I’m sorry babe.” I said, “For what?” He said, “For having to walk up some of these hills.” That broke my heart. There were several points where I told him we should stop and rest, but in true Jamie fashion, that was not an option.

Through it all, he never stopped. He kept pushing. We kept pushing together.

Our day had started at 3 a.m. Sydney is not an out and back course, which meant traveling to the start line, as we always stay closer to the finish for obvious reasons. We had to get out early, because by 4:30, all the roads near us would close and taking public transportation was not an option with our large duo bike.

We contracted the same driver who picked us and our large bike up at the airport when we arrived in Sydney. He was a Godsend to us on this trip. He even waited with us for an hour after getting us to our destination before the gates opened, so we did not have to wait in the cold.

Going into this race, one of our biggest fears is that we would not have a way to the start line. This was a huge relief to us.

I mentioned the amazing crowds, but also many of our fellow runners encouraged us along the way. We could not go a minute without someone telling Jamie he was amazing (they were not wrong!) and to keep going. Their encouragement means to the world to us, and especially him.

As we neared the finish line, I messaged my Aussie friend and told her we were getting close.

She and her family scored a prime spot on the accessible platform by the finish line. It was incredible that she could sit in her wheelchair and have a front row seat to us coming by. Unfortunately, our tracking for the race was not working that day, which was so disappointing to all our family and friends who wanted to track us along the course.

Running right by them, and seeing them cheering us on, was a moment I will never forget. I paused and thought, God you are amazing. The way you have orchestrated this very moment is breathtaking. All that had led us to that moment had me in awe.

As we crossed the finish line, we both breathed a sigh of relief that we had made it through this one. We gave a post-race interview with Abbott, where I confirmed with Chloe that she was right.

The crowds were amazing, my husband was amazing, and having my friend who lives with my same diagnosis there to see it all with her family was simply beautiful.

Amy Shinneman is a former National Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, disability blogger, freelance writer, wife, and mom of two boys. She is the recipient of The Reporter’s Winter 2025 Ink-Stained Wretch award. You can find her blog at humblycourageous.org and reach her on Instagram @ashinneman.