CASE STUDY I FOREIGN EXCHANGE
How Sydney became a global pacesetter for marathons
Published 4 December 2025
TCS Sydney Marathon 2025. Photograph courtesy of Destination NSW.
Famous for its picturesque route along Sydney Harbour and showcasing the city’s iconic landmarks, the Sydney Marathon has experienced remarkable growth since its beginnings in 2001 as a legacy event from the 2000 Olympics. From 1,200 finishers in its first year, it is expected to attract more than 33,000 runners in 2025.
Sydney has now become the premier marathon event in the Southern Hemisphere in 2025, joining the esteemed ranks of Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo as one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
The elevation of the Sydney Marathon to a major event has been facilitated through a funding and strategic partnership with the NSW Government via Destination NSW. Government support was crucial in achieving this outcome and played a key role in supporting Sydney attaining ‘World Marathan Majors’ status.
Reducing foreign exchange risk for Destination NSW
To support its efforts of achieving World Major status for the marathon, Destination NSW engaged the services of an international vendor to handle the marketing of sponsorship and media packages, and to provide comprehensive support for the race. This included covering the one-off admission fee to secure Sydney Marathon’s recognition as the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major from 2025 onward.
To facilitate a seamless and timely payment process, Destination NSW engaged TCorp to hedge the USD marketing and sponsorship payment and lock in a fixed AUD amount, thereby reducing Destination NSW’s exposure to foreign exchange risk.
Destination NSW projects Sydney’s new World Marathon Major status to bring an additional $73mn in visitor spending to the NSW economy over the next three years. Over the next decade, this figure is anticipated to reach $300mn, as many visitors to Sydney are expected to explore regional NSW during their stays in Australia.
Client feedback
“TCorp has been a trusted advisor and provider of foreign exchange services to Destination NSW, enabling us to secure this world class, major event for Sydney.”
Neville D’Costa
Director
Procurement and Legal, Destination NSW
For further information
Jennifer Roberts
Co-Head of Client Relationships,
Financial Markets
Yvonne Blunt
Co-Head of Client Relationships,
Financial Markets