Sydney Marathon medal appears to depict Munich's Allianz Arena

One week before the Sydney Marathon on 30 August, organisers are facing questions after the event participation medal appears to show Munich's Allianz Arena rather than Sydney's Allianz Stadium, with the stadium image visible at the bottom-right of the design.

The medal design was unveiled on Sydney Marathon's official social media account, which invited followers to "look closely and you'll find the story of the course in the details" and added: "A beautiful Sydney skyline brings the course to life, featuring the landmarks runners will experience along the way - starting with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finishing at the world-famous Sydney Opera House." The BBC has reached out to Sydney Marathon for comment; the race attracted more than 120,000 ballot entries earlier this year.

The apparent error is notable because the 42.2km (26.2 mile) course runs past Sydney's Allianz Stadium, yet the carving on the medal resembles Munich's Allianz Arena. Munich's Allianz Arena is sculpted by thousands of diamond-shaped inflatable cushions, while Sydney's similarly-named Allianz Stadium has a flatter façade smoothed with long bronze fins.

The medal is double-sided: the other face features a gold and indigo pattern designed by First Nations artist Ambrose Killian, and organisers explained that forty-two half-round markings lining the circular edge "represent each kilometre of the course". The front of the Sydney Marathon medal features an artwork by Ambrose Killian. Killian told the BBC he was not responsible for the other artwork.

The incident follows a similar mistake at last year's Great North Run in Newcastle, where medals mistakenly featured the Sunderland and Wear River – which is not part of the event.

Sydney was announced as the seventh city added to the Abbott majors series in 2024, joining London, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York, and Tokyo; Cape Town is set to become the eighth city when it hosts its first marathon major next year. The Sydney Marathon will take place on 30 August and some 40,000 runners are expected to take part.