He started out as a shepherd boy in northern Ethiopia. Now Haftu Strintzos holds Australia’s marathon record. On 1 November he finished fifth at the New York City Marathon in 2:06:34, the best result by an Australian man at one of the big city majors since 1995.
Here’s who he is: how old he is, his personal bests, how he got from Ethiopia to Melbourne, and how he ran a 2:06 marathon twice in four months.
- Born: 27 August 1999, northern Ethiopia (age 27)
- Home: Melbourne
- Marathon best: 2:06:20, the Australian and Oceania record (Gold Coast Marathon, 5 July 2026)
- Half marathon best: 1:00:36 (Marugame, Japan, 2 February 2025)
- 10 km road best: 28:09 (September 2024)
- Biggest result: 5th, New York City Marathon, 1 November 2026 (2:06:34)
- College: Villanova University, USA
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Who is Haftu Strintzos?
He’s an Australian distance runner, and since July the fastest marathoner the country has produced. He spent his early childhood as a shepherd in northern Ethiopia. There he met Maria Strintzos, an Australian aid worker, who later adopted him and brought him to Melbourne (AAP, Marathon Handbook).
He’d never raced until a primary school teacher pointed him towards Little Athletics. From there he went to Villanova University in the US, one of America’s best-known distance-running colleges. He has run for Australia at the Oceania Championships and the World Cross Country Championships. His fastest 3000m, 7:56.07, came indoors in Chicago in February 2022, during his college years (World Athletics).
New York 2026: fifth in 2:06:34
New York was only his second World Marathon Major. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won on debut in 2:06:01. The lead pack went through halfway in 1:04:01, and Benson Kipruto broke the race open with a 4:38 mile around 37 km (World Athletics). Strintzos wasn’t in that final group, but he held on for fifth, 14 seconds off his own national record.
AAP reported that no Australian man had placed that high at a major since Steve Moneghetti was second in London in 1995 (Canberra Times/AAP).
“I fought all the way to the finish line to secure a fifth-place finish,” he told AAP. He also called the result an automatic qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Under World Athletics’ rules for LA28, a top-five finish at a Platinum Label marathon counts, and the window opened on race day (Marathon Handbook).
| Place | Runner | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Almgren (Sweden) | 2:06:01 |
| 2 | Yemaneberhan Crippa (Italy) | 2:06:14 |
| 3 | Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho) | 2:06:26 |
| 4 | Benson Kipruto (Kenya) | 2:06:27 |
| 5 | Haftu Strintzos (Australia) | 2:06:34 |
| 6 | Zouhair Talbi (USA) | 2:06:43 |
The Australian record: 2:06:20 on the Gold Coast
Four months before New York, on 5 July, he won the Gold Coast Marathon in 2:06:20. That beat Andy Buchanan’s Australian record of 2:06:22, set in Valencia in 2024, and took 73 seconds off the course record. Japan’s Hidekazu Hijikata finished a minute back in 2:07:20 (AAP, Marathon Handbook).
“I knew I had it in me and it was a matter of when, not if,” he said afterwards.
How fast he got fast
The jump is the story. Less than a year before the record, he was a 2:11 marathoner.
| Date | Race | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2025 | Marugame Half Marathon, Japan | 1:00:36 (half marathon PB) |
| Aug 2025 | Sydney Marathon (his first major) | 14th, 2:11:27, first Australian |
| 2026 | Launceston Half Marathon | 1st, 1:00:41 |
| 5 Jul 2026 | Gold Coast Marathon | 1st, 2:06:20 (Australian record) |
| 1 Nov 2026 | New York City Marathon | 5th, 2:06:34 |
That’s five minutes off his marathon time in under a year. Our read: his half-marathon speed was already there in 2025, since a 1:00:36 half points to a marathon well under 2:10. Sydney was his first serious go at the full distance, and the Gold Coast and New York results are what a 60-minute half-marathoner looks like once he’s learned to run 42 km.
What a 2:06 marathon actually means
2:06:20 works out to about 2:59.6 per kilometre, held for 42.2 km. For comparison, 3:00 per km is a 15-minute 5 km, which is a time most club runners never touch, even once.
If you’re working towards your own marathon, start with our marathon training plan. For another Australian who went from nowhere to a national record in a few years, read our profile of sprinter Lachlan Kennedy.
Haftu Strintzos FAQ
How old is Haftu Strintzos?
He’s 27. World Athletics lists his birth date as 27 August 1999.
What is the Australian marathon record?
2:06:20, run by Haftu Strintzos at the Gold Coast Marathon on 5 July 2026. It beat Andy Buchanan’s 2:06:22 from Valencia in 2024.
Where is Haftu Strintzos from?
He was born in northern Ethiopia. He was adopted by Maria Strintzos, an Australian aid worker, and grew up in Melbourne.
Has Haftu Strintzos qualified for the 2028 Olympics?
He has met the qualifying mark. Fifth in New York is inside the top-five rule for Platinum Label marathons. Australia’s team for Los Angeles won’t be picked until much closer to the Games.
Sources: World Athletics profile; World Athletics NYC report; AAP (NYC); AAP (Gold Coast); Marathon Handbook; Central News; Inside Athletics. Checked 14 November 2026.
