Art Meets Running: Inside the Design - Greg Itahara on Sydney 2026
Every year, our Sydney singlet is an opportunity to tell a story. Not just about the race itself, but about the city, the journey, and the thousands of runners who travel from all over the world to stand on the start line.
With Sydney entering its second year as an Abbott World Marathon Major, we knew this year's release deserved something special. That's why we partnered with internationally renowned American artist and designer Greg Itahara (Itahara), whose distinctive work has become recognised throughout the global running community for blending art, movement, and storytelling.
We sat down with Itahara to talk about the inspiration behind the design, the details hidden within the artwork, and what he hopes runners feel when they pull it on this August.
Sydney Marathon enters its second year as a World Marathon Major. How did that shape your thinking when designing this year's singlet?
Itahara:
"The moment I heard Sydney was becoming a World Marathon Major, I thought, wow, that's a true destination race.
Living in the Midwest of the United States, Australia feels like the other side of the world. It's a huge commitment - not just the travel, but the months of training, staying healthy, and arriving ready to race. That makes Sydney feel incredibly special.
The established majors like New York, London and Boston have decades of visual history behind them. Everyone already has an idea of what those races look and feel like. Sydney felt different. It felt like a blank canvas.
That was really exciting because it meant we could tell a fresh story - not just about Sydney, but about running itself- in a completely new way."
What was the story you wanted the design to tell?
Itahara:
"When people travel to Sydney, they want to take a piece of the city home with them.
I didn't want to simply draw the skyline or use the most obvious Australian imagery. Instead, I wanted to create something more abstract - something where people could recognise Sydney without it being immediately literal.
The two key inspirations were the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
What I really loved about the One Running singlet was the diagonal sash across the front. It naturally divides the garment into two sections, and that became a huge part of the story.
The upper half represents the land - the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House - while the lower half represents the water that surrounds Sydney, the harbour. Australia is a continent defined by the ocean, and water has always represented movement and energy to me.
Rather than drawing those landmarks directly, I wanted their shapes to flow into one another. The curves of the Harbour Bridge blend into the sails of the Opera House before transitioning into the movement of the harbour itself. That flow continues seamlessly onto the back of the singlet, making the entire garment feel connected."
Is there a favourite design element that people might not notice straight away?
Itahara:
"I think most people naturally focus on the front, but there's actually a lot of meaning in the back.
The flowing lines represent water, but they're also symbolic of the people travelling to Sydney.
Everyone arrives from different countries, different backgrounds, different ages and abilities. Some are chasing personal bests, others are simply chasing the experience. Despite all those different journeys, everyone is moving towards the same destination.
Those individual streams gradually come together to form one powerful current.
For me, that's what Sydney Marathon represents - a community of runners from all over the world coming together through a shared passion."
What do you hope runners feel when they pull on this singlet on race day?
Itahara:
"I hope they feel a sense of accomplishment.
I hope they feel empowered.
Most of all, I hope they simply experience the joy of life and the joy of running."
We've always believed that the best race apparel should represent more than just the event itself - it should capture the emotion behind it. Itahara’s design does exactly that. Every line, every curve and every detail tells part of the story of Sydney and the thousands of runners making the journey to one of the world's newest Marathon Majors.
We couldn't be prouder to share this collaboration, and we can't wait to see the singlet come to life on the streets of Sydney this August.
