Sydney Marathon

On the Ground

September in Sydney is early spring: the harbor is lit up, the jacarandas are building toward their November bloom, the city is coming out of its mild winter. This is an expensive city and there is no clever workaround — budget accordingly and stop trying to find one. The fish market at Pyrmont on a Saturday morning at 5am is one of the best things you can do in any city on earth. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk the day after the race is not optional; the legs will object and you will ignore them. The coffee culture here is world-class in a way that makes you recalibrate expectations permanently. If there are extra days, go north to the Hunter Valley or south to the Royal National Park — either one will justify the flight time on its own.