Organisers of the upcoming running event in Sydney admitted on Sunday that there had been an error in the design of the medal, after it was unveiled on the online service Instagram. One side of the medal shows landmarks along the route through the Australian metropolis, among them the famous Opera House, the Harbour Bridge — and, mistakenly, the Allianz Arena in the Bavarian capital.
"A little too much international flair" had found its way onto the medal, a spokesman for the marathon organiser conceded. He spoke of an "unfortunate mistake", but one that had provided "predominantly" light-hearted conversation. Munich's Allianz Arena took the medal mishap in good humour on Instagram.
The mix-up also caused amusement and mockery among many internet users. One user speculated that, in the course of designing the medal, the Allianz Stadium in Sydney — used among other things for rugby matches — had been confused with the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The medal is due to be presented at the run on 30 August to all participants who conquer the 42.195-kilometre course and cross the finish line. The organisers are expecting more than 40,000 runners this year.
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