History 1970s

1977 Singapore Airlines London–Sydney Marathon

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1977 Singapore Airlines London–Sydney Marathon

Date: August 14 – September 27, 1977

Start Location: London, United Kingdom

Finish Location: Sydney, Australia

Route: ~30,000 km across Europe, Asia, and Australia

Surface: Mixed terrain (asphalt, gravel, desert, mud, and jungle)

Total Starters: 69 teams

Total Finishers: 47 teams

Reviving the spirit of the original 1968 epic, the 1977 London–Sydney Marathon was a transcontinental endurance rally that spanned nearly 30,000 kilometers and 30 days. From England to France, Turkey to India, and across the Australian outback, it demanded stamina, mechanical durability, and flawless teamwork. Andrew Cowan, along with Colin Malkin and Mike Broad, delivered an incredible performance in their Mercedes-Benz 280E—winning the event by combining speed, consistency, and reliability across unforgiving terrain.

Route

Europe: Fast tarmac through France, Italy, and the Balkans, with early timing pressure and urban navigation.
Middle East & Asia: Rugged roads through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India—filled with river crossings and desert heat.
Australia: Final leg featured long gravel blasts through the Outback, including massive distance stages between Perth and Sydney.

The rally began in London and traversed Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and finally Australia. Entrants faced vastly different landscapes, political challenges, and logistical hurdles.

The route included customs delays, sea freighting between India and Malaysia, and another airlift from Southeast Asia to Australia—making it a logistical rally as much as a driving one.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
—
2nd Place
Tony Fowkes / Peter O'Gorman · Mercedes-Benz 280E
3rd Place
Paddy Hopkirk / Mike Taylor / Neville Johnston · Citroën CX 2400

Cowan’s calm, calculated approach and the Mercedes team’s bulletproof preparation paid off in one of the most complex and varied rallies ever attempted—proving endurance and team management as vital as raw pace.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Border Crossings: Political complications, customs delays, and security risks in volatile regions tested planning skills.
  • Mechanical Endurance: No service crew allowed—teams performed all repairs themselves on the road.
  • Team Strategy: Rotating drivers, fatigue management, and logistics coordination were critical to survival and success.

The 1977 London–Sydney Marathon was more than a rally—it was a globe-spanning expedition. Cowan’s second London–Sydney win cemented his reputation as one of the sport’s greatest endurance rally drivers.

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