Year 6 students win prize for app that cuts marathon gel packet waste
Four Year 6 students created EcoFuelAI, an app that calculates gel sachet needs, winning first place.
Four Year 6 students from Tarrawanna Public School won first place in the primary school division of the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon GoIT Challenge. Their app is called EcoFuelAI.
It uses a runner's height, weight and finish time to work out how many energy gel packets they need and when to take them. This cuts packaging waste.
The students are Zachary Bujaroski, Hunter Spinks, Gabriella Szyc and Chisa Henderson. They built the app using artificial intelligence.
They had spotted gel packets littering the marathon course and worried that animals might eat them. The school gets $5000 for a STEM project.
A US nutrition company offered the students a chance to discuss careers in the field.
- 4
- Students on winning team
- $5000
- Prize for school
- 2026
- Competition year
- Tarrawanna Public School
- School name
Why it mattersYoung people can solve real problems with technology. A simple tool like this reduces waste and helps runners fuel properly during marathons.
AustraliaSydney Marathon runners can now access a free, student-built tool to reduce waste, and the win puts a spotlight on Australian primary school innovation in STEM.
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