Australia
Gold Coast Marathon 2027
Sunday 4 July 2027 · confirmed date
254 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Sunday 4 July 2027
- Confirmed by the organisers
- Start
- 06:15
- local time
- Course
- Flat · Out and back
- Broadwater Parklands, Southport to Broadwater Parklands, Southport
- Course record, men
- 2:06:20
- Haftu Strintzos, 2026
- Course record, women
- 2:24:22
- Yuki Nakamura, 2024
- Time limit
- 7h00
- First held
- 1979
The race
About the Gold Coast Marathon
The Gold Coast Marathon has been held since 1979 on the first weekend of July and is a World Athletics Label road race. In 2026 Haftu Strintzos won in 2:06:20, a race record as well as Australian and Oceania records, becoming the first Australian winner in 20 years. Japanese runners are a strong presence, taking seven of the top ten places in the 2026 men's race.
The course runs beside the surf beaches and the Broadwater, with about 29 km along the water, and Queensland winter mornings are usually cool and dry. The organisers say around 60% of participants run a personal best each year. It suits PB hunters and runners from the northern hemisphere looking for cool conditions in July.
Course
The Gold Coast Marathon course
Start and finish are at the Broadwater Parklands in Southport. The course first heads south along the coast through Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach and Miami, a long, flat run beside the beaches to the southern turnaround, before retracing the route north.
After passing back through Southport, the route heads north along the Broadwater through Labrador and Biggera Waters to Runaway Bay and the Paradise Point area, then returns to Southport for the finish. There are no real hills, and the course is AIMS certified, so even pacing and staying in a group are what count. Burleigh Heads was left off the course in 2024 and 2025 because of construction, so check the current map.
Race-day weather
Usually cool, dry and sunny in the Queensland winter, around 10-15°C at the 6:15 start, with low humidity and little wind.
Train
Training for the Gold Coast Marathon 2027
36 weeks to go. A marathon plan runs 12 to 24 weeks and ends on race week. Here is when each one starts.
| Plan | Starts on |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | Monday 18 January 2027 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 15 February 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 15 March 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 12 April 2027 |
For this course
For local runners the build runs through autumn into early winter, so cooler long runs line up well with race day. Runners from Europe train through spring into early summer and arrive to winter conditions, a welcome change after warm sessions at home. The course is flat and fast, so prioritise long runs with marathon-pace blocks and practise running in a group. Queensland is eight hours ahead of France in July, so arrive four or five days early to adapt before the 6:15 start.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Gold Coast Marathon, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
Entries for 2027 open in early December 2026. Besides general entry, places are available through charity places, the Gold Pass, team entries, the Good For Age program and travel packages. Marathon runners must be 18 or older.
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by Events Management Queensland
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Gold Coast Marathon 2027?
The Gold Coast Marathon 2027 is on Sunday 4 July 2027. The organisers have confirmed the date.
When should I start training for the Gold Coast Marathon?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 15 March 2027, a 20-week plan on 15 February 2027. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
What is the time limit for the Gold Coast Marathon?
The marathon cut-off is seven hours from gun time.
Is the Gold Coast Marathon a fast course?
Yes. It is flat, mostly beside the water, and run in cool winter conditions. The men's race record fell to 2:06:20 in 2026.
When do Gold Coast Marathon entries open?
Entries for the 2027 race open in early December 2026. Charity places, team entries and travel packages offer other ways in.
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