Australia
Melbourne Marathon 2027
Sunday 10 October 2027 · expected date
352 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Sunday 10 October 2027
- Expected date
- Start
- 06:15
- local time
- Course
- Mostly flat · Loop
- Batman Avenue to Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
- Course record, men
- 2:09:12
- Timothy Ronoh, 2022
- Course record, women
- 2:25:19
- Sinead Diver, 2018
- Finishers
- 7,945
- in 2023
- Time limit
- 7h45
- First held
- 1978
The organisers haven’t announced the 2027 date yet. It follows the usual pattern (the second Sunday of October); check the official website before you book travel.
The race
About the Melbourne Marathon
The Melbourne Marathon dates back to 1978 and has finished inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 2007, so runners end their race in front of the stadium crowds. It is now part of a two-day festival with about 66,000 places across all events in 2026, and the marathon has grown to 20,000 places, sold out well before race day.
For 2026 the course was redesigned to run in reverse along Beach Road, drop the climb at 36 km and cut the number of turns by about a third, which the organisers call the flattest version in the race's history. It suits runners chasing a spring personal best, first-timers drawn by the stadium finish, and anyone who enjoys lively crowds.
Course
The Melbourne Marathon course
The 2026 course starts on Batman Avenue near the MCG and heads south on St Kilda Road toward St Kilda. From Fitzroy Street the route follows the Port Phillip Bay foreshore through Elwood toward Brighton, turning at about 13 km and returning along the water.
A second out-and-back takes runners along the beach toward Port Melbourne, turning at Dow Street around 23 km, before a lap of Albert Park Lake. The final 7 km come back up St Kilda Road, along Flinders Street past Flinders Street Station and Wellington Parade, and into the MCG for the finish on the ground. The old Birdwood Avenue climb at 36 km is gone.
Race-day weather
Usually cool, around 9-14°C at the 6:15 start, though Melbourne's spring weather is changeable and wind off the bay is common.
Train
Training for the Melbourne Marathon 2027
50 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 26 April 2027 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 24 May 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 21 June 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 19 July 2027 |
For this course
A mid-October race means a winter build for local runners: long runs in cold, wet and windy conditions, which are good preparation for a changeable spring morning. Runners from Europe build through summer and face a long-haul trip: Melbourne is nine hours ahead of France in October, so arrive five or six days early. The bay sections are exposed, so practise running steady into wind and sitting in a group. With the flatter 2026 course, long runs with goal-pace blocks are the priority.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Melbourne Marathon, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
General entries open early in the year and have sold out within hours or days in recent years; the 2026 marathon general allocation is exhausted. Other routes include charity places, travel packages, affiliate allocations and other guaranteed-entry pathways, some already open for 2027. Runners must be 18 or older on race day.
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by MARI
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Melbourne Marathon 2027?
The Melbourne Marathon 2027 is expected on Sunday 10 October 2027: the race is usually held on the second Sunday of October. Check the official website before you book travel.
When should I start training for the Melbourne Marathon?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 21 June 2027, a 20-week plan on 24 May 2027. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
What is the cut-off for the Melbourne Marathon?
Seven hours 45 minutes from the gun: all runners must reach the MCG entry by 2:00 p.m., and intermediate cut-off points apply along the course.
Is the Melbourne Marathon flat?
Mostly. The 2026 redesign cut elevation gain by up to 20%, removed the Birdwood Avenue climb at 36 km and reduced the number of turns by about a third.
How do I get into the Melbourne Marathon?
General entries sell out quickly, so register as soon as they open. Charity places, travel packages and other guaranteed-entry pathways are also available, some of them already open for 2027.
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