Races Marathon · Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Marathon
Melbourne Marathon is a flat marathon in Melbourne, Australia, held each October. A mostly flat course from Batman Avenue through the city, Albert Park and along the St Kilda foreshore, finishing inside the MCG. Spring weather that changes fast, around 8 to 20°C and often windy. The Melbourne Marathon's flat profile means your pacing discipline, not the terrain, decides the day.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
October
every year
Course
flat
Marathon
Conditions
Spring weather that changes fast, around 8 to 20°C and often windy.
Racing this course well
A mostly flat course from Batman Avenue through the city, Albert Park and along the St Kilda foreshore, finishing inside the MCG.
The Melbourne Marathon's flat profile means your pacing discipline, not the terrain, decides the day.
Getting a place
- Does it sell out?
- YesThe general marathon allocation for 2026 sold out, and the organiser's site offers a 2027 waitlist.
Official Melbourne Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Time limit
- 7 hours 45 minutes
- Also on the day
- half-marathon, 10k, 5k
The course in numbers
The 2026 route was reversed and now avoids the old climb near 36 km. It passes Flinders Street Station, Albert Park Lake and the St Kilda foreshore, then finishes with a lap inside the MCG.
- Layout
- Point-to-point
- Men's course record
- 2:09:10 (Eliud Kipchoge, 2026)
- Women's course record
- 2:25:19 (Sinead Diver, 2018)
Worth knowing
- First run in 1978.
- The finish has been inside the MCG for 20 years.
- The 2026 winner Eliud Kipchoge set the current men's race record.
Pick your goal for Melbourne
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common marathon goals:
We don’t hold a confirmed date for this edition, so any countdown comes from the date you enter here.
Build your training around Melbourne Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the Melbourne Marathon?
- It is held each October in Melbourne, Australia. Check the official Melbourne Marathon site for the exact date and entry windows.
- Is the Melbourne Marathon course flat?
- A mostly flat course from Batman Avenue through the city, Albert Park and along the St Kilda foreshore, finishing inside the MCG.
- Does the Melbourne Marathon sell out?
- Yes. The general marathon allocation for 2026 sold out, and the organiser's site offers a 2027 waitlist.
- How should I train for the Melbourne Marathon?
- Build for the course you'll actually race at the Melbourne Marathon: flat terrain, October conditions. RunV Premium builds a training plan around your goal time and race date, and lets you adapt it when life interrupts the Melbourne build.
Not sure what to target? Predict your marathon time from a recent race →
More marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Melbourne — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in October — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
