Marathons in Australia

RunDida lists 14 Australian marathons across 2026 and 2027, from the Sydney Marathon — the only World Marathon Major in the Southern Hemisphere — and the big-field Gold Coast Marathon to scenic and regional races like Melbourne, Perth, Cairns near the Great Barrier Reef and the Outback Marathon at Uluru. The list above is always sorted by date.

The Sydney Marathon is Australia's only Abbott World Marathon Major — promoted in 2025 to become the seventh Major and the first in the Southern Hemisphere. It runs in late August across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finishes by the Opera House, and it fills through a ballot rather than first-come entry. Apply early in the ballot window, and have a backup race in mind; many overseas runners also enter via official charity or travel-package places for a more certain start.

Most Australian marathons run on AIMS or World Athletics certified courses, so a qualifying time can count toward Boston. The flattest and fastest is the Gold Coast Marathon (about 62 m of climb, one of only two World Athletics Label road races in Australia), with Newcastle (a flat AIMS-certified four-lap loop), Sunshine Coast and the four-lap Noosa PB course close behind. Confirm your target with the Boston Qualifying calculator and the BQ race guide.

The Sydney Marathon is comfortably the hilliest, with about 313 m of total climb — the toughest profile of any Abbott World Marathon Major, thanks to the Harbour Bridge crossing and the rolling route to the Opera House. If you want a flat, time-friendly race instead, look to Gold Coast, Newcastle or Sunshine Coast.

For a first marathon, pick a flat course in cool winter weather with open entry. The Gold Coast Marathon in early July is ideal — flat, fast, well-supported and Australia's biggest field — while Sunshine Coast and Cairns offer the same forgiving conditions on a smaller scale. Multi-lap PB courses like Newcastle and Noosa are also beginner-friendly because the route stays simple and you always know the way home.

Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are reversed: marathon season runs through the cooler half of the year. Winter (June–August) is the core, delivering cool, dry, PR-friendly racing at Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville and the Outback Marathon, with Sydney's Major in late August. Autumn (April) brings Ballarat, Newcastle and Bunbury, and spring (October) adds Melbourne and Perth. January's Hobart Cadbury Marathon in Tasmania is one of the few summer races on the calendar.

Yes, but it is quick and online for most travellers. Many passports — including Japan, Singapore and Malaysia — use the ETA (subclass 601); UK and EU travellers use the eVisitor (subclass 651); and US and Canadian passports use the ETA. Both are short-stay tourist authorizations that cover a typical marathon trip. Rules depend on your nationality, so always confirm the current requirements with the official Australian Department of Home Affairs before you book.

The Australian Outback Marathon is a bucket-list destination race held in late July at Uluru in the Red Centre, run on red-earth desert tracks deep in the Outback. Unlike other Australian races, entry is package-only: your race place is bundled with an accommodation package, so you book the trip and the bib together rather than registering for the race alone. If you want a desert experience with open entry, Alice Springs in July is the more flexible Red Centre alternative.