Melbourne · Australia

Marathon races near Melbourne

5 races in 2026 next one in 38 days

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Race calendar

Upcoming Marathon races near Melbourne

AUG 5

Run · road · Marathon

Blackwood · 69 km away

Run · road · Marathon

Berwick Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon & 5K

Melbourne · 43 km away

Run · road · Marathon

1K | 10K | 5K Green Point, Brighton Melbourne BRIGHTON BEACH MARATHON 42

Brighton · 13 km away

Run · road · Marathon

42.2K | 21.1K | 10K | 5K

Run · road · Marathon

42.2K | 21.1K | 10K | 5K <div id="shopify-section-6174199b-6d59-4ab5-92d4-21831c5339ca"

Melbourne · 80 km

5 races mapped View on map →

Recurring Marathon races near Melbourne

Races that repeat — weekly, monthly or yearly

Melbourne Marathon Festival (Nike)

The Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival is a major road-running event in Melbourne, held annually in October, offering races from the full marathon to short family runs. It is Australia’s largest road race by participation, attracting over 40,000 runners across the marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km, 3km, and mini marathon events. The course is designed for consistent running: fast, flat, and passing Melbourne landmarks and coastal areas before finishing inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where participants complete a lap of the MCG. The festival now spans two days, with shorter races on Saturday and the longer events as the main focus on race day. It also attracts international runners via travel packages including accommodation, meals, race support, and guaranteed entry. The Nike title sponsorship generated additional interest after organizers issued an apology for altered social media images that removed rival shoe logos from runner photographs.

Marysville Marathon Festival

Gallipoli Park basketball stadium serves as the central point for the Marysville Marathon Festival, where runners pick up their bibs before starting the course towards State forest country. This event offers a genuine trail-running atmosphere, with ultra runners, marathon runners, and run/walk participants navigating a route defined by specific checkpoints instead of urban grids. The 2025 guide emphasizes this focus with directives like “All runners must read this” and “Staying safe during events in State forests.” The race day route features locations such as Dickensons Tk, Sunds Rd, Camerons Cascade, Keppel Lookout, and Steavensons Falls. Longer distance participants will manage drop bags and face a cutoff at Keppel Lookout. Volunteers and SES personnel will direct parking, and participants are asked to “Please follow signs and directions,” with “A GOLD COIN donation” welcomed for the SES. A notable detail: “Race bibs are not mailed out to participants,” meaning bib collection happens on race morning.

Run for the Young Marathon

The Run for the Young Marathon begins at Mount Lilydale Mercy College in Lilydale, Victoria. The race headquarters are situated near Anderson Street, bordering the Yarra Valley. This event serves as a community fundraiser organized by Bridge Builders Youth Charity, offering various distances: 2.5km, 5km, 10km, a half marathon, and a full marathon. Specifically, the 2.5km Kids Run is designed for children aged 12 and under, making the day suitable for families alongside those aiming for a 42.2km finish. The event has been held for over ten years, with all proceeds supporting Bridge Builders' youth programs. The course accommodates walkers, children, steady runners, and novice marathoners. Competitive runners can aim for course records, which stand at 2:29:12 for men and 3:09:00 for women in the marathon. The marathon course remains open for six hours, and all drink stations are plastic-free.

Sri Chinmoy Tan Team Relays

The Pillars of Wisdom marks the start and finish on The Tan Track, adjacent to the Botanic Gardens. The Sri Chinmoy Tan Team Relays feels like a club morning that evolved into a formal race, described as a "combined team relay and an individual race all in one," utilizing the well-known running path around the gardens. This event suits groups of friends, colleagues, classmates, gym partners, and family members forming teams without excessive formality. The race format is straightforward yet strategic: runners complete laps of The Tan, passing the baton in the transition zone at the Pillars of Wisdom. The baton must be exchanged each lap, and every participant must run a minimum of two laps. This necessitates teams considering runner order and pacing rather than simply deploying their fastest members. Individual runners participate in the same event, with access to drink stations, chip timing, and a congenial atmosphere in the city center.

View all recurring races near Melbourne →

Looking for something else near Melbourne?

5K running Melbourne → 28 10K running Melbourne → 30 Half Marathon running Melbourne → 24

Other races in the next 90 days

All sports & distances →

JUL 44 km away cycling

VRR Tan Time Trial: July

JUL 1950 km away duathlon

WSTC Duathlon Series: Race 1

AUG 14 km away cycling

VRR Tan Time Trial: August

AUG 43 km away other

5 mile poker race

AUG 830 km away ocr

Spartan Melbourne Urban Event

AUG 942 km away other

Berwick Half

AUG 1556 km away other

Wonderfalls

AUG 1613 km away duathlon

WSTC Duathlon Series: Race 2

About Marathon races in Melbourne

Melbourne Training Notes

Melbourne hosts 9 Marathon races in 2026 within 80 km of the city centre — upcoming dates, recurring series, and other races nearby, all in one place.

The route is 8 km and still bites on Anderson Street hill. The lap is 8 km, and two laps makes about 10 km. The circuit is 2 km. North side runners link Merri Creek, Yarra paths, Royal Park, and Princes Park for base miles. Full of Beans run club meets at the Maribyrnong River on Wednesday evenings. Nile Run Club meets every Saturday at 9am on The Tan. ASICS Run Melbourne and the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival are the anchor events.

Riders make Yarra Boulevard a weekday staple because the loop gives 13 km and about 200 m of climbing per lap. Beach Road hugs Port Phillip Bay and stays the classic long Z2 roll through Port Melbourne, St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton, Sandringham, Mentone, and Frankston. Tour de Burbs meets every Tuesday and Thursday nights at Chandler Highway and Yarra Boulevard. The Dandenong Ranges hold the 1 in 20 and The Wall, and The Wall averages 10% in parts. Arthur’s Seat, Kinglake, Mount Hotham, and Mt Dandenong handle the bigger climbing days. Amy’s Gran Fondo, Highlands Fling, and Gembrook Gravel Explorer sit on the anchor-event list.

Spring and summer are the best months when runners and riders want longer daylight, warm mornings, and steady base miles. Summer weather can swing because Melbourne sits between hot inland areas and the cool southern ocean. Strong cold fronts, thunderstorms, hail, gales, and big temperature drops can turn an easy Z2 day into a layers check. Winter stays cool, often cloudy, and exceptionally dry by southern Victorian standards because the Otway and Macedon Ranges sit in the weather story. Runners keep using The Tan, Albert Park Lake, and the creek paths. Riders shift effort between Beach Road, Yarra Boulevard intervals, gravel, and climbs when conditions line up.