Melbourne Marathon 2026: The Complete Race Guide for Runners and Spectators

Whether you're toeing the start line on Batman Avenue, running your first 10km, or cheering from the sidelines, the 2026 Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival looks different from any edition before it. Here's everything you need to know about the course, start times and race weekend before 11 October.

Melbourne Marathon 2026 Quick Facts: Dates, Distances and Race Details

What's New at the 2026 Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival

This year isn't just another edition — organisers describe it as the festival's most significant transformation in two decades, and the biggest change since the event moved to the MCG twenty years ago. You can read the full course reveal on the official site, but here's the summary:

Key highlights:

• Expanded to a two-day festival, with an MCG finish on both days
• Marathon course elevation gain expected to be reduced by up to 20%
• 30% fewer turns on the Marathon course for smoother runner flow
• Start line relocated 250 metres toward the Flinders Street intersection, creating more space for start corrals
• A tram-free spectator zone between Anzac Station and Federation Square
• A new partnership with Shokz as Official Headphone Partner, bringing product trials and shakeout runs to race week

Marathon: a redesigned course with less elevation gain and fewer turns. The Marathon now runs in reverse direction to Beach Road, with the Birdwood Avenue to Domain Road climb at around 36km removed. The old Southbank Boulevard / Alexandra Avenue "false finish" diversion has also been eliminated, so runners get a true, continuous approach into the MCG. The mass start format (rolling clearance) has been kept, preserving that iconic start-line atmosphere.

Half Marathon: reverse direction, new race-day experience. The Half Marathon also now runs in the opposite direction, unlocking wider running lanes through expanded tram and vehicle corridors. For the first time, Half Marathon runners can watch the Marathon finish from the course sidelines before their own start.

The 10km, 5km and 3km courses have also been redesigned. All three shorter distances have been re-measured with wider corridors, fewer sharp turns, and — for the 3km — extended from 2.5km to a truer 3km distance.

Melbourne Marathon Course Map and Route Guide

The Marathon course circles Albert Park Lake, passes Flinders Street Station and the St Kilda beach foreshore, before finishing inside the MCG.

Image: Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival

Batman Avenue to St Kilda Road (start – 5km)

The race starts on Batman Avenue, near the Rod Laver Arena and MCG precinct, and heads into the CBD, passing Flinders Street Station before joining St Kilda Road. The opening section is relatively flat, but it's still worth settling into a controlled pace early.

The bayside foreshore (7km – 19km)

The course reaches the coast around Jacka Boulevard and threads along the St Kilda and Elwood foreshore, down to Brighton Baths, before looping back the same way. This is the reversed stretch along Beach Road, now run in the opposite direction to previous years with wider lanes.

Mills Street to Albert Park Lake (22km – 33km)

From around 22km, the route moves inland past Mills Street / Beaconsfield Parade, then circles Albert Park Lake — one of the more scenic, sheltered stretches on the course.

Back to St Kilda Road and the MCG finish (36.5km – 42.195km)

The course returns to St Kilda Road around 36.5km. With the Birdwood Avenue–Domain Road climb at around 36km removed, the closing section no longer includes this climb. It's then a short, direct run into the stadium and a finish on the MCG turf in front of the crowd — no more false-finish detour. You can view the detailed course map here before race day.

Melbourne Marathon Start Times and Race Weekend Schedule

Race Expo: The Runners' Expo runs from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 October on the MCG external concourse between Gates 2 and 3. This is where you'll collect your race pack and browse merchandise and sponsor activations. Check the Race Week page for full details closer to the event.

Getting to the Start Line: Transport and Road Closures

Public transport is strongly recommended for race day, with limited parking and significant traffic restrictions around the event precinct. Check the official transport and road-closure information before travelling. Driving to the event precinct is likely to be affected by race-day road closures and parking restrictions. Check the official road-closure information before travelling.

Road closures. There will be road closures around the MCG affecting traffic and parking access on race day. If you're driving family or friends to a viewing point, plan your route using the official road closures page rather than a standard maps app.

Weather. Early October in Melbourne is famously changeable — check the forecast in the days beforehand and be ready to adjust your kit at the last minute.

Melbourne Marathon Spectator Guide: Where to Watch

If you're supporting a runner rather than racing yourself, here's where to get the best views:

• Batman Avenue, near the start — a location to watch runners set off from the Marathon start area
• The St Kilda and bayside foreshore — a longer section of the course where spectators may be able to view runners at different points along the route
• Inside the MCG — runners finish inside the stadium, providing spectators with an opportunity to see the final stage of the race

Tips for spectators: get to your first viewing point early, expect large crowds especially near the MCG, use public transport rather than driving, and agree on a specific post-race meeting point with your runner in advance.

First Marathon Tips for Running the Melbourne Marathon

1. Start slower than feels necessary. The opening kilometres through the CBD feel effortless — that's exactly when people go out too hard.
2. Practise your fuelling before race day, not on it.
3. Don't change anything new in the final week — no new shoes, no new foods, no new gear you haven't tested.
4. Break the distance into chunks — the foreshore, Albert Park Lake, then the MCG — rather than fixating on the full 42.195km.
5. The last kilometre is mostly mental. Knowing the MCG finish is coming can carry you further than you'd expect — save something for it.

Shokz: Official Headphone Partner of the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival

Shokz open-ear headphones are designed to sit outside the ear canal, allowing runners to listen to audio while keeping their ears open to surrounding sounds.

During race weekend, Shokz will host activities across race weekend, including opportunities to try Shokz headphones, join a Shakeout Run, visit the DJ Station and connect with the Shokz community. Shokz Global Ambassador Eliud Kipchoge will also run the Nike Melbourne Marathon on Sunday 11 October, as the third stop in his journey to complete seven marathons across seven continents.

Melbourne Marathon FAQs