Sydney, Australia · 42.195 km road marathon
Sydney Marathon 2027
Sunday 29 August 2027
A point-to-point major from North Sydney over the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House, with a 7-hour limit counted from the start-window close.
Sydney Marathon at a glance
- Start
- 06:30 to 08:20 in rolling groups (2026 times), Miller Street, North Sydney
- Finish
- Sydney Opera House
- Course
- Point to point, downhill start, 313 m of climb and a net drop of 83 m
- Time limit
- 7 hours from the start-window close; 15:40 finish in 2026
- Cut-offs
- Redirection and pickup points from km 17.8 to km 38.75 (2026)
- Entry
- Free ballot opens 29 September 2026 and closes 19 October; AUD 280 domestic, AUD 330 international if drawn
- Bib pickup
- Running Show, Sydney Showground, Thursday to Saturday (2026); no race-day pickup
- Getting to the start
- North Sydney station, or the Victoria Cross and Crows Nest metro stations
- Aid stations
- Drink stations every 2 to 3 km (2026), most with electrolytes
Entry details were checked on 25 September 2026 and may have changed since: a date in the entry rules has passed. Check the organizer's entry page before relying on them.
Checked against the organizer's pages on 25 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.
Sydney Marathon course map and elevation
Point to point, downhill start, 313 m of climb and a net drop of 83 m. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.
› running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.
What to expect on the course
- Across the Sydney Harbour Bridge around km 2 to 3, then down the Western Distributor to Pyrmont
- Climb up Oxford Street to about 60 m near km 15
- Out-and-back on Dacey Avenue at about km 18, then Anzac Parade south past Kensington
- A loop of Centennial Park from about km 30 and the last rise at Moore Park near km 35
- Through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Point near km 39, then the Opera House finish
The line shows the organizer's 2026 course, not yet confirmed for 2027; the height profile is drawn level across the Harbour Bridge and the Western Distributor viaduct, so it understates the bridge rise.
Read the full course description
A point-to-point road course with World Athletics Platinum Label status, from Miller Street in North Sydney to the Sydney Opera House. The start at about 90 m is the highest point. The field crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge around km 2 to 3 and follows the Western Distributor down to a loop through Pyrmont on Pyrmont and Harris Streets around km 5. It returns by Hickson Road near km 10, weaves through the city on George, Pitt and Macquarie Streets and climbs Oxford Street to about 60 m near km 15. Flinders Street leads to Anzac Parade, with an out-and-back on Dacey Avenue at about km 18, then south past Kensington at km 20 to turn at Avoca Street and return. A loop of Centennial Park follows from about km 30, and Driver Avenue in Moore Park brings the last rise near km 35. The final kilometres drop past St Marys and through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Point near km 39, then to the Opera House. The organizer gives 313 m of climb and a net drop of 83 m. In 2026 drink stations came every 2 to 3 km, most with water and electrolytes, Gu gels near km 20 and in Centennial Park, medical posts about every 2.5 km and pacers from 2:30 to 7:00.
Source, licence and file
TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (43.0 km in the file). Approximate terrain-model heights added by TrailSplits, sampled and smoothed at roughly 100 m intervals. Buildings, bridges and small road gradients are not surveyed road elevations.Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.
Three decisions to make before race day
Near the limit, race the sweep pacer rather than your own watch
Cut-offs count from the start-window close (08:40 in 2026), and the sweep pacer runs 10 min/km from then. Back groups that started from 08:20 had little margin.
More detail
Every cut-off counts from the start-window close, not your own start. In 2026 that was 08:40, the finish closed at 15:40, and the tail-sweep pacer crossed the line at 08:40 on exactly 10 min/km. The last group began from 08:20, so a slow runner there had little margin: Dacey Avenue closed at 11:37 and Driver Avenue, km 35.1, at 14:32.
Be in Sydney by Saturday afternoon with photo ID
No race-morning bib pickup or bag drop: in 2026 both closed at 16:00 on the Saturday at Sydney Showground, about 40 minutes from Central. Bring photo ID matching your entry.
More detail
There is no race-morning bib pickup and no race-day bag drop. In 2026 both went through the Running Show at Sydney Showground in Olympic Park from Thursday to Saturday, closing at 16:00 on Saturday, about 40 minutes by the Saturday Marathon Express from Central. Bring government photo ID matching your entry; bib swapping is banned.
Hold back on the falling first 5 km
The start at about 90 m is the high point and you are near sea level by km 5. Most of the 313 m of climb comes later, up Oxford Street and to Moore Park near km 35.
More detail
You start at about 90 m, the course high point, and by Pyrmont around km 5 you are near sea level, with the Harbour Bridge in between. Most of the organizer's 313 m of climb comes later: up Oxford Street to about 60 m near km 15, rolling along Anzac Parade and through Centennial Park, and up to Moore Park near km 35.
Your race-day sheet
Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Sydney.
ESTIMATED FINISH
10:30:00
MOVING PACE BUDGET
5:34/ km
ELAPSED PACE
5:41/ km
310 min below the modelled finish limit
| Distance | Elapsed | Local clock |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 00:28:26 | 06:58:26 |
| 10 km | 00:56:53 | 07:26:53 |
| 15 km | 01:25:19 | 07:55:19 |
| 20 km | 01:53:45 | 08:23:45 |
| Halfway | 02:00:00 | 08:30:00 |
| 25 km | 02:22:12 | 08:52:12 |
| 30 km | 02:50:38 | 09:20:38 |
| 35 km | 03:19:05 | 09:49:05 |
| 40 km | 03:47:31 | 10:17:31 |
| Finish | 04:00:00 | 10:30:00 |
Training plan for Sydney Marathon 2027
A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.
View my training planNo account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.
Entry, bib pickup and rules
- Entry:
- Free ballot opens 29 September 2026 and closes 19 October; AUD 280 domestic, AUD 330 international if drawn
- Bib pickup:
- Running Show, Sydney Showground, Thursday to Saturday (2026); no race-day pickup
Read the full entry and pickup rules
Entry to 2027 is by a free public ballot, open from 10:00 AEST on 29 September to 10:00 AEDT on 19 October 2026; the draw is random, so applying early gives no advantage. Successful applicants are charged AUD 280 (domestic) or AUD 330 (international) on 3 November 2026 and everyone hears that day. The 2026 ballot drew 123,000 applications for about 40,000 starting places. Guaranteed places come through charity partners after the draw or official travel packages, not yet on sale. Runners must be 18 on race day, places cannot be sold or transferred, and duo teams and non-elite racing wheelchairs apply separately. In 2026 bibs were collected only at the Running Show, Sydney Showground, from 27 to 29 August, never posted or handed out on race morning.
Sources
Checked 25 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-23. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.
- 2027 marathon page
- 2027 ballot page
- Event rules
- 2026 cut-off and redirection guide (PDF)
- 2026 Event Week Guide (PDF)
- Running Show (bib collection)
- Pace team
What each source confirms
- 2027 marathon page: Sunday 29 August 2027, 42.195 km, World Athletics Platinum Label, Miller Street start and Opera House finish, 7-hour cut-off, 06:15 wheelchair and 06:30 mass starts with group times to follow, 313 m gain and 83 m net drop, the official GPX link, travel to the start and the three entry routes.
- 2027 ballot page: The 29 August 2027 date, ballot from 29 September to 19 October 2026, random draw, charging and notification on 3 November 2026, AUD 280 and AUD 330 fees, 123,000 applications in 2026 and over 40,000 starting places.
- Event rules: Minimum age 18, no sale or transfer of entries, the 7-hour limit counted from the start-window close, fixed start groups, and bib collection in advance with matching government photo ID.
- 2026 cut-off and redirection guide (PDF): The 2026 start window of 06:30 to 08:40, the 15:40 finish, the 10 min/km minimum pace, the tail-sweep pacer, and the redirection and pickup points with their kilometres and times. 2026 facts, not 2027 confirmations.
- 2026 Event Week Guide (PDF): The 2026 start-group times and rolling starts, no race-day bag drop, the course map with street names, drink and gel stations and elevation profile, medical posts about every 2.5 km and bag reclaim at the Parade Grounds.
- Running Show (bib collection): 2026 bib pickup at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 August with hours, photo ID, no posting and no Sunday pickup, and the Marathon Express trains from Central.
- Pace team: 2026 pace groups from 2:30 to 7:00.