By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Ballot results, and fees charged to those drawnTuesday 3 November 2026
- TCS Sydney Mini Marathon, 5 kmSaturday 28 August 2027
- Where
- Miller Street, North Sydney (start) to the Sydney Opera House (finish)
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- August
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
From the organiser. Elite wheelchair athletes start at 6:15am and the mass start is at 6:30am, with start-group times shared nearer the day; the cut-off is seven hours. The ballot for this edition ran from 29 September to 19 October 2026.
The Sydney Marathon is the newest of the World Marathon Majors, and it uses the city well: it starts on Miller Street in North Sydney, crosses the Harbour Bridge, loops Centennial Park, passes Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and finishes at the Opera House, with seven hours to do it in. Places come through a free ballot that opens in late September and closes in mid-October, with more than 123,000 applications for about 40,000 starts at the last count; anyone unlucky is offered travel and charity places instead. Watching costs nothing. The best spots let you see a runner twice: the top of Macquarie Street, and Taylor Square in Darlinghurst.
What Sydney Marathon actually is
It is the seventh of the World Marathon Majors and the only one in the southern hemisphere; the organisers bill it as Australia’s largest marathon.
The start line nods to the Sydney 2000 Olympic marathon, and the course gains about 313 metres over the distance while finishing 83 metres lower than it starts, so it is a scenic race more than a flat one.
Race morning starts early: elite wheelchair athletes go at 6:15am, the mass start follows at 6:30am, and SBS shows the race live and free from 6am.
Where to watch the race
- The top of Macquarie Street. At the last edition runners passed it at about 14 km and again at 40.8 km on the way to the finish, with a big screen and a grandstand.
- Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, the other double pass, at about 15 km and 36 km, and the loudest corner of the course.
- Centennial Park, at about 33 km, where runners reach the hardest stretch of the race and a crowd makes the most difference.
- The Rocks or Barangaroo, early on, for the first sight of the field after the bridge; Barangaroo Metro and Wynyard stations are close by.
Tickets and what it costs
Watching is free. Running is by ballot: entering it costs nothing, every application has the same chance whenever it went in, and the entry fee is charged only to those drawn.
More than 123,000 people applied for the last edition, which had about 40,000 starting places. Unsuccessful applicants are offered places through the organiser’s travel and charity programmes.
The 5 km Mini Marathon runs on the Saturday before, a shorter way to take part.
Official information and booking: www.tcssydneymarathon.com/marathon
Getting there
Use the train, metro or light rail on race morning. Roads on the course close, the Harbour Bridge among them, and each viewing area has a station near it: Martin Place and St James for Macquarie Street, Museum or Kings Cross for Taylor Square, and the light rail to Moore Park for Centennial Park.
Runners start on Miller Street, a short walk from North Sydney station.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Missing the ballot window
The ballot opens in late September and closes in mid-October, for a race the following August, and there is no first-come entry to fall back on.
Driving into the city on race morning
Roads on the course, the Harbour Bridge among them, close for the morning. Take public transport to the viewing areas.
Watching from one spot only
Macquarie Street and Taylor Square both see runners twice. Pick one of those and you can cheer someone on the way out and on the way back.
Expecting a flat course
It gains over 300 metres in total, beginning with the climb onto the Harbour Bridge. Train for hills.
Leaving the journey to the morning
The mass start is at 6:30am, around sunrise in late winter. Work out the trip to North Sydney the night before.
Other Sydney events
Frequently asked questions
When is the Sydney Marathon?
On a Sunday at the end of August, starting at 6:30am.
How do I enter the Sydney Marathon?
Through the free ballot, which opens in late September and closes in mid-October, or through the organiser’s travel and charity programmes.
Where does the Sydney Marathon start and finish?
It starts on Miller Street in North Sydney and finishes at the Sydney Opera House, crossing the Harbour Bridge on the way.
What is the time limit for the Sydney Marathon?
Seven hours.
Where should I watch the Sydney Marathon?
The top of Macquarie Street, or Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, where runners pass twice. The race is also shown live on SBS.
Sources
- TCS Sydney Marathon, race details and course
- TCS Sydney Marathon, the ballot
- TCS Sydney Marathon, spectator zones
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.