Ballarat Marathon

About the Event

The Ballarat Marathon 2026 is a premier distance running festival held in the historic heart of Victoria, Australia. Taking place over the weekend of April 25 and 26, 2026, the event is headquartered at the iconic Ballarat Town Hall on Sturt Street. This multi-distance festival is designed to showcase the architectural grandeur of the city while providing a flat and fast course suitable for both elite athletes chasing national championships and recreational runners seeking a personal best in a scenic regional setting.

Race Category	Distance	Race Day	Start Time
Full Marathon	42.2 km	Sunday, April 26	07:55 AM AEST
Half Marathon / Wheelchair	21.1 km	Sunday, April 26	07:55 AM AEST
City of Ballarat 10KM	10 km	Saturday, April 25	02:00 PM AEST
Guzman y Gomez 5KM	5 km	Saturday, April 25	02:00 PM AEST
Ballarat Subaru Mile	1.61 km	Saturday, April 25	02:00 PM AEST

Race Logistics and Elite Competition

The 2026 edition serves as a significant hub for competitive running, hosting the Australian Road Mile Championships within the elite mile category. Elite starts are strictly regulated via access codes, requiring qualification times submitted to the competition management team. While the general half marathon has already reached capacity, limited spots remain for the full marathon and shorter Saturday events. The weekend is structured to encourage family participation, with age-based discounts applied to the mile events. To ensure a professional experience, the event utilizes a tiered registration system managed through the Race Roster platform, closing just days before the first starting gun.

Regional and Community Context

Ballarat is one of Australia’s most significant inland cities, famous for its Gold Rush history and impeccably preserved Victorian-era streetscapes. According to the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the City of Ballarat has a population exceeding 117,000 residents. The community is predominantly of European descent, with approximately 82% of residents identifying as Australian-born, followed by smaller but growing populations from the United Kingdom, India, and China. This regional growth has transformed the city into a vibrant cultural center, with the marathon acting as a key driver for local tourism and economic activity.

Culture and Atmosphere

The Ballarat Marathon culture blends the grit of a serious athletic competition with a festival atmosphere that spills out of the town center into local cafes and shops. The course often loops past Lake Wendouree and through the Botanical Gardens, offering runners a tour of the city’s green lungs. The Saturday "Mass Start" events for the 5km and Mile distances create a high-energy environment for junior runners and families, while the Sunday morning marathon provides a more focused, endurance-oriented experience. By centering the finish line at the Town Hall, the event reinforces Ballarat's identity as a city that celebrates both its historical legacy and its modern commitment to health and wellness.

Races Offered

5 km

Apr 25, 2026

straighten

Distance — 5K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

15:00

sell

$55.00

Mile

Apr 25, 2026

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Distance — 1.6K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

17:00

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$35.00

Weelchair 10 km

Apr 26, 2026

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Distance — 10K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

07:55

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$80.00

Federation University Marathon

Apr 26, 2026

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Distance — 42.2K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

08:00

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$195.00

Half Marathon

Apr 26, 2026

straighten

Distance — 21.1K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

08:00

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$155.00

10 km

Apr 26, 2026

straighten

Distance — 10K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

11:15

sell

$80.00

Weather Overview

These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for April in Ballarat.

Temp (°C)

Feels Like (°C)

thermostat 9.1° / 17.0°

wb_sunny 6.2° / 14.0°

Wind (km/h)

Humidity (%)

air 12.6 /

water_drop 78.3%

Temp (°C)

Feels Like (°C)

Wind (km/h)

Humidity (%)

thermostat 9.1° / 17.0°

wb_sunny 6.2° / 14.0°

air 12.6 km/h

water_drop 78.3%

About Ballarat

Learn more about the host city, Ballarat.

Ballarat is a city about 110 km (68 mi) north-west of Melbourne in the Goldfields region of Victoria. Ballarat is most noted as a former goldmining town with excellent examples of Australian colonial architecture, and as the site of the famous miners' revolt at the Eureka Stockade in 1854. With a population of approximately 117,000 it is the third largest city in Victoria.