The Melbourne Marathon 2026 is taking place as part of a newly expanded two-day festival, with the marathon and half marathon forming the main events today.
About 20,000 runners are expected to tackle the 42-kilometre marathon course, starting on Batman Avenue before finishing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Across the weekend, participation is forecast to reach 66,000.
This year’s marathon route has been revised to create a flatter and potentially faster race. It features fewer turns, around 20 per cent less elevation gain and avoids the hill at the 36-kilometre mark.
The marathon is scheduled to begin at 6.15am, followed by the half marathon at 9.45am.
Conditions at the start are 15 degrees, with sunny weather and a forecast high of 25 degrees expected later in the day.
