The Ballarat Marathon road running festival will take place across the weekend of Saturday, 27 April and Sunday, 28 April 2024. Visit the event schedule HERE.

The event hub is outside the Ballarat Town Hall (225 Sturt St, Ballarat Central). Each race finishes right out the front of the Town Hall where a large gantry will be erected. The Marathon and Half Marathon start at the same spot outside the Town Hall. The 10km starts 100m west of the gantry (outside Myer). The 5km starts east of the gantry (corner of Sturt St & Lydiard St Sth) and the Mile starts just west of the gantry at the corner of Sturt St and Armstrong St Sth).

Ample parking for runners is available in Ballarat’s CBD. There are many on-street car parking spaces, but please ensure parking restrictions are observed. In addition, the CARePARK multi-storey carpark at 25 Doveton St in central Ballarat, only a short walk from the start-finish, is offering extended hours across the Ballarat Marathon weekend. Information on the CARePARK location and pricing is HERE.

CLICK HERE to visit our road closures page.

Click HERE to visit our registration portal.

Yes, you can register to compete in more than one race. Given our event is split over two days, we encourage this! You can do this an the initial time of entering, or you can log back in to your account at a later date to add additional entries.

Entry fees are non-refundable, other than in exceptional circumstances, after 11:59pm on Sunday, 7 April 2024. Ballarat Marathon is not required to refund entry fees where a competitor has a change of mind. To request an “exceptional circumstances” refund after 7 April, please email info@ballaratmarathon.com.au.

If you have registered for one of our races but are no longer able to take part, you can transfer your registration to someone else. You can do this by logging into your Race Roster registration and clicking on “Transfer”. You can also request that your registration be transferred to our 2025 event. To do this, please email info@ballaratmarathon.com.au.

Yes, you can transfer to a different distance. The easiest way to do this is to log into your Race Roster registration and click on “Transfer”. You can also send us an email requesting a transfer. Email info@ballaratmarathon.com.au.

There are no age restrictions in the MILE and 5KM, however all entrants aged under 13 must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Entrants in the 10KM must be aged 13 years or older on the day of the event.

Entrants in the Half Marathon must be aged 16 years or older on the day of the event.

Entrants in the Federation University Marathon must be aged 18 years or older on the day of the event.

Race bib with timing chip

Access to aid stations

Finishers’ medal

E-Certificate of completion of your event

Course certified by AIMS and measured to World Athletics standards

The ability to compete on a stunning and fully closed course that has comprehensive traffic management in place

Insurance

First aid and amenities

Race bibs will be available for collection from The Mining Exchange, located in central Ballarat at 16 Lydiard St North. Race bibs will not be posted out to entrants.

Registration & Pack Collections Hours:

Midday - 8pm Friday, 26 April

10am - 7pm Saturday, 27 April

6am - 11am Sunday, 28 April

Yes, our courses are on wide, flat and scenic bitumen roads around Ballarat. Our courses don’t include any footpaths or gravel sections.

Yes they are. Our courses have been certified to AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races) and World Athletics standards. Each of our courses was measured by Dave Cundy, our Technical Director who is Australia’s foremost authority on course design and measurement, in December 2023. The certification of our courses means you can run a qualifying time in Ballarat to get into the ballot for a major marathon like Boston or New York.

You are in good hands. Our friends at Tomato Timing are on board for ALL events.

Yes, we will be allowing elite marathon runners (only), with a target-time of 3hrs for Men and 3hrs 30mins for Women, to bring their own drinks.

These drink bottles can be checked-in on Saturday, 28 April ONLY, when runners collect their bibs from The Mining Exchange in Ballarat. Cut-off for drinks check-in is 3PM. Bins will be set up, with each bin having a number denoting which drink station those drinks will be delivered to. All drink bottles MUST be clearly marked with the athlete’s number and / or name.

Yes, there will be a table for elite athlete drinks at each drink station. These drink bottles need to be checked in when runners collect their bibs from The Mining Exchange in Ballarat prior to their race. Bins will be set up at The Mining Exchange. Each bin will have a number denoting which drink station those drinks will be delivered to. All drink bottles MUST be clearly marked with the athlete’s name.

Yes, our event has been sanctioned by World Athletics. If you have a World Athletics ranking, your result in Ballarat will be added to your profile.

Not in 2024. To be a qualifier a marathon needs 1.000 finishers. So come and join us in 2024 so we can become an Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group Qualifying Race in 2025.

In Iine with World Athletics rules, the winner of each race is decided by gun time (the from when the starter’s gun goes off). The athlete who crosses the line first is the winner. All participants will have their chip time (the time from when their bib crossed the start line) recorded, but chip time is not used to determine the winners.

Each of our courses is flat and fast. Perfect for running a PB! The elevation gains on each course are as follows:

Marathon: 136m (two laps of 21.1km course)

Half Marathon: 68m

10km: 44m

5km: 34m (two laps of 2.5km course)

Mile: 13m

Yes, we are having pacers in the Marathon and Half Marathon.

In the Marathon, we are having a 2:30 pacer, then a 2:45 pacer. From there, there’ll be pacers spaced at 10-minute finishing time intervals starting at 2:50 and going through to four hours. We also have further pacers spaced at greater intervals all the way through to six hours.

For the Half Marathon, there will be pacers spaced at the same finishing time intervals from 1:30 through to 2:30.

Here are the pacing times being offered:

MARATHON
2:30
2:45
2:50
3:00
3:10
3:20
3:30
3:40
3:50
4:00
4:20
4:40
5:00
5:30
6:00 (sweeper)

HALF MARATHON
1:30
1:40
1:50
2:00
2:10
2:20
2:30

Yes. Everyone who completes the Mile, 5km, 10km, Half Marathon and Marathon will receive a finishers’ medal. Check out our Instagram account (@ballaratmarathon) to see the medals.

The Federation University Marathon and the Half Marathon are starting at the same time (8am on Sunday, 28 April 2024), so the cut-off time for both is six hours. Adherence to these cut-off times will ensure roads can be reopened in accordance with our event permits.

Cut off times are based on chip time start not gun time.

If you wish to create a team, you can do so during the registration process. There is a section called Teams, which will prompt you to answer the required questions.

Yes, there is $50,000 in prize money on offer across all distances!

MARATHON: First $6000; Second $2500; Third $1250

HALF MARATHON: First $1500; Second $750; Third $375

WHEELCHAIR 10KM: First $1000, Second $500, Third $250

10KM: First $500; Second $250; Third $125

5KM: First $2000; Second 1000; Third $500

MILE: First $2000; Second $1000; Third $500

MEN’S MARATHON TIME BONUSES

Sub 2:15:00 - $1000

Sub 2:12:30 - $2000

Sub 2:10:00 - $3000

WOMEN’S MARATHON TIME BONUSES

Sub 2:32:30 - $1000

Sub 2:30:00 - $2000

Sub 2:27:30 - $3000

Yes, a range of Ballarat Marathon merchandise will be available in the lead-up to the event and at the event itself thanks to our apparel partner, Sa1nt Layers. The merchandise will be available from this website link: https://saintlayers.cc/collections/ballarat-marathon

We strongly discourage the use of in or over ear headphones on the course. If you do choose to use headphones while running, please ensure that you are still able to hear what is happening around you.

Yes, wheelchairs, prams and assistance dogs are allowed in all distances, but you must start at the back of the field and you must observe the cut-off times.

Raceatlas are our Official Event Photographers. Using their smart camera devices and bib number recognition software, Raceatlas is able to get your race day photos to you as soon as they've been captured. Share your memories on social media, send them to your friends and family, and celebrate your incredible achievement as soon as you've crossed the finish line.

We offer a Baggage Drop on both days for all events, located in The Mining Exchange. We ask that you place your belongings in your OWN bag which we will TAG with your race number at Drop Off. *There will only be a small number of plastic bags available on the day. Please help us to be an enviromentally friendly event in this respect.