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Marathon Details - Melbourne Marathon

International Marathons > Australia > Melbourne > Melbourne Marathon

Melbourne Marathon

Nike Melbourne Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 3K

Melbourne, Australia

October 12, 2025

http://www.melbournemarathon.com.au

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Race Details

Frankston to Melbourne

Contact Information

Name:	Melbourne Marathon Spartans Club
Address:	P O Box 162 Rosanna 3084 Victoria Australia 3004
Phone Number:	03 9864 1118
Fax Number:	61 03 9381 4777
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (29)

Course 3.9

Organization 3.5

Spectators 3.4

Write a review

Number of comments: 29 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

J. L. from California, USA (10/16/2023) "Flat and fast, but no atmosphere" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Expo The communications in the lead-up were kind of confusing about whether there was an expo or not, or whether you just go to the office to pick up your bib. Turns out there was an expo outside the MCG; it wasn't super busy though possibly because Australian entrants could have their bibs mailed to them. I registered way in advance but didn't get my name on my bib while plenty of others did, so I'm not sure what that's about. I asked about shirts and they said there were none. Course Super flat, but pretty dull. Plenty of out and back sections so you could see other runners, and then an annoying detour into the Botanic Gardens on the way back to the MCG. Lots of missing km markers especially at the end. Plenty of water at each station, but overfilled cups made it all very soggy. There were two stations with gels (Maurten) which were great and I will definitely buy them in future. There were some merging spots with the half and then the 5km or 3km, but they tried to keep those distances separate. The stadium finish had separate lanes for all the distances. I imagine fast runners would have had issues with the merging. Atmosphere Eerily quiet for the second largest marathon in Australia. The few spectators out on the course were only cheering the people they knew. There were maybe 3 spots playing music. The only part of the course with any sort of atmosphere was the last 500m into the stadium where there were actually people. Post-race For marathoners you went straight to bag pickup, to get your finisher shirt, and there was a changing room too so that was really smooth. However they were running out of smaller sizes - not surprising, because they never took your size preference during registration since it wasn't clear whether there were going to be shirts. The general lack of enthusiasm carried through to the finish - I had to ask someone for a medal because the people handing them out weren't paying attention to who was walking past. They only gave out cups of water/Gatorade (no bottles) in the name of sustainability even though they handed them out at the expo the day before, so I was pretty parched. They also had zero food - not even an orange segment or banana. Overall, it was fine - helped a lot by the perfect weather and the flat course but the complete lack of atmosphere was a bit unexpected for a big city and the field size. I happened to be in town so did the race, but wouldn't travel for it. The were some oddities with the organization especially if you're used to overseas races where shirts and post-race hydration are always included.
D. F. from South Australia (11/17/2022) "Great up until 30km then it's all downhill" (about: 2022) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I have one massive gripe (and it's a big one) about the Melbourne marathon. I'd be warned about this by other runners but participating in the 2022 event I got to experience it for myself first-hand. That is the joining of the half marathon and marathon course on the return to the city along St Kilda Road. It's a mess. Really it's a complete balls-up. It's the worst thing about running the Melbourne marathon and the reason I wouldn't come back. After running 30km at a decent pace (I was running with the 3:20 pace group at ~4:40/km) you're into the harder section of course where you have some uphill sections on the return to the MCG. At this point the event organisers have thought up a marvellous scheme to make the last 10km of your marathon even harder than it needs to be. They introduce moving obstacles onto the course in front of you. Literally 1,000's of slow runners running at half the speed are spread all over the road from one curb to the other. In their infinite wisdom the race organisers have decided to bring the half marathon and marathon courses onto the same narrow section of road for much of the last 10km. There's no cones to keep the runners separated, no marshalls keeping the slow runners to the left, nothing. I mean absolutely NOTHING. There's a small respite for a couple of km where the marathon runners do an extra loop through the park but then the courses collide again but this time with the 10km runners (walkers) added in for good measure. Whoever thought this was a good idea clearly has never run the event. Or maybe they have not run another major marathon and been able to compare a good one with a bad one. Unless you're an elite and at the really pointy end of the field running a sub-2:30 marathon you're going to have problems. Even the guys running sub 3 have the exact same issues. I was talking to another runner on the train afterwards and he said it's a problem every year. Something tells me I won't be back in a hurry. Not to run the marathon at least.
D. W. from Victoria (6/3/2017) "Great finish line inside MCG" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I did this race in 2016 about a month after Medoc. I had run the Melbourne Half a few times previously. It's a fun race as a Victorian and I was proud to finally run it. The race starts near the National Tennis Centre and heads up into the CBD past Flinders St station before the long gradual downhill along St Kilda Rd. You take a right turn to do a loop around Albert Park Lake, before heading back onto St Kilda Rd and then heading down onto a big loop along the beach, heading down Elwood way and then back up almost to Station Pier (Port Melbourne), then head back up St Kilda Rd again for the finish line. The first half is either flat or gentle decline. The problem is of course, the return is gentle incline the whole way before a soul destroying loop around the War Memorial (where you head away from the MCG) before the last dash over Flinders St bridge and home to the G. Finishing inside that huge stadium is a real buzz and a great way to finish the race. Race size is big for Australia (about 7k?) but never got too squishy except for bit of crowding at the start, but this is normal for any 'city' marathon and if you're chasing a PB you would of course squeeze your way to the front anyway. Drink stations seemed good and well stocked. Lots of pacers, though I got pased by the 4:00 guy with maybe 2 Km to go and still did 3:58 (which made me happy). I don't like hills at the end of any race, put them at the start and i'm fine :) I guess I'm glad I did it but no need to do it again (for now). FWIW the Half Marathon is much easier (returns home after Albert Park Lake) and you still get to finish in the G.
josé gana from santiago, chile (3/17/2017) "Nice but could be better" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 A nice course, beautiful places; the organization could be better, The Expo is extremely poor; there are not many spectators (not considering the stadium), the final meters are wonderful
D. G. from Australia (11/3/2012) "Nice course, good marathon, bad organization" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was a really nice smallish big city marathon. The course was mostly unspectacular with lots of out and backs, but it was flat. The weather was great and the early start ensured it didn't get too hot. The highlight was finishing in the cricket grounds, with thousands of spectators watching. My only complaint was with some weird lapses in organization. At some points the course was far too narrow and allowing cars to park on the street really exacerbated the situation. But by far the worst thing the organizers did was to bring together the half marathoners and full marathoners at two separate points in the race. The two courses suddenly merged at a narrow point and 3:15 marathoners were forced to dodge 2:00 half-marathoners. This had a very real impact on my race and really is one of the worst, substantive mistakes I've seen in race design.
K. P. from Melbourne, Australia (5/4/2012) "Over-priced marathon" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Nice relatively flat course (a couple of small hills throughout, including towards the end), but for the price I paid to register, I got very little in return! No t-shirt, long lines for very little food at the end, but more importantly, watered down Gatorade, no Gels and one aid station was shutting down as more runners were still coming through (and I wasn't even that slow)! For those out of town, I wouldn't recommend this marathon; not worth the money or the time. However, for us Melbournites, there is no choice, but this marathon. Yes, I would run it again, but only because this is my home city marathon!
B. C. from Tasmania (1/18/2012) "Good for the First Half Marathon!!" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 There is only 2 things that I found a problem 1st - The km markers couldn't see the distance I had already traveled. 2nd - Didn't like the Finish line it was to crowed it would better if it finished back on the MCG like the year before. Overall the rest was Good.
T. M. from Atlanta, Georgia (10/16/2011) "OK but I would not travel from US for this race" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Pros: race started on time and easy access course pleasant Cons: Many water stops were making up powerade as runs were approaching. Aid stations were disorganized. At times they handed cups to you above your head. Too few aids stations in the beginning and too many at the end of the race. They need more volunteers to man their aids stations. Post race just water and powerade. No massages, no food. A towel for your swag is just plain lame. NO shirt, you have to pay for that. Come on. I had a feeling it was a fleecing. Expo was mediocre. No fans but I really did not care about fans. I would not recommend the Melbourne Marathon.
J. M. from United States (10/24/2010) "A flat, fun course - but with some flaws!" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pacers were unprofessional (do not run with them if you are planning on a goal time) - they made too many bathroom stops! Course was beautiful but sadly the lack of fan enthusiasm didn't help. Be sure to bring water/gels with you, as there were few water stops along the way. I really did enjoy the finish though - ending on the MCG Field and running a good 400 meters. Overall, I would suggest this race for recreational runners. If you are looking for professional runners (and pacers), look elsewhere. This race is for folks who want to explore Melbourne who are not worried about their time.
S. B. from australia (10/14/2008) "Bottlenecks, Walkers and Waaatttteeeerrr!!!!!" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 My first 10K, and I'm pumped. A slow start, which started with the first of a FEW bottlenecks, but it was a buzz. As much as I respect walkers, I was very disappointed with walkers spread out across the paths. You would get some momentum and then have to pull up sharp to avoid walkers. Please, have walkers of the 5 and 10K behind us. HAVE THE WALKERS KEEP TO THE LEFT!!!!!! SIMPLE!!!!!! The drink stations were so understocked. The 5Kers drank all the water! I had to get my own out of the bin. The cost of the event is expensive. These problems need to be rectified; I had many groups say that these problems would stop them from competing next year. Although wonderfully computerized, there is no way you can do a PB unless you are out the front. We were 5 minutes off our normal 10K pace!!! Too many people and not enough organization. I also hated the ramps coming into the MCG.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]



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J. L. from California, USA (10/16/2023) "Flat and fast, but no atmosphere" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Expo The communications in the lead-up were kind of confusing about whether there was an expo or not, or whether you just go to the office to pick up your bib. Turns out there was an expo outside the MCG; it wasn't super busy though possibly because Australian entrants could have their bibs mailed to them. I registered way in advance but didn't get my name on my bib while plenty of others did, so I'm not sure what that's about. I asked about shirts and they said there were none. Course Super flat, but pretty dull. Plenty of out and back sections so you could see other runners, and then an annoying detour into the Botanic Gardens on the way back to the MCG. Lots of missing km markers especially at the end. Plenty of water at each station, but overfilled cups made it all very soggy. There were two stations with gels (Maurten) which were great and I will definitely buy them in future. There were some merging spots with the half and then the 5km or 3km, but they tried to keep those distances separate. The stadium finish had separate lanes for all the distances. I imagine fast runners would have had issues with the merging. Atmosphere Eerily quiet for the second largest marathon in Australia. The few spectators out on the course were only cheering the people they knew. There were maybe 3 spots playing music. The only part of the course with any sort of atmosphere was the last 500m into the stadium where there were actually people. Post-race For marathoners you went straight to bag pickup, to get your finisher shirt, and there was a changing room too so that was really smooth. However they were running out of smaller sizes - not surprising, because they never took your size preference during registration since it wasn't clear whether there were going to be shirts. The general lack of enthusiasm carried through to the finish - I had to ask someone for a medal because the people handing them out weren't paying attention to who was walking past. They only gave out cups of water/Gatorade (no bottles) in the name of sustainability even though they handed them out at the expo the day before, so I was pretty parched. They also had zero food - not even an orange segment or banana. Overall, it was fine - helped a lot by the perfect weather and the flat course but the complete lack of atmosphere was a bit unexpected for a big city and the field size. I happened to be in town so did the race, but wouldn't travel for it. The were some oddities with the organization especially if you're used to overseas races where shirts and post-race hydration are always included.
D. F. from South Australia (11/17/2022) "Great up until 30km then it's all downhill" (about: 2022) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I have one massive gripe (and it's a big one) about the Melbourne marathon. I'd be warned about this by other runners but participating in the 2022 event I got to experience it for myself first-hand. That is the joining of the half marathon and marathon course on the return to the city along St Kilda Road. It's a mess. Really it's a complete balls-up. It's the worst thing about running the Melbourne marathon and the reason I wouldn't come back. After running 30km at a decent pace (I was running with the 3:20 pace group at ~4:40/km) you're into the harder section of course where you have some uphill sections on the return to the MCG. At this point the event organisers have thought up a marvellous scheme to make the last 10km of your marathon even harder than it needs to be. They introduce moving obstacles onto the course in front of you. Literally 1,000's of slow runners running at half the speed are spread all over the road from one curb to the other. In their infinite wisdom the race organisers have decided to bring the half marathon and marathon courses onto the same narrow section of road for much of the last 10km. There's no cones to keep the runners separated, no marshalls keeping the slow runners to the left, nothing. I mean absolutely NOTHING. There's a small respite for a couple of km where the marathon runners do an extra loop through the park but then the courses collide again but this time with the 10km runners (walkers) added in for good measure. Whoever thought this was a good idea clearly has never run the event. Or maybe they have not run another major marathon and been able to compare a good one with a bad one. Unless you're an elite and at the really pointy end of the field running a sub-2:30 marathon you're going to have problems. Even the guys running sub 3 have the exact same issues. I was talking to another runner on the train afterwards and he said it's a problem every year. Something tells me I won't be back in a hurry. Not to run the marathon at least.
D. W. from Victoria (6/3/2017) "Great finish line inside MCG" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I did this race in 2016 about a month after Medoc. I had run the Melbourne Half a few times previously. It's a fun race as a Victorian and I was proud to finally run it. The race starts near the National Tennis Centre and heads up into the CBD past Flinders St station before the long gradual downhill along St Kilda Rd. You take a right turn to do a loop around Albert Park Lake, before heading back onto St Kilda Rd and then heading down onto a big loop along the beach, heading down Elwood way and then back up almost to Station Pier (Port Melbourne), then head back up St Kilda Rd again for the finish line. The first half is either flat or gentle decline. The problem is of course, the return is gentle incline the whole way before a soul destroying loop around the War Memorial (where you head away from the MCG) before the last dash over Flinders St bridge and home to the G. Finishing inside that huge stadium is a real buzz and a great way to finish the race. Race size is big for Australia (about 7k?) but never got too squishy except for bit of crowding at the start, but this is normal for any 'city' marathon and if you're chasing a PB you would of course squeeze your way to the front anyway. Drink stations seemed good and well stocked. Lots of pacers, though I got pased by the 4:00 guy with maybe 2 Km to go and still did 3:58 (which made me happy). I don't like hills at the end of any race, put them at the start and i'm fine :) I guess I'm glad I did it but no need to do it again (for now). FWIW the Half Marathon is much easier (returns home after Albert Park Lake) and you still get to finish in the G.
josé gana from santiago, chile (3/17/2017) "Nice but could be better" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 A nice course, beautiful places; the organization could be better, The Expo is extremely poor; there are not many spectators (not considering the stadium), the final meters are wonderful
D. G. from Australia (11/3/2012) "Nice course, good marathon, bad organization" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was a really nice smallish big city marathon. The course was mostly unspectacular with lots of out and backs, but it was flat. The weather was great and the early start ensured it didn't get too hot. The highlight was finishing in the cricket grounds, with thousands of spectators watching. My only complaint was with some weird lapses in organization. At some points the course was far too narrow and allowing cars to park on the street really exacerbated the situation. But by far the worst thing the organizers did was to bring together the half marathoners and full marathoners at two separate points in the race. The two courses suddenly merged at a narrow point and 3:15 marathoners were forced to dodge 2:00 half-marathoners. This had a very real impact on my race and really is one of the worst, substantive mistakes I've seen in race design.
K. P. from Melbourne, Australia (5/4/2012) "Over-priced marathon" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Nice relatively flat course (a couple of small hills throughout, including towards the end), but for the price I paid to register, I got very little in return! No t-shirt, long lines for very little food at the end, but more importantly, watered down Gatorade, no Gels and one aid station was shutting down as more runners were still coming through (and I wasn't even that slow)! For those out of town, I wouldn't recommend this marathon; not worth the money or the time. However, for us Melbournites, there is no choice, but this marathon. Yes, I would run it again, but only because this is my home city marathon!
B. C. from Tasmania (1/18/2012) "Good for the First Half Marathon!!" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 There is only 2 things that I found a problem 1st - The km markers couldn't see the distance I had already traveled. 2nd - Didn't like the Finish line it was to crowed it would better if it finished back on the MCG like the year before. Overall the rest was Good.
T. M. from Atlanta, Georgia (10/16/2011) "OK but I would not travel from US for this race" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Pros: race started on time and easy access course pleasant Cons: Many water stops were making up powerade as runs were approaching. Aid stations were disorganized. At times they handed cups to you above your head. Too few aids stations in the beginning and too many at the end of the race. They need more volunteers to man their aids stations. Post race just water and powerade. No massages, no food. A towel for your swag is just plain lame. NO shirt, you have to pay for that. Come on. I had a feeling it was a fleecing. Expo was mediocre. No fans but I really did not care about fans. I would not recommend the Melbourne Marathon.
J. M. from United States (10/24/2010) "A flat, fun course - but with some flaws!" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Melbourne Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pacers were unprofessional (do not run with them if you are planning on a goal time) - they made too many bathroom stops! Course was beautiful but sadly the lack of fan enthusiasm didn't help. Be sure to bring water/gels with you, as there were few water stops along the way. I really did enjoy the finish though - ending on the MCG Field and running a good 400 meters. Overall, I would suggest this race for recreational runners. If you are looking for professional runners (and pacers), look elsewhere. This race is for folks who want to explore Melbourne who are not worried about their time.
S. B. from australia (10/14/2008) "Bottlenecks, Walkers and Waaatttteeeerrr!!!!!" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 My first 10K, and I'm pumped. A slow start, which started with the first of a FEW bottlenecks, but it was a buzz. As much as I respect walkers, I was very disappointed with walkers spread out across the paths. You would get some momentum and then have to pull up sharp to avoid walkers. Please, have walkers of the 5 and 10K behind us. HAVE THE WALKERS KEEP TO THE LEFT!!!!!! SIMPLE!!!!!! The drink stations were so understocked. The 5Kers drank all the water! I had to get my own out of the bin. The cost of the event is expensive. These problems need to be rectified; I had many groups say that these problems would stop them from competing next year. Although wonderfully computerized, there is no way you can do a PB unless you are out the front. We were 5 minutes off our normal 10K pace!!! Too many people and not enough organization. I also hated the ramps coming into the MCG.

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Marathon Details - Melbourne Marathon