TCS Sydney marathon presented by asics
TCS sydney marathon
SUNDAY 30 AUGUST, 2026
TCS Sydney Marathon presented by asics
The 2026 Ballot is Now Closed!
The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS is the newest Abbott World Marathon Major and it’s waiting for you.
In 2025, nearly 33,000 runners crossed the line and made history. In 2026, it’s your turn.
Ballot applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered. Results will be announced on Wednesday, 29 October. Stay tuned to see if you’ve secured your spot at Sydney’s iconic marathon.
Whether you’re chasing your first star or your seventh, Sydney is the bucket-list race that defines greatness.
![2592-A SM_Maps_2025-STATIC_SM[3].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cbc827_1a01b0a040d34e58b68c67b5428a297d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_49,h_69,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/2592-A%20SM_Maps_2025-STATIC_SM%5B3%5D.png)
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With a record 35,000 runners in this year's TCS Sydney Marathon, we are looking to improve everyone's start experience by introducing more signage, more facilities, and clear instructions on how to get to where they need to be on time.
There will be three assembly areas at St Leonards Park where all marathon runners will be corralled - orange, red and green - and are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here.
All runners have been assigned to one of three start groups:
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Start Group 1 - From 6:31am*
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Start Group 2 - From 7:03am*
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Start Group 3 - From 7:41am*
For all runners in the Australian Championships and High Performance Program (HPP), you must enter via the Orange Assembly Area and follow the route to the entrance of North Sydney Oval. Volunteers will assist you in directing where the entrance is.
There is a dedicated warm-up area available for HPP athletes, and water and toilets are provided. Please note there are no personal drinks on course, and no bag drop is available on race morning.
All post-race items will need to be dropped off at the TCS Sydney Marathon Running Show between Thursday 28th August - Saturday 30th August.
Please disembark at Victoria Cross Metro Station and walk to the Orange Assembly Area via Denison St and Walker St (12min walk). Please arrive by 5:00am, be ready to enter your start chute by 5:45am, before a 6:30am race start time.
Getting to the Start Line
Recommended Public Transport Options:
Plenty of extra early-morning transport services will be running to get you to the new start venue at North Sydney Oval. Plan ahead using the transportnsw.info 'Trip Planner'.
Please note, public transport is included for all participants as part of an integrated ticketing arrangement with Transport for NSW. Make sure your race bib is visible to transport staff when boarding service.
The nearest train station to the start venue is North Sydney Station.
For marathon participants in the Red Assembly Area and Orange Assembly Area, you can alight at North Sydney Station and walk 1km (18mins) via Walker St to your assembly area. You can also connect with Metro services for a faster trip to stations near the start venue (see below “Metro” instructions).
For marathon participants in the Green Assembly Area, we strongly suggest all participants change from the train to the Metro and alight at Crows Nest Metro Station. Please change from the train to the Metro at Chatswood or Epping if approaching from the North, or change from the train to the Metro at Sydenham or Central if approaching from the South or West. From the East, change from the train to the Metro at Martin Place.For Marathon Participants in the Red or Orange Assembly Areas, the nearest metro station to the start venue is Victoria Cross Station. Alight at Victoria Cross Station and follow the signage and staff directions to the start venue, which is approximately a 750m (12min) walk away via Denison St and Walker St.
For Marathon participants in the Green Assembly Area, the nearest metro station to the start venue is Crows Nest Station. Alight at Crows Nest Station and follow the signage and staff directions to the start venue, which is approximately a 1km (18min) walk away via Willoughby Rd and Falcon St.If you’re coming from the city connect with Metro services in the CBD from Central, Gadigal, Martin Place or Barangaroo Metro Stations. Metro services depart every 4 minutes, offering the most efficient route to the start.
If you’re coming from the North change at Chatswood or Epping to join the Metro. From the South or West change at Sydenham or Central to join the Metro. From the East, change at Martin Place to connect with Metro services.
For Marathon participants in the Red and Orange Assembly Areas, catch the Light Rail to Central to connect with Metro services to Victoria Cross or Trains to North Sydney Station.
For Marathon participants in the Green Assembly Area, connect with Metro services to Crows Nest.
Be aware that L3 Kingsford line services will be affected due to major road closures in the South East and light rail services will not be operating from Kingsford after 6:00am. If you are travelling after this time you will need to catch L2 Randwick line services from Randwick to the city instead.Please note that we strongly suggest taking public transport on event day due to the amount of road closures in place around North Sydney.
Accessible Drop-Off
If you require assistance due to a disability, an accessible drop off is located in the North Sydney Boys High School car park on Falcon St, North Sydney. Vehicle access to the Accessible Drop Off Entrance will be from the Westbound lane only.
2025 TCS Sydney Marathon - Start Group Times
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 1, Red Assembly you should arrive at 5:00am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience.Marathon participants in Start Group 1, Red Assembly will begin to be corralled from 5:45am into their respective chute entry (either Chute A or Chute B which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 1 will start from 6:31am. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 1, Green Assembly you should arrive approximately 5:00am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 1, Green Assembly will begin to be corralled from 5:55am into their respective start chutes (either Chute C, D or E which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 1 will start from approximately 6:31am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 1, Orange Assembly you should arrive approximately 5:00am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 1, Orange Assembly will begin to be corralled from 6:05am into their respective start chutes (either Chute F or Chute G which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 1 will start from approximately 6:31am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 2, Red Assembly you should arrive approximately 5:40am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 2, Red Assembly will begin to be corralled from 6:35am into their respective start chutes (either Chute A or Chute B which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 2 will start from approximately 7:03am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 2, Green Assembly you should arrive approximately 5:45am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 2, Green Assembly will begin to be corralled from 6:40am into their respective start chutes (either Chute C, D or E which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 2 will start from approximately 7:03am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 2, Orange Assembly you should arrive approximately 5:55am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 2, Orange Assembly will begin to be corralled from 6:50am into their respective start chutes (either Chute F or Chute G which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 3 will start from approximately 7:03am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 3, Red Assembly you should arrive approximately 6:30am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 3, Red Assembly will begin to be corralled from 7:05am into their respective start chutes (either Chute A or Chute B which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 3 will start from approximately 7:41am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 3, Green Assembly you should arrive approximately 6:40am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 3, Green Assembly will begin to be corralled from 7:15am into their respective start chutes (either Chute C, D or E which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 3 will start from approximately 7:41am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Important Race Day Information
To avoid any rush, participants are strongly encouraged to arrive in accordance with their arrival times provided here. For all marathon participants in Start Group 3, Orange Assembly you should arrive approximately 6:45am.
Please avoid arriving too early - this will greatly help our operations on the day and ensure the best start area and start line experience for all 35,000 marathon participants on race day.Marathon participants in Start Group 3, Orange Assembly will begin to be corralled from 7:25am into their respective start chutes (either Chute F or Chute G which is indicated on your race bib). Announcements and volunteers will assist you entering the start chute from your Red Assembly Area. Please ensure you are in your designated assembly area to avoid delays.
Start Group 3 will start from approximately 7:41am*. Please note that each group is a rolling start, so you may start 10 - 30 minutes after the advertised start time for your start group.
You will have a colour coded bib this year to help identify which start group, assembly area, and chute you should enter. An example of this is shown below. Volunteers and staff will assist you.
Race Bib Explanation
Your race bib shows your Start Group, Assembly Area and your Start Chute.
In the below illustration, this participant's bib indicates they will be in Start Group (number 1 on the left), Red Assembly (red indicating this is the Red Assembly Area), and Entry Chute A (letter "A" on the right). Your bib number will be allocated to you at the point of bib collection at the TCS Sydney Marathon Running Show (which you can share with friends and family for tracking via the official TCS Sydney Marathon event app).
Where do I need to wear my bib on race day?
In order to ensure an accurate time, please make sure that your race number is:
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Clearly visible on the front of your torso at all times.
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Unaltered and unmodified (do not fold, wrinkle, or iron).
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Pinned in all four corners (do not pierce the timing chip).
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Not covered by a jacket, running belt, water bottle, or any other item.
42.195KM
Course Flyover
The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS is the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major, and is one of the most spectacular! Run one of the world’s most scenic marathon courses, taking in some of Sydney’s most beautiful and historic landmarks, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The course changes we have implemented over recent years are designed to align with expectations, ensuring we deliver a world-class course that meets the standards expected by the community and participants.
42.195KM
Course Preview (runner point-of-view)
At the 2025 TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS we installed a 360-degree camera to one of our on-course vehicles to provide a point of view experience of the marathon course in a 5-minute video.
Please note that the overall elevation in the file is not 100% accurate. Please refer to the official value above for the course elevation. The course route is 100% accurate within the file.
Walk-Off and Recovery Village
Once marathon participants have finisherd, they will keep moving forward through a controlled exit route called the Walk-Off. Please avoid stopping and taking a photo immediately after the finish line as this causes crowd congestion
This is a 600-metre walk (approximately) after the finish line towards the reunite zone, where they will be able to meet family, friends and other runners after their race.
Shortly after the finish line (approximately 100m), marathon participants will collect their finisher medal and recovery bag, which will have Nu-Pure water, Powerade, fruit and a Carman's museli bar to help their recovery.
Our biggest tip for all participants is to keep moving forwards after the finish line. Keeping your body moving helps blow flow, and is the best recovery move participants can make after they cross the finish line.
At the Recovery Village, participants can enjoy our dedicated food and beverage stands, the ASICS Massage and Recovery Zone, sponsor samples. giveaways and much more.
18-24; 25-29; 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; 45-49; 50-54; 55-59; 60-64; 65-69; 70-74; 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95-99, 100+
Age categories:
All participants must be aged 18 years or older on event day
Age restrictions:
No prams, scooters, or handcycles/crank cycles are to be taken onto the course. Push wheelchairs are permitted in the last wave of each start time.
Rules:
Your entry fee includes your race bib, timing tag and finishers medal and finishers shirt.
Entry fee inclusions:
All bibs will need to be collected at the TCS Sydney Marathon Running Show.
Please note that you must collect the bib yourself and show ID that matches your registration.As the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, is run under World Athletics rules & regulations.
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Elite, Australian Championships & High Performance Program: will all be GUN time with placing calculated off GUN time
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Mass Participants (all other runners): will be NET time with placings calculated off NET time.
Gun time – timed from the starters gun.
Net time – timed from when the athlete crosses the starting line.
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All push wheelchairs must only be in the final start group of the TCS Sydney Marathon.
The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, hosts participants from over 150 countries around the world each year, and we have a robust International Travel Program with exclusive travel packages and tickets for international participants to join the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS.
More information on our tour operators will be provided in late 2025.
Deferrals are only offered to expectant parents under the Pregnancy and Postpartum Policy and active service members in the Australian Defence Force under the Defence Force Policy.
The participant agreement for the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon can be found here.
Event Information
Click here to view your course map.
*Subject to change
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Powerade (Mountain Blast flavour) will be located at the 5km, 10km, 15km, 20km, 25km, 30km, 35km and 40km drink stations along the course, and is indicated by the “W+” icon on the TCS Sydney Marathon course map. Powerade will also be at the Finish Line recovery area.
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GU Gels (on-course gels) are available at the 20km and 30km drink stations along the course, and is indicated by the “E” icon on the TCS Sydney Marathon course map. The number of GU Gels out on course are limited and not guaranteed. If you require gels as part of your nutrition plan, we strongly recommend you carry your own supply.
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Water will be available at all drink stations along the course, and is indicated by the “W” icon on the TCS Sydney Marathon course map.
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A designated marathon-only refreshment station will be located after the finish line at the Marathon Recovery Zone.
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All drink station locations are marked on the course map and there are portable toilets at each drink station.
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To assist you in achieving your marathon goals we will have a team of Pacers. A Pacer is an experienced marathon runner who will run at an even effort/pace for the duration of the event to finish at target time and encourage you and other runners along the way. Whether you are a first-time marathoner or you are aiming for the next milestone finish time, there will be a pacer for you to run with. Each Pacer will be easily identifiable in a Red TCS Sydney Marathon Pace Team singlet with the pace time on their back and by a flag which will clearly display their target finish time.
All pacers will run to ‘Chip Time’ and pace as evenly as possible without banking time (+/- 30 seconds at halfway). There are several pacers on each time who will run in eyesight of each other creating a pace zone. This means that you will not need to crowd around a single pacer. Please use them as a moving timeline on which to judge your own effort / race strategy.
In 2025, we had pacers for the following times for the TCS Sydney Marathon:
Start Group - Assembly Area - Entry Chute - Pacer Time
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:40
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:40
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:45
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:45
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:50
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:50
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:55
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 2:55
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 3:00
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 3:00
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:00
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:00
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:00
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:00
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:05
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:05
Start group 1 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:10
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:10
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:10
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:15
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:15
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:15
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:20
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 3:20
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 3:20
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 3:25
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 3:25
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 3:30
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 3:30
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 3:30
Start group 1 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 3:30
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 3:30
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 3:30
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 3:30
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 3:30
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 3:35
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 3:35
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 3:40
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 3:40
Start group 1 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 3:40
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 3:40
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 3:45
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 3:45
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 3:45
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:45
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:45
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:45
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:50
Start group 2 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 3:50
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:50
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:50
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:50
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:55
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 3:55
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 4:00
Start group 2 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 4:00
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 4:00
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 4:00
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 4:00
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 4:00
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 4:00
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 4:10
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 4:10
Start group 2 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 4:15
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 4:15
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 4:15
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 4:20
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 4:20
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute A - 4:30
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 4:30
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 4:30
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 4:30
Start group 3 - Red Assembly - Entry Chute B - 4:30
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 4:30
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 4:30
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 4:30
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute C - 4:30
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:30
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:40
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:40
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:45
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:45
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:50
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute D - 4:50
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 5:00
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 5:00
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E - 5:00
Start group 3 - Green Assembly - Entry Chute E- 5:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 5:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 5:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 5:15
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 5:15
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 5:30
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute F - 5:30
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 5:30
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 5:45
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 5:45
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:15
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:15
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:30
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:30
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:45
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 6:45
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 7:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - 7:00
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - Roving Sweep
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - Roving Sweep
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute G - Roving Sweep
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute - Roving Sweep
Start group 3 - Orange Assembly - Entry Chute - Tail Sweep
Official cut-off time - 7 hours and 0 minutes (or 3:15pm)
Participants must maintain 10 minutes per kilometre or better throughout the course.
1. Start Line (Cut-off Point) - 0km into the courseRunners have a window of 1 hour and 45 minutes (6:30am - 8:15am) to cross the start line.
No one will be permitted to cross the start line after this time.2. Pyrmont - Harris St at Union St (Skip Redirection Point) - 6km into the course
A full course closure will be implemented at Harris St. Runners will be redirected to Pyrmont St via Union St, skipping the Pirrama Park loop.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 1.5km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 2 hours and 45 minutes3. Pitt St at Hunter St (Skip Redirection Point) - 12.5km into the course
Runners to be redirected to Castlereagh St via Hunter St, skipping King St loop.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 0.5km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 3 hours and 50 minutes
4. Anzac Pde at Dacey Ave (Skip Redirection Point) - 17.8km into the courseRunners to be continue on Anzac Ave, skipping Dacey Ave U-turn.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 1.0km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 4 hours and 42 minutes
5. Half-Way Point at Baker St (Major Skip Redirection Point) - 21.2km into the course
Runners to be redirected, making a U-turn at Barker St to continue north back along Anzac Pde, skipping the rest of Anzac Pde loop.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 4.0km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 5 hours and 15 minutes
6. Anzac Pde at Sturt St (Skip Redirection Point) - 22.0km into the course
Runners to be redirected, making a U-turn at Sturt St to continue north back along Anzac Pde,skipping the rest of Anzac Pde loop.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 2.0km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 5 hours and 24 minutes
7. Anzac Pde at Lang Rd (Skip Redirection Point) - 27.5km into the course
Runners to be redirected to Lang Rd / Federation Way, skipping loop past Kippax Lake & Tramway Oval.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 2.5km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 6 hours and 20 minutes
8. Walk home (Major Skip Redirection Point) - 28.3km into the course
Runners to be directed to exit the course & be taken to the finish in the tail collection vehicle.
Distance of course skipped - approximately 14.0km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 6 hours and 20 minutes
9. Centennial Park – Drink Station 12 (SAG Pick Up Point) - 32.50km into the course
Distance of course skipped - approximately 10.0km
Race time (from Gun Time) - 7 hours and 8 minutes
Course Information
After a successful debut of our High Performance Program (HPP) in 2025, we are pleased to announce that following qualifying times will be available for the following age groups for 2026:
MEN
18-34 years: 2:53:0035-39 years: 2:55:00
40-44 years: 2:58:00
45-49 years: 3:05:00
50-54 years: 3:14:00
55-59 years: 3:23:00
60-64 years: 3:34:00
65-69 years: 3:45:00
70-74 years: 4:10:00
75-79 years: 4:30:00
80+ years: 4:55:00
WOMEN18-34 years: 3:13:00
35-39 years: 3:15:00
40-44 years: 3:26:00
45-49 years: 3:38:00
50-54 years: 3:51:00
55-59 years: 4:10:00
60-64 years: 4:27:00
65-69 years: 4:50:00
70-74 years: 5:30:00
75-79 years: 6:00:00
80+ years: 6:35:00
NON-BINARY
18-34 years: 3:13:00
35-39 years: 3:15:00
40-44 years: 3:26:00
45-49 years: 3:38:00
50-54 years: 3:51:00
55-59 years: 4:10:00
60-64 years: 4:27:00
65-69 years: 4:50:00
70-74 years: 5:30:00
75-79 years: 6:00:00
80+ years: 6:35:00
Please note that qualifying times must have been achieved in an AIMS-certified marathon since 1 July 2024, and the athlete must have completed the marathon on a course with no greater than 457 metres of net-elevation drop between start and finish. The qualifying times above are based upon each athlete's age on the date of the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS (August 30, 2026).
Anyone who applies for the HPP will be assessed against other applications, and the fastest male, female and non-binary athletes who apply (with validated qualifying times) will be offered HPP entries to the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon until available places are exhausted. Successful HPP applicants will be notified on 28 October AEDT.
Anyone who is assessed and is unsuccessful in the HPP will still remain in the general ballot, and will receive an email notifying whether they are successful or unsuccessful on 29 October AEDT.
Please note that during the assessment and notification of each application, no correspondence will be entered into, and all successful and unsuccessful places in the HPP will be final.
High Performance Program
Secure your 2026 entry through our Official Travel Partners
Travel with one of our Official Travel Partners to guarantee your entry through specially curated travel packages. These packages are ideal for runners and friends and family, providing a seamless marathon weekend experience. Select a Travel Partner that supports your region.
Secure your 2026 entry by running for a purpose with our Charity Partners
Missed out on Ballot? Run for purpose with our headline charities; Running for Premature Babies and We Run Foundation, or choose from our Official Charity Partners.
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