TCS Sydney marathon presented by asics
TCS sydney marathon
SUNDAY 30 AUGUST, 2026
TCS Sydney Marathon presented by asics
TCS Sydney Marathon
Key event details
Date: Sunday August 30, 2026
Distance: 42.195km (World Athletics Platinum Label Marathon)
Start time:
Elite wheelchair athletes - 6:15am
Mass participation - 6:30am*
*please note start group timings will be shared closer to event day.
Start line cut off: 8:40am
Start Location: Miller St, North Sydney
Finish Line: Sydney Opera House Forecourt
Course Cut Off Time: 7 hours (3:40pm)
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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
TCS Sydney Marathon Course Flyover - presented by TCS
Immerse yourself in one of the world’s most scenic marathon courses, taking in some of Sydney’s most spectacular and historic landmarks, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The course changes we have implemented in recent years are designed for faster times and a better participant experience, ensuring we deliver a world-class event.
Key highlights:
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An iconic start line celebrating the heritage of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games marathon
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Crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge
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A loop of stunning Centennial Park
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Mrs Macquarie's Chair in the Royal Botanic Garden
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The Sydney Opera House finish line
42.195KM
Course Preview (runner point-of-view)
During the 2025 TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, we installed a 360-degree camera on one of our on-course vehicles to provide a point-of-view marathon experience in this five-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.
Plan your perfect race day with
our Official Smart Map
Powered by PAM, our new live navigation platform helps you get the most out of race weekend with real-time maps, road closures, spectator viewing locations, entertainment, food and drink, transport options and event activations all in one place. Integrated into the TRACX app, the Official Smart Map makes it easy to follow participants, discover the best places to cheer, and navigate the city with confidence, so you can spend less time planning and more time soaking up the atmosphere.
Backed by the technology trusted by the PGA TOUR, NASCAR, Formula 1 and Tennis Australia, the Official Smart Map brings world-class navigation to Australia's largest marathon.
Course Information
Click here to view your course map.
Click here to view the course elevation map. *Subject to change.
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Net Elevation Gain: 313 metres
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Net Elevation Loss: 396 metres
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Total Elevation: -83 metres loss
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Powerade (Mountain Blast flavour) will be available at the 5km, 10km, 15km, 20km, 25km, 30km, 35km and 40km drink stations along the course and at the finish line recovery area.
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GU Energy Gels are available at the 20km and 30km drink stations. GU Energy Gels are limited and subject to availability. If you require gels as part of your nutrition plan, we strongly recommend you carry your own.
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Water will be available at all drink stations on course.
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A refreshment station will be located after the finish line during the walk-off in the Royal Botanic Garden.
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All drink station locations are marked on the course map, and there are portable toilets located near each drink station.
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To assist you in achieving your marathon goals, we have a team of pacers. A pacer is an experienced marathon runner who will run at an even pace for the duration of the event to finish at a target time, while also encouraging participants along the way. Whether you are a first-time marathoner or you are aiming for a milestone finish time, there will be a pacer for you. Each pacer will be easily identifiable in a red TCS Sydney Marathon Pace Team singlet and flying a flag with 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 at each time who will run within 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 to judge your own effort/race strategy.
In 2026, the TCS Sydney Marathon will offer pacers for the following times:
2:30, 2:35, 2:40, 2:45, 2:50, 2:55, 3:00, 3:05, 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:35, 3:40, 3:45, 3:50, 3:55, 4:00, 4:10, 4:15, 4:20, 4:30, 4:40, 4:45, 4:50, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00 + sweeper
The TCS Sydney Marathon has a course time limit of seven hours from the closure of the start line at 8:40am. Anyone who does not cross the finish line by 3:40pm* will receive a DNF as their official result.
Anyone who does not meet the intermediary course cut-offs will either be redirected (at redirection points) or will be loaded onto the sweeper bus and transported to the finish line following the final athletes. All redirected or swept athletes will receive a DNF as their official result, but redirected athletes will still be able to cross the finish line.
You can find more information on cut-off and redirection points here.
Plan your perfect race day with our Official Smart Map.
Powered by PAM, our new live navigation platform helps you get the most out of race weekend with real-time maps, road closures, spectator viewing locations, entertainment, food and drink, transport options and event activations all in one place.
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