Ballarat is a goldrush city with some of the grandest Victorian-era streetscapes in regional Australia, and the marathon makes good use of them. The 2027 festival runs across the weekend of 17 and 18 April, a week earlier than its usual Anzac slot because Anzac Day falls on the Sunday that year.
The marathon and half marathon start at the Ballarat Town Hall on Sturt Street, one of the prettiest main streets in country Victoria, and loop through the inner city, around Lake Wendouree (the rowing course for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics) and through the Botanical Gardens. The shorter events, including a 5km and a Mile, run on the Saturday.
It has built a reputation as a fast, World Athletics-certified course. The flat terrain and cool autumn mornings, typically 5 to 15 degrees, suit PB attempts, and the field is big enough for atmosphere without the congestion of a capital-city start. First-time marathoners tend to rate it for how supportive it is.
Ballarat is about 90 minutes from Melbourne by car, or 75 minutes on a V/Line train from Southern Cross. The centre is compact and walkable, with accommodation close to the start.
