Run Melbourne is the city's big winter road race: around 28,000 runners across a half marathon, 10km, 5.5km and a 2km dash on closed CBD streets. The 2026 edition is on Sunday 19 July.
The half is the headline. It starts on Batman Avenue, follows the city and the Yarra, and finishes inside Melbourne Park (home of the Australian Open), with the run-in over Tanderrum Bridge into the arena. Flat and fast, it suits a winter PB.
It is also one of the country's biggest charity runs, having raised more than $21 million over 18 years for several hundred partner charities. Running for one of them can earn free or discounted entry, worth checking before you pay full price.
July in Melbourne means a cold and often wet start, so dress for the first kilometre and shed as you warm up. Trains to Flinders Street or Richmond drop you beside the start, and it is a short walk back to the city afterwards for the obligatory recovery coffee.
