Ballot, fees and rules for 2027
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, August 29, 2027. The Mini Marathon is on Saturday, August 28 |
| Ballot | Entries September 29, 2026 (10 a.m. AEST) to October 19, 2026 (10 a.m. AEDT). The 2026 ballot drew 123,000 applications |
| Entry fee | AUD 285 for residents of Australia and New Zealand, AUD 340 for international entrants, plus a mandatory carbon levy |
| Start | Mass start at 6:30 a.m., elite wheelchair at 6:15 a.m.; start group times come closer to the race |
| Time limit | 7 hours |
Guaranteed entry
If the ballot does not work out, the Charity Partner Program opens after ballot results: you raise money for one of the race's charity partners in exchange for a bib. The Travel Partner Program sells a guaranteed bib inside a travel package; on October 18, 2026 the official site listed it as coming soon. The High Performance Program for fast runners is closed for 2027, and its unsuccessful applicants go into the ballot.
The course and getting there
The race starts on Miller Street in North Sydney, crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finishes at the Sydney Opera House. Late August is the end of the southern winter, so the early start is usually cool.
From Europe or the Americas the time shift is large, and the body clock moves about an hour a day. Arriving a week early, or shifting your sleep before you fly, makes the 6:30 a.m. start less brutal.
When to start training
Hal Higdon's 18-week plan for a first marathon starts onMonday, April 26, 2027. It assumes you already run four times a week. You can start earlier too: Pacero builds a plan from your current fitness to August 29, 2027.
Show the week-by-week plan
| Week | Starts | Weekday runs, km | Long run | Total, km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 26 | 4.8, 4.8, 4.8 | 9.7 km | 24.1 |
| 2 | May 3 | 4.8, 4.8, 4.8 | 11.3 km | 25.7 |
| 3cutback | May 10 | 4.8, 6.4, 4.8 | 8.1 km | 24.1 |
| 4 | May 17 | 4.8, 6.4, 4.8 | 14.5 km | 30.5 |
| 5 | May 24 | 4.8, 8.1, 4.8 | 16.1 km | 33.8 |
| 6cutback | May 31 | 4.8, 8.1, 4.8 | 11.3 km | 29 |
| 7 | June 7 | 4.8, 9.7, 4.8 | 19.3 km | 38.6 |
| 8 | June 14 | 4.8, 9.7, 4.8 | race: half marathon | 19.3 + race |
| 9 | June 21 | 4.8, 11.3, 6.4 | 16.1 km | 38.6 |
| 10 | June 28 | 4.8, 11.3, 6.4 | 24.1 km | 46.6 |
| 11 | July 5 | 6.4, 12.9, 6.4 | 25.7 km | 51.4 |
| 12cutback | July 12 | 6.4, 12.9, 8.1 | 19.3 km | 46.7 |
| 13 | July 19 | 6.4, 14.5, 8.1 | 29 km | 58 |
| 14cutback | July 26 | 8.1, 14.5, 8.1 | 22.5 km | 53.2 |
| 15longest | August 2 | 8.1, 16.1, 8.1 | 32.2 km | 64.5 |
| 16taper | August 9 | 8.1, 12.9, 6.4 | 19.3 km | 46.7 |
| 17taper | August 16 | 6.4, 9.7, 4.8 | 12.9 km | 33.8 |
| 18 | August 23 | 4.8, 6.4, 3.2 | race: marathon | 14.4 + race |
Train for the Sydney Marathon on your own plan
The table above is a generic plan for a first marathon: it knows nothing about your fitness or your goal. Pacero builds your training from where you are today to race day, spreads the load across the weeks and updates the plan after your runs. Workouts from Apple Watch, Garmin and other watches come in through Apple Health; without a watch, record runs with GPS in the app, log them by hand or upload a screenshot.
The Sydney Marathon is already in the app's race list: pick it in the questionnaire.
Train with Pacero →First 7 days free, no card needed.Quick answers
When is the Sydney Marathon 2027?
Sunday, August 29, 2027, with the mass start at 6:30 a.m.
When is the Sydney Marathon ballot?
Entries for 2027 were open from September 29 to October 19, 2026.
How much does the Sydney Marathon cost?
AUD 285 for Australian and New Zealand residents and AUD 340 for international entrants, plus a carbon levy.
What is the time limit?
7 hours.
Other races in 2027
Tokyo Marathon 2027
Lottery results, the ways in that remain, the course and March weather.
Boston Marathon 2027
Qualifying times, the 2027 cutoff and the new random draw, charity places.
London Marathon 2027
Two race days for 100,000 runners, ballot, Good for Age and charity places.
Cape Town Marathon 2027
The first African Major: ballot, charity and tour operator places.
Berlin Marathon 2027
Lottery until November 12, 2026, fast runner standards, the record course.
Chicago Marathon 2027
Drawing until October 29, 2026, time qualifier standards and fees.
New York City Marathon 2027
Expected date, the drawing, guaranteed entry and the five-borough course.
Sources
- TCS Sydney Marathon: Marathon: date, ballot, fees, entry programs, start times, time limit, course.
- Janse van Rensburg D. C. et al. Managing Travel Fatigue and Jet Lag in Athletes. Sports Medicine, 2021.
- Hal Higdon: Marathon Novice 1: the 18-week plan.