Race Training Plans
Melbourne Marathon
Training Plan
The Melbourne Marathon Festival is Australia's biggest running event — finishing inside the MCG with a lap of the famous ground. Whether you're targeting the full marathon, half, 10K or 5K, build your free personalised training plan here.
For official registration and event information visit the Melbourne Marathon Festival official website.
Australia's Biggest Running Event
The Melbourne Marathon Festival attracts over 35,000 participants across all distances, making it the largest running event in Australia. The course is largely flat and runs through Melbourne's iconic inner suburbs before finishing with a lap inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground — one of the most memorable finish experiences in Australian sport.
An October race date and typically mild Melbourne spring conditions make it a popular target for runners aiming for a personal best.
Training tip: An October race means starting a 16-week plan in late June. That puts your peak training weeks in August — Australia's coldest month — so plan for early morning or indoor sessions during the hardest weeks.
Distances Available
The Melbourne Marathon Festival offers a full marathon (42.2km), half marathon (21.1km), 10km, and 5km events. All distances finish inside the MCG. The 5km and 10km are great entry points for newer runners wanting to experience the event atmosphere.
How Long to Train
For the full marathon, a 16–20 week plan starting in June–July gives you ample time to build properly. For the half marathon, 12–14 weeks from late July is ideal. Use PaceLab's race date selector and training length wheel to find your perfect start date.
Train for Melbourne
Melbourne Marathon Plan
Set your race date to October, pick your distance and goal time, and get a full personalised plan — exportable straight to your calendar.
⚡ Build My Melbourne Plan