[category]
[title]
After making history in 2025 as Australia's first Abbott World Marathon Major, the Sydney Marathon returned in 2026 bigger and better than ever. Building on its historic debut, this year's race brought together 44,000 incredible runners from more than 160 countries to tackle 42.195 kilometres of stunning harbour views.
With a staggering 123,000 people entering the 2026 ballot, securing a bib for next year's event is sure to be just as competitive as the race itself. Here’s everything you need to know about securing a spot in the TCS Sydney Marathon 2027.
When is the Sydney Marathon 2027?
Sydney Marathon has been locked in for Sunday, August 29, 2027.
How to enter the Sydney Marathon 2027?
The general ballot opens on Tuesday, September 29 at 10am AEST and closes on Monday, October 19 at 10am AEDT. You don’t need to rush, as it’s not a first-come, first-served system. You can enter on the Sydney Marathon website, with runners selected through a random draw and notified of the result via email in approx late October. While it's free to enter, the full entry fee will be charged automatically if your name is drawn.
Anyone who ran in the Sydney Marathon during its candidacy years (2022, 2023 or 2024) is guaranteed entry in one of the next three events (2025, 2026 or 2027). If you nominated 2027 as your preferred year in the Candidacy Club ballot, you should receive your result soon.
If you’re unsuccessful in the ballot, there's one last resort. You can find a way to secure a spot in the race via Sydney Marathon’s travel and charity programs, with more details to be released soon.
Who can enter the Sydney Marathon?
Anyone from Australia and around the world can enter the Sydney Marathon 2027. The cut-off time is seven hours, so some level of fitness is required to complete the race within this time frame and earn your title as an official marathoner.
How many runners will race the Sydney Marathon 2027?
A record 44,000 runners took part in the 2026 Sydney Marathon. This is a huge jump from the 5,300 registrations in 2022, 20,000 finishers in 2024 and 35,000 participants in 2025. We expect a slight increase in numbers for 2027.