Adelaide Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Adelaide Marathon is the main event of the Adelaide Marathon Festival, held on a Sunday in early May, in Southern Hemisphere autumn, and organised by the not-for-profit South Australian Road Runners Club. The marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. and shares the day with a half marathon, a 10 km, a 5 km and a free Kids Dash. In 2026 the race started and finished at Pinky Flat, opposite Adelaide Oval, with the 5 km and 10 km starting at Morphett Street. The course runs on roads and paths within the City of Adelaide, through the parklands and along the River Torrens, and the organisers describe it as flat, fast and scenic. The marathon and half marathon are AIMS-certified and accepted as Boston Marathon qualifiers. Entrants must be 18 or older, and the cut-off is six hours. More than 5,000 participants take part across the four distances in a typical year, and the 2026 marathon sold out. The Adelaide Marathon dates from 1979; the first race ran from Gawler to Adelaide Oval.