Race Training Plans
Sydney Marathon
Training Plan
The Sydney Marathon is one of the world's great city marathons — finishing in the shadow of the Opera House with the Harbour Bridge crossing as its centrepiece. Train for it properly with a free personalised plan built around your goal and schedule.
For official registration and race day information visit the Sydney Marathon official website.
A World Marathon Major
Sydney joined the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, placing it alongside Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and Tokyo. This means strong international participation, excellent course organisation, and a race atmosphere unlike any other in Australia.
The course crosses the Harbour Bridge, passes through The Rocks, and finishes at the Opera House forecourt. It includes some challenging undulation — particularly around the bridge — so incorporating hilly training runs into your plan is worthwhile.
Course note: The Sydney Marathon is not flat. Include at least one hilly run per week in your training. Your easy run pace on hills will naturally be slower — train to effort, not pace.
How Long to Train
A September race date means starting your training build in May for a 16-week plan, or April for 20 weeks. Given Sydney's course difficulty, an extra 2–4 weeks of preparation compared to a flatter race is advisable, particularly for first-timers.
The Sydney Half Marathon is held on the same day and shares much of the same iconic course. A half marathon plan of 12–14 weeks is ideal for most runners.
Train for Sydney
Sydney Marathon Plan
Set your race date to September, choose your distance, and get a full week-by-week training plan — free, no account needed.
⚡ Build My Sydney Plan