Ballarat Marathon set for 2024 launch

A 'world-class' road running festival will launch in Ballarat in 2024, backed by the City of Ballarat and presenting partner Federation University Australia.

Aiming to generate excitement in the Victorian city ahead of its hosting of the Commonwealth Games athletics in 2026, the Ballarat Marathon will also give organisers valuable experience in running major sporting events ahead of hosting the 2026 Games.

A festival of road running featuring a mile, 5km, 10km, half marathon and marathon, the Ballarat Marathon will be held the weekend of Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April 2024.

The mile and 5km events will be held on the Saturday afternoon and evening in Ballarat’s historic CBD, with the longer events scheduled for the Sunday morning, taking in the scenic highlights of Victoria Park, the Arch of Victory and Lake Wendouree.

With each race starting and finishing in front of the Town Hall, the Ballarat Marathon will be a showcase of the city’s historic beauty and is expected to draw a substantial number of tourists to the region.

The Ballarat Marathon is the brainchild of Ballarat local, Adam McNicol and experienced events professionals, Michael Hands and Nathan Lorkin.

McNicol spent a decade working in digital media roles at the AFL, Geelong and Collingwood football clubs before taking up running during the pandemic and becoming inspired to create an iconic event in his home city.

Hands, former event manager of Melbourne’s Run For the Kids, and Lorkin have established two successful cycling events in central Victoria: the AusCycling Cyclo-Cross National Championships, which will be held in Victoria Park in August, and the Dirty Pig & Whistle, a very popular gravel-riding event based out of the recently redeveloped Hammon Park in Creswick and held each May.

McNicol said the Ballarat Marathon “will be a showcase of everything that’s great about our city and our community”, noting “we are very thankful for the City of Ballarat’s generous support, which has enabled us to make our dream of creating a running festival in Ballarat a reality.”

The courses have been co-designed by local legend and Ballarat Marathon Race Director, Steve Moneghetti, and long-time road running course designer, Dave Cundy.

Cundy, who oversaw the design of the Sydney Olympics marathon course and more recently the Singapore Marathon course, has taken on the role of Technical Director for the Ballarat Marathon.

He will visit Ballarat early in 2024 to measure each course to World Athletics standards, meaning runners will be able to achieve qualifying times for internationally famous events like the New York Marathon.

Cundy explains “Ballarat has such a rich heritage of distance running and the Ballarat Marathon will celebrate this.

“I’m very proud to be involved in bringing the Ballarat Marathon to life and I think there’s no better place for a world-class road running festival, given our cool weather, beautiful streets and friendly people.”

Set to form a key part of Ballarat’s post-Games legacy, the City of Ballarat hopes it will also promote health and wellbeing across the community.

Online registration for the various walk, run and race options will open on Sunday 27th August 2023.