The 10 Best Half Marathons in Australia for 2027

Australia is a genuinely great place to run a half marathon. The winters are mild enough to race in shorts, the coastline delivers scenery that most northern-hemisphere runners only see on a screensaver, and the racing calendar runs essentially year-round rather than squeezing into two short seasons.

It also has one enormous advantage for anyone planning a season: while the northern hemisphere is deep in winter, Australia is racing. And when Europe and North America hit their summer lull, Australian winter delivers some of the fastest conditions on the calendar.

Here are ten of the best half marathons in Australia for 2027 — a mix of fast PB courses, spectacular scenery, and races worth building a trip around. They’re listed in calendar order rather than ranked, because for planning purposes that’s more useful.

A note on dates: Most 2027 dates below are confirmed. Where a date hasn’t been officially published yet, it’s marked as such and reflects the race’s established pattern — always check the official race site before booking flights.

1. Cadbury Marathon Half — Hobart, Tasmania (3 January 2027)

Why it’s here: The Australian racing year opens in Tasmania, at a race that starts and finishes beside the Cadbury chocolate factory in Claremont, on the banks of the Derwent.

It’s one of Tasmania’s best-loved running events and has a genuinely family-friendly character — this is not a race that takes itself too seriously. The course runs along the Derwent River foreshore, and the January timing means Tasmanian summer, which is far more forgiving than the mainland at the same time of year.

Best for: Starting your year with something on the board, and anyone wanting an excuse to visit Tasmania.

Watch out for: It’s summer, so an early start and proper hydration matter. And Hobart in January is peak season — book accommodation well ahead.

2. Canberra Running Festival Half — Canberra, ACT (10-11 April 2027)

Why it’s here: Australia’s capital hosts one of the country’s longest-running road racing festivals, and the half marathon is the most popular distance on the programme.

Canberra is a planned city, which turns out to be excellent news for runners: wide roads, long uninterrupted stretches, and a course that takes in Lake Burley Griffin and the national institutions around it. Autumn in Canberra also delivers some of the best racing weather in the country — crisp mornings, still air, and the city’s famous autumn colour.

Best for: Fast times in reliably good conditions, and runners who like a race with a bit of civic grandeur.

Watch out for: Canberra mornings in April are cold. Genuinely cold, by Australian standards.

3. Ballarat Marathon Festival Half — Ballarat, Victoria (18 April 2027)

Why it’s here: This is the serious PB option on the Australian autumn calendar, and it’s a genuinely credible one.

The Ballarat Marathon is World Athletics-sanctioned and AIMS-measured, which makes it an official qualifier for the World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships as well as for Boston, New York and Berlin. The marathon course carries just 98 metres of elevation — flat by any standard — and the half shares that character.

Ballarat itself has the best-preserved gold rush-era streetscape in the world, which makes for an unusually handsome backdrop, and it sits only 60-90 minutes from Melbourne’s airport and CBD.

Best for: Autumn PB attempts and anyone needing a certified qualifying time.

Watch out for: April in regional Victoria can be genuinely cold at the start. Bring a throwaway layer. It also sits just a week after Canberra — pick one, don’t do both.

4. Adelaide Marathon Festival Half — Adelaide, South Australia (early May — date to be confirmed)

Why it’s here: Adelaide is the most underrated running city in Australia, and its marathon festival is a well-organised, unpretentious event on a flat course.

The city is compact and easy to navigate, the surrounding parklands give the course plenty of green space, and May weather is close to ideal. It’s also the cheapest capital-city race weekend in the country by some margin once you account for accommodation.

Best for: Value, flat terrain, and combining a race with the Adelaide Hills or Barossa wine regions.

Watch out for: Smaller field than the eastern-seaboard events, so less of a crowd to pull you along. Adelaide has recently fallen on the same weekend as the Sydney Half, so check both dates before committing.

5. HOKA Runaway Sydney Half Marathon — Sydney, NSW (2 May 2027)

Why it’s here: This is Australia’s largest half marathon, with over 17,000 runners in recent editions — and it has arguably the best 21.1km course in the country.

Established in 1992, the race starts on Macquarie Street and finishes in Hyde Park, taking in The Rocks, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens along the way. Running across the Harbour Bridge on closed roads is one of the genuinely special experiences in Australian running, and it’s the reason this race sells out.

The event also carries real meaning: it raises funds for Breast Cancer Network Australia in memory of Kerryn McCann, the Australian marathoner who died of breast cancer in 2008.

Best for: Iconic scenery, big-race atmosphere, and a bucket-list Australian half.

Watch out for: It’s Sydney, so it’s not flat — there’s a reason the Sydney Marathon has a reputation. Expect some climbing. Register early; this one goes.

6. Great Ocean Road Half Marathon — Victoria (15-16 May 2027 — confirmed)

Why it’s here: The most spectacular running you can do in Australia, on a course that runs along the Great Ocean Road with the Southern Ocean beside you the entire way.

The festival has been running since 2005 and now spans two days and around ten distances, from a 1.5km Kids Gallop up to a 60km ultra. The half marathon runs on the Sunday, starting from Kennett River Holiday Park, with sections of the road closed so you’re running it without traffic.

One important thing to know: the Great Ocean Road “half marathon” is 23km, not 21.1km. The festival’s distances are deliberately non-standard — the marathon is 44km, not 42.195. Don’t turn up expecting a standard half, and don’t expect a comparable PB.

Best for: The single most beautiful race on this list, and anyone who values the experience over the number.

Watch out for: The extra 2km, the rolling coastal terrain, and Victorian coastal weather in May, which can deliver all four seasons in one morning.

7. Gold Coast Half Marathon — Queensland (3 July 2027)

Why it’s here: If you want a personal best, this is the race.

The Gold Coast Half runs on Saturday 3 July, the day before the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon — one of only two Australian events holding World Athletics Label status. The course is flat, fast, and runs along the Queensland coastline, and the weekend as a whole has an extraordinary reputation for producing personal bests: over 60% of Gold Coast Marathon participants set a PB each year.

Add in Queensland’s mild winter, world-class organisation, and a weekend programme spanning eight races, and it’s the strongest all-round race weekend in the country.

Best for: PBs, first-timers, and families — the eight-race weekend means everyone can take part.

Watch out for: It sells out, and the Gold Coast Double (half on Saturday, marathon on Sunday) is more tempting than it is sensible for most runners.

8. Run Melbourne Half — Melbourne, Victoria (July)

Why it’s here: Melbourne’s mid-winter road race, and one of Australia’s biggest fundraising events — the majority of participants run for a charity.

The course takes in the Yarra, the city centre, and Melbourne’s parklands, and July timing means genuinely cold conditions — which, if you’re chasing a time, is exactly what you want. Melbourne’s running community is one of the strongest in the country, and it shows in the turnout.

Best for: Charity runners, cold-weather racing, and a mid-season fitness test.

Watch out for: Melbourne in July is cold and often wet. Pack accordingly and don’t underdress at the start.

9. Sunshine Coast Marathon Half — Queensland (August)

Why it’s here: A flat, coastal half on one of the best stretches of the Queensland coast, run in near-perfect August conditions.

The Sunshine Coast course runs along the esplanade with ocean views for much of the distance, and the whole weekend has a relaxed, holiday character that makes it a good option if you’re travelling with family who aren’t running.

Best for: A fast, low-stress race in a genuinely lovely place, without the scale of the Gold Coast.

Watch out for: Exposed coastal sections mean wind can be a factor.

10. Melbourne Marathon Festival Half — Melbourne, Victoria (October)

Why it’s here: The biggest race weekend in Victoria, and the half is the centrepiece for most participants — roughly 17,000 people take part across the half, 10km and shorter events.

The reason to run it is the finish. The Melbourne Marathon Festival starts and finishes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and crossing the line on the field inside the MCG is one of the great finishing experiences in Australian sport. The festival has run since 1978 and the marathon drew over 14,500 finishers in 2025 — the weekend has grown enormously in recent years.

Best for: A stadium finish, big-city atmosphere, and closing out your year with a strong October target.

Watch out for: Melbourne weather in October is famously unpredictable. Plan for anything.

How to Build an Australian Half Marathon Season

The Australian calendar has a rhythm worth understanding if you’re planning more than one race.

Summer (December-February)

Hot and humid across most of the country. Racing happens, but it’s not the time for a PB attempt unless you’re in Tasmania. Use it for base building.

Autumn (March-May)

Excellent conditions, and by far the busiest stretch of the calendar. In 2027 you have Canberra (10-11 April), Ballarat (18 April), Adelaide and Sydney (early May) and the Great Ocean Road (15-16 May) — five quality races inside five weeks. That’s a choice to make, not a schedule to complete.

Winter (June-August)

The fastest conditions of the year, and the reason Gold Coast produces so many personal bests. Queensland gives you mild winter racing; Victoria gives you genuinely cold racing. Both work.

Spring (September-November)

Warming up again, but October still delivers good conditions in the south. Melbourne anchors this part of the calendar.

A realistic plan

Two goal halves per year, roughly six months apart, is a sustainable structure — one in autumn and one in winter or spring. Everything else on this list can serve as a B or C race within those blocks.

Trying to run all ten would be a spectacular year and a miserable one.

Practical Notes for Visiting Runners

• Seasons are inverted. If you’re travelling from the northern hemisphere, you’ll be training through your summer for an Australian winter race, or vice versa. Plan your build accordingly.
• Distances are enormous. Sydney to Perth is a five-hour flight. Don’t plan a multi-race trip without checking a map first.
• The sun is stronger than you expect. Even in winter, even when it’s cool. Sunscreen and a cap.
• Check the visa requirements for your nationality well before booking.
• Book early. The bigger events — Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne — sell out, and accommodation in race cities goes with them.

The Bottom Line

If you want a personal best, run the Gold Coast. If you want the best course in the country, run Sydney. If you want the most beautiful morning of your running life and don’t mind that it’s 23km, run the Great Ocean Road. If you want to finish inside the MCG, run Melbourne.

Australia’s half marathon calendar is deep enough that you could build an entire year around it without repeating a city — and mild enough that you’d never be racing in genuinely bad conditions. Pick two, plan properly around them, and use the rest as training with a bib.

Ready to map out your 2027? Build your race calendar in RunningLog — add your planned races, set your goals, and keep your whole season in one place.

Which Australian half is on your list for 2027? Share your plans on Instagram or Threads.