Great Ocean Road Marathon: Running Australia's Most Scenic Coast

The morning air in Lorne is cool and salt-tinged. Runners gather at the Surf Lifesaving Club Car Park, stretching beneath eucalyptus trees while the Southern Ocean rolls and crashes just meters away. This is the starting line of the Great Ocean Road Marathon, a 44km point-to-point race that has been held in Victoria, Australia since 2005, stretching from Lorne to Apollo Bay along the coastal route. There's nervous energy, excited chatter in multiple languages, and an unmistakable sense that something special is about to unfold.

This isn't just another marathon. It's a journey along one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives, on a road closed to traffic, where the only sounds are footfalls, breathing, and the relentless rumble of waves against ancient limestone cliffs.

Running on Australia's Most Famous Road

The Great Ocean Road is renowned for its rugged natural beauty, shipwreck stories, and surfing culture, with its frequently changing and dramatic landscapes making this 242-kilometre stretch Australia's most famous coastal journey. But experiencing it as a runner offers something no car passenger can fully grasp: the serenity, the wilderness, the intimate connection to landscape.

Anyone travelling along this road by car would not be able to experience the absolute serenity and at times the wilderness experience that you as a runner can. As you run along this course, with no traffic at all, you can almost hear the waves calling your name. The only sound you will hear is the soft thud of footsteps from your fellow competitors.

The race begins with gentle rollers through the first 6km, allowing runners to find their rhythm and soak in the coastal atmosphere. Then the real character of this course reveals itself. As runners approach the 6-7km mark, a steep descent ushers them towards Cumberland River Beach, introducing the first significant challenge. At the 7km point, the serene beach marks the beginning of three demanding ascents that will test resilience and strength.

This is where the Great Ocean Road Marathon earns its reputation. The race has an elevation gain of around 488 metres, with a starting elevation of 17 metres above sea level and a maximum elevation of around 67 metres. The course undulates constantly, presenting runners with climbs that wrap around cliff edges, obscuring their endpoints and demanding both physical strength and mental fortitude.

A Course That Tells a Story

As the kilometres tick by, runners pass through tiny coastal hamlets: Wye River, Kennett River, Skenes Creek. Starting in Lorne, try spot Koalas as you make your way down the Great Ocean Road through Wye River, Kennett River and Skenes Creek before finishing in Apollo Bay. Each turn reveals new vistas. On one side, the powerful Southern Ocean stretches to Antarctica. On the other, the lush green hillsides of the Otway Ranges rise dramatically.

The most challenging section arrives around kilometres 26 and 27. These hills have become legendary among participants, wrapping around cliff faces with no visible end. They sap energy and test resolve. Yet they also offer something profound: moments of pure presence, where nothing exists except breath, movement, and the raw beauty of the Australian coastline.

Every year, thousands of people cross the globe to experience Australia's most stunning running event and see the iconic beauty of the Great Ocean Road. The 2025 event saw more than 11,000 participants across four sold-out distances, making it one of Australia's premier running festivals.

The course eventually flattens as Apollo Bay comes into view in the distance. But the final 7km test weary legs with deceptive miniature climbs. Every slight incline feels magnified. Yet the town draws closer with each stride, and the finish line beckons.

Beyond the Marathon

The Festival is hosted in the towns of Lorne and Apollo Bay as a weekend-long celebration of running, music and wellness. Festival extras include live music, yoga by the beach, kite flying, wellness sessions, and local food markets. This is destination running at its finest—a reason to explore Victoria's spectacular southwest coast, to linger in charming seaside towns, and to experience the region's natural wonders beyond race day.

The Great Ocean Road region offers countless attractions. The Twelve Apostles, those seven limestone stacks rising abruptly from the tempestuous Southern Ocean that are the highlight of the Great Ocean Road, are best viewed at sunset when the yellow rock turns red, orange and every shade in between. Loch Ard Gorge tells stories of shipwrecks and survival. The Great Otway National Park bursts with rainforest walks and cascading waterfalls.

The Great Ocean Road Running Festival, presented by Melrose, returns on 16-17 May 2026. The event offers multiple distances beyond the marathon, including the 1.5 km Kids' Gallop, 6 km run, 14 km Paradise Run, 23 km half marathon, and the challenging 60 km ultra marathon, alongside trail and walk options.

For runners considering this bucket-list event, preparation matters. The elevation profile demands respect. Hill training becomes essential. Yet the reward for that preparation is extraordinary: the chance to run one of the world's most scenic coastal routes, to experience Australia's natural beauty in the most intimate way possible, and to join thousands of runners from around the globe in celebrating movement, landscape, and the pure joy of running beside the sea.

The Great Ocean Road calls to runners with the promise of adventure, beauty, and challenge in equal measure. It's a marathon that stays with you long after crossing the finish line—in memories of cliff-edge vistas, in the rhythm of waves that accompanied every step, and in the profound satisfaction of having run one of Australia's most iconic stretches of coast.

Start planning your Great Ocean Road Marathon journey today. Find races worldwide, including this spectacular Australian coastal classic, on the 42cal Race Directory, where you can search by location, date, and distance to discover your next running adventure.