🏃

Race Intelligence

Canberra · Australian Capital Territory · Australia

The Canberra Times Marathon Festival

Use this page to compare course fit, registration timing, and race-weekend logistics before you commit. The Canberra Times Marathon Festival, presented by TCS, is Australia's oldest city marathon and a two-day running festival set in the nation's capital. All races start near the iconic Old Parliament House, taking runn...

Full Marathon Half Marathon 10K 5K Kids' Run
Race day April 12, 2026 Sunday
Terrain Road Loop
Field size 10,000 Average participants
Register now Plan this race Open race room Read runner reviews
The registration link is live. Review the course, logistics, and hotel options here before you leave for the organizer site.

Snapshot

What to know before you shortlist this race

The fastest way to evaluate a marathon is to line up the date, course profile, crowd size, and registration pressure in one place.

April 12, 2026
Race day
Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids' Run
Distance
Road
Terrain
10,000
Participants

Race brief

This race takes place in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia on April 12, 2026. Use the details below to decide whether the course, logistics, and registration timeline match the type of season you are building.

Decision signals

  • Loop with road terrain.
  • Boston Qualifier status is listed for runners chasing a standards-friendly course.
  • Athletics Australia adds extra trust to the route data.
  • Published entry fee: AUD 160.00 - AUD 240.00.

Why This Race

The organizer pitch, translated for runners

The Canberra Times Marathon Festival, presented by TCS, is Australia's oldest city marathon and a two-day running festival set in the nation's capital. All races start near the iconic Old Parliament House, taking runners around the scenic Lake Burley Griffin and through the Parliamentary Triangle. The flat, fast course is ideal for personal bests and Boston qualifying. Saturday features the 10K, 5K, and Kids Dash, while Sunday showcases the TCS Marathon and Half Marathon. Every marathon finisher receives a complimentary finisher t-shirt.

Course Fit

Course shape, standards, and race history

This is the section to compare terrain, elevation, certification, and field context before you decide whether the race belongs on your calendar.

Elevation profile

Illustrative profile based on available elevation data. Use it as a directional planning signal, not a final course guarantee.

Actual course elevation and routing may vary from the visual estimate.

Course highlights

🛣
Loop course
Layout style reported for this race.
🏔
Road terrain
Primary running surface.
🏆
BQ course
Boston Qualifier eligible.
✅
Certified
Athletics Australia
⛰
35m gain
Estimated total elevation gain.

History and records

First edition 1976
Avg. participants 10,000

Planning

Travel and race-weekend logistics

Once a race makes your shortlist, travel confidence matters almost as much as the course itself. Keep the practical notes in one place.

Race day weather

April in Canberra is autumn with temperatures of 6-18C (43-64F). Clear skies common. Cool mornings warming up during the race.

Community Layer

Keep the race room close to the decision

The point of the room is not generic chatter. It is to keep stay questions, pacing nerves, meetup plans, and last-mile logistics attached to the same race page you are already using.

52 threads 153 followers 2 huddles

The Canberra Times Marathon Festival Room

Threads, logistics, reviews, Q&A, and live huddles for The Canberra Times Marathon Festival.

These opening threads are seeded to show the shape of the room before organic posts take over.

Open race room Australia Club
Lead thread

Where are people staying for The Canberra Times Marathon Festival?

Trying to keep the start line, expo, and easy food options all within a sane radius. If you have a hotel block, neighborhood, or train strategy that worked, drop it here.

Open thread
Next huddle

The Canberra Times Marathon Festival logistics huddle

Fifteen minutes on travel timing, where the expo bottlenecks are, and what people wish they knew earlier.

View huddle

Runner Signal

Runner reviews

First-person reviews help separate a photogenic listing from a race that actually delivers on race day.

📝

No reviews yet - be the first to share what race weekend felt like.

Sign in to review

Practical Questions

Questions and answers

Use the Q&A stream for the details that usually get buried in race-weekend forums.

💬

No questions yet. If something would block your decision, ask it here.

Are you the race director? Claim this race to manage your listing, publish updates, and respond to runner feedback.