Sunshine Coast Marathon 2027: Full Guide, Course & Tips

Australia’s Most Scenic PB Course is Back

There are marathons that challenge you and marathons that reward you. The EVA Air Sunshine Coast Marathon is, at its best, both. Run in August along Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on a single-lap course that tracks the beachfront from Alexandra Headland up through Mudjimba and back, it sits in that rare category of races where the conditions, the scenery and the course profile all conspire to make you faster than you thought you could be. The start temperature hovers around 11-13°C. The sky is blue. The humidity is almost nothing. The course is flat enough to be AIMS-certified and accepted as a Boston qualifier. By the standards of winter marathons anywhere, this one is about as close to perfect as road running gets.

For 2027, the race carries an extra layer of significance. The Sunshine Coast is the planned host of the marathon events for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, which means every edition run here between now and then is, in some sense, a rehearsal on the Olympic route. That alone makes this a race worth putting on the list. The coastal strip between Alexandra Headland and Mudjimba will host the world’s best when 2032 arrives. Running it yourself before that moment is a different kind of bucket list moment.

The 2027 edition arrives off the back of a strong 2026 race that saw American Beth McKenzie clock 2:37:26 to set a women’s course record on the single-lap format. On the men’s side, Brett Robinson won in 2:15:45. The men’s record from Ryan Gregson (2:14:05, set in 2025) still stands, and with Gregson having dropped to the half marathon in 2026, the 2027 men’s title is genuinely open. The women’s record looks secure but watch for deep fields as the 2032 spotlight builds.

Who should run this? Runners chasing a PB at any level, first-timers wanting a flat and well-organised race, international visitors building a Queensland running trip and anyone working toward the Atlas Majors medal (Hobart, Brisbane, Cairns and Sunshine Coast). The festival structure also makes it a strong family trip: while you run 42 kilometres, the kids can do the 2km mini marathon and the whole group finishes the weekend at one of Australia’s best beach destinations.

Race at a Glance

What Makes the Sunshine Coast Marathon Worth Running?

You’re Running on the 2032 Olympic Marathon Route

This is not marketing. The Sunshine Coast is confirmed as the planned marathon venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. Running this race puts you on the same coastal roads that will carry the world’s best marathon runners in six years. That context changes how you see the Alexandra Headland start line, the stretch up through Mudjimba and the finish carpet back at the beach. It’s a rare thing to run a course before it becomes Olympic ground.

The Flat Course Delivers Genuine PBs

The elevation profile for this marathon is, for all practical purposes, a straight line. The course runs almost entirely at sea level on sealed roads and coastal paths. There are no significant hills anywhere on the route. The one mild gradient most runners notice is the Sunshine Motorway bridge crossing at around the 28-30km mark, which is barely a ripple on an elevation chart but can feel more meaningful after three hours of running. Beyond that, the course is legitimately flat. The men’s and women’s course records, 2:14:05 and 2:37:26, are proof that times run here are real. The race is AIMS-certified and accepted as a Boston Marathon qualifier and a World Marathon Majors qualifying race.

August Winter Weather is About as Good as Road Running Gets

Queensland gets a bad reputation from runners who associate the state with heat and humidity. August on the Sunshine Coast is the opposite. Race morning temperatures sit around 11-13°C at the 6am start, with low humidity and virtually no rainfall. The sky is typically clear and blue. By the time the mid-pack runners are pushing through the 35km mark, temperatures have climbed to around 18-21°C but remain comfortable. The only weather variable worth noting is a light southeasterly sea breeze that can work for or against you depending on which direction you’re running. On balance, these are among the best winter marathon conditions available on the east coast of Australia.

Part of the Atlas Majors Medal Series

Complete the full marathon at all four Atlas Events festivals — Hobart, Brisbane, Cairns and Sunshine Coast — and you receive the Atlas Majors Medal, an exclusive recognition for runners who go the full distance across the entire series. All past Sunshine Coast Marathon finishes count toward the medal, including those run on the old multi-loop course. For anyone systematically working through Australian marathons, this gives the race an extra purpose beyond the finish line.

Equal Prize Money and a Serious Elite Field

Prize money is paid equally to male and female competitors across the top four places. The race attracts genuine elite and sub-elite Australian talent alongside invited international runners. Ryan Gregson, one of Australia’s most decorated distance runners, set the single-lap course record here in 2025. Beth McKenzie set the women’s record in 2026. The elite presence raises the race-day atmosphere and means recreational runners share a start line with athletes who genuinely threaten national-level times. If you want to run behind real pacemakers and feel what a quality field does to your own performance, this is the right race to be at.

A Proper Festival With Something for Everyone

The Sunshine Coast Marathon isn’t just 42 kilometres on a Sunday morning. The event runs across four days, anchored by a free-entry runner’s expo at Buhk Family Park in Alexandra Headland. Race distances from 2km to 42.2km mean families can participate across different events on the same day. The event has a strong charity component, raising over AUD $2 million for community groups and organisations since it started in 2012. It feels like a race the Sunshine Coast owns and is proud of, rather than a commercial event dropped into a city that barely notices it’s happening.

The Course: Km by Km

Km 0-10: The Coastal Opening (Alexandra Headland to Mooloolaba)

The gun fires at 6am with the Sunshine Coast still largely in the dark, the ocean a barely visible presence to your right. The first kilometres run north along Alexandra Parade and the surrounding coastal road from Alexandra Headland, taking runners through the Mooloolaba precinct. The road is flat and wide. The pace feels easy, almost deceptively so. The 6am air temperature is around 12°C, which combined with the adrenaline of race morning creates a sensation that you could run this pace all day. The crowd support through Mooloolaba is solid, and the occasional glimpse of the beach through the buildings is a reminder of exactly where you are. Commit to running these kilometres conservatively. The course is giving you nothing right now, but it also isn’t taking anything either. Bank the discipline here.

Km 10-20: Through Cotton Tree and Maroochydore

After Mooloolaba, the course tracks north through the Cotton Tree and Maroochydore beachfront area. The Esplanade and surrounding streets carry you along the Maroochy River mouth, through one of the most photographed stretches of the course. By the 13.5km mark at Denna Street and Maroochy Waters Drive, you’ll pass the first cut-off checkpoint (8:01am). This section is comfortable and the surfaces are good. The sun is up by now, though still low. Spectators at the Cotton Tree Park vantage point around this section give the race a genuine race-day feel. The rhythm of running near the ocean does something to your perception of effort. It all feels sustainable. Keep checking your watch.

Km 20-25: Into Twin Waters and the Mudjimba Turnaround

Somewhere around km 20 the character of the course quietly shifts. You move away from the concentrated coastal strip into the Twin Waters and surrounding residential areas. The road through here is still flat but the scenery changes, there are fewer spectators and the course becomes more exposed. By the time you reach the 25km turnaround on Mudjimba Esplanade, you are 2 to 2.5 hours into the race. The cut-off here is 9:45am. Mudjimba itself is a beautiful spot but you’ll be too deep in your race to fully appreciate it. The turnaround is a psychological milestone. Half the race is behind you. What comes next is the real test.

Km 25-32: The Return Via Ocean Drive and the Sunshine Motorway Bridge

The return leg is where the Sunshine Coast Marathon separates runners who paced well from those who didn’t. You’re running south now, back toward Alexandra Headland, and for several kilometres through the Ocean Drive and Twin Waters sections the crowd support is sparse. The 28.5km checkpoint at Ocean Drive/Nojoor Road has a cut-off of 10:16am. Shortly after, you cross the Sunshine Motorway Bridge. On the course map it looks like nothing. In reality there’s a gentle rise on both sides that most recreational runners will feel in their legs far more than the elevation profile suggests is reasonable. This is the section where the repetitive flat stride pattern of the previous 30km begins to accumulate into real fatigue. The views from the bridge are genuinely spectacular. Look up briefly. Then get back to work.

Km 32-39: The Hurt Locker Back Through Maroochydore

From km 32 back into Maroochydore and Cotton Tree, you’re running on roads you’ve already covered earlier in the race. The 34km checkpoint at Deanna Street and Bradman Avenue has a cut-off of 11:06am. The Activations Alley zone near The Esplanade and Duporth Avenue brings the largest mid-course crowd of the return leg, which can either lift you or feel like cruel irony depending on how your legs are holding up. By km 39 at The Esplanade/First Avenue (cut-off 11:51am), most recreational runners are well into their pain zone. The flat course has been running every muscle in the same plane for over three hours. There is no downhill to give you a reprieve. There is only pace, or the lack of it.

Km 39-42.2: The Final Run Home to Alexandra Headland

The last three kilometres back to Alexandra Headland are flat and largely uninterrupted. The finish line on the carpet at the Alexandra Headland precinct is, by race standards, a genuine hero’s finish — the crowd is loud, the finish chute is long enough to actually enjoy and the post-finish area at the Alexandra Surf Club and Buhk Family Park gives you somewhere to sit down properly. Crossing the line here, with the ocean behind you and the Sunshine Coast skyline framing the moment, is the kind of finish that makes the effort feel exactly worth it.

Registration

Registration for the 2027 EVA Air Sunshine Coast Marathon is open. Enter via the official Active.com portal. Distances may sell out before race weekend — the marathon in particular has sold out in previous years. The fee structure below is based on the 2026 pricing tiers and may be updated for 2027; verify current pricing at sunshinecoastmarathon.com.au/race-fees before registering.

EVA Air Marathon (42.2km) — Entry Fees

Other Distance Entry Fees (Indicative, based on 2026 structure)

Processing fees apply at checkout. Parents already entered in another distance do not need to pay separately to accompany a child in the 2km event.

Race Weekend Schedule

The 2027 schedule below is projected from the 2026 event structure. The 2027 race day is Sunday 1 August. Confirm all times and activities at sunshinecoastmarathon.com.au closer to the event.

Expo and Packet Pickup

Weather on Race Day

August on the Sunshine Coast is Queensland’s winter sweet spot: dry, clear and cool enough for fast running. The race starts at 6am when temperatures are typically around 11-13°C. By the time mid-pack runners hit the Mudjimba turnaround at approximately 9-10am, it has warmed to 17-21°C with low humidity. Compare that to the Gold Coast in January or the Sydney Marathon in a warm September and you understand why this race regularly produces strong times. The main variable is a light coastal breeze; a southeasterly on the return leg can slow you down slightly on the exposed Twin Waters section. There is essentially no rain risk in August.

Prize Money and Elite Information

Prize money at the Sunshine Coast Marathon is paid equally to male and female competitors. Finishing position is based on gun time, not chip time. Prize money is in Australian dollars and subject to Australian income tax for non-residents. Anti-doping controls are in place and prize money is conditional on passing any required doping measures.

Marathon Incentive Bonus

An incentive bonus is paid to the overall winner only (male and female separately) if they finish in or under the target times listed. Only one incentive is payable per event. The incentive is in addition to the place prize money.

Past Results: Defending Champions

Results below are from the 2026 edition (2 August 2026) and represent the defending champions heading into 2027. The single-lap course has been in use since 2025. Full results at MultiSport Australia.

2026 Marathon Results

★ Beth McKenzie’s 2:37:26 is the current women’s course record (single-lap format). Ryan Gregson dropped to the half marathon in 2026, winning in 1:04:01. His men’s marathon course record of 2:14:05 (2025) still stands.

Course Records (Single-Lap Format, 2025-present)

Recent Marathon Champions

★ Course record (single-lap format). Note: 2024 and earlier results were set on the multi-loop format.

Spectator Guide

The single-lap course is good for spectators who plan ahead. You can reasonably see runners at two or three points if you move between vantage spots by car. The start and finish at Alexandra Headland is where the biggest crowd concentrates. Mid-course, Cotton Tree and Mudjimba offer good access and genuine cheering atmosphere.

Where to Stay

Alexandra Headland is the ideal base — you can walk to the start line, walk back from the finish and avoid all the road closure stress. It books out quickly for race weekend, particularly the Friday and Saturday nights before the Sunday race. Mooloolaba and Maroochydore are a short drive or easy rideshare away and offer more options at a range of price points. Caloundra is 15-20 minutes south and is where the official accommodation partner is based.

International Runners: Visa and Travel

A Short History of the Sunshine Coast Marathon

The Sunshine Coast Marathon ran for the first time in 2012, a relatively modest community event on Queensland’s beachfront strip that no one at the time would have predicted would carry Olympic significance within a decade. Organised by Atlas Events (then Atlas Multisports), the race was built around the simple proposition that the Sunshine Coast’s mid-winter weather, flat coastal roads and spectacular beaches were too good a setting to leave without a proper running festival. It was right.

Over the years that followed, the race grew from a local event into one of Australia’s most recognised marathon festivals. It achieved AIMS certification, gained World Athletics label status and added a half marathon, 10km, 5km and 2km to the program — building a structure that worked as much for first-time 5km runners as it did for elite marathon athletes. The event’s charity model, which has raised over AUD $2 million for community groups and organisations since 2012, became central to its identity rather than an afterthought. By 2019, Japanese runner Saeki Makino had run 2:16:18 on the old multi-loop course; in 2025, Ryan Gregson pushed the single-lap course record to 2:14:05 — numbers that signal a race operating at a genuinely competitive level.

The biggest structural change came with the 2025 edition’s shift to a single-lap course. The old multi-loop format had served the event well through its growth years but the single-lap route provided better race flow, more scenery per kilometre and a cleaner competitive dynamic. The 2032 Brisbane Olympics announcement gave the race a new context entirely. The Sunshine Coast is the confirmed venue for the Olympic and Paralympic marathon events. Every race run on this coastal route between now and 2032 is a preview of what the world will watch. That is a remarkable thing for a festival that started as a community run on a quiet August morning in 2012.

How the Sunshine Coast Marathon Compares

Prize money figures reflect recent editions and may change annually. All AUD unless noted. Sunshine Coast and Brisbane are both in August — you cannot run both full marathons in the same year unless doing back-to-back weekends, which is not recommended.