Sydney Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
Mid-September · A challenging course with meaningful climbs · 300 m total ascent · 80 m net downhill
The newest World Marathon Major, added in 2024. Starts at North Sydney, crosses the Harbour Bridge in the first kilometre, and finishes in front of the Opera House. Net-descending overall, but three significant climbs past halfway through the eastern suburbs make it surprisingly demanding.
The Sydney Marathon is a challenging course with meaningful climbs — rated 4/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 970 ft (300 m) and loses 1230 ft (380 m), with a net drop of 80 m (262 ft). Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 2 (near mile 1), demanding about 13% more effort than the same distance on flat ground. The steepest pitch on course reaches 8.9%.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Sydney, NSW, Australia |
| Total ascent | 970 ft (300 m) |
| Total descent | 1230 ft (380 m) |
| Elevation range | 86 m (285 ft) |
| Net elevation | -262 ft (-80 m) |
| Steepest grade | 8.9% |
| Difficulty | 4/5 |
| Field size | ≈25,000 runners |
| Race day | Mid-September |
| Elevation from | NSW 5M Elevation (Australia, 5 m) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Key segments
| km 0–10 | Start to 10K. Net downhill, 85 m (+90 / −175 m), about 3% easier than flat. |
|---|---|
| km 10–21.1 | 10K to halfway. Net uphill, 25 m (+85 / −65 m), about 2% harder than flat. |
| km 21.1–30 | Halfway to 30K. Rolling (+35 / −30 m), about 1% harder than flat. |
| km 30–42.2 | 30K to the finish. Net downhill, 15 m (+80 / −95 m). |
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:34 | 7:21 | -139 ft (-42 m) | 4:34 |
| 2 | 4:53 | 7:51 | -114 ft (-35 m) | 9:26 |
| 3 | 6:26 | 10:21 | +63 ft (+19 m) | 15:52 |
| 4 | 5:14 | 8:25 | -69 ft (-21 m) | 21:06 |
| 5 | 5:35 | 9:00 | -13 ft (-4 m) | 26:41 |
| 6 | 6:12 | 9:59 | +49 ft (+15 m) | 32:54 |
| 7 | 5:19 | 8:34 | -46 ft (-14 m) | 38:13 |
| 8 | 5:42 | 9:10 | -1 ft (0 m) | 43:55 |
| 9 | 6:10 | 9:56 | +46 ft (+14 m) | 50:05 |
| 10 | 5:17 | 8:30 | -50 ft (-15 m) | 55:23 |
| 11 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:01:07 |
| 12 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:06:51 |
| 13 | 5:51 | 9:24 | +14 ft (+4 m) | 1:12:41 |
| 14 | 5:58 | 9:35 | +25 ft (+8 m) | 1:18:39 |
| 15 | 6:17 | 10:07 | +58 ft (+18 m) | 1:24:56 |
| 16 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 1:30:34 |
| 17 | 6:24 | 10:18 | +70 ft (+21 m) | 1:36:59 |
| 18 | 5:25 | 8:44 | -31 ft (-9 m) | 1:42:24 |
| 19 | 5:27 | 8:45 | -28 ft (-9 m) | 1:47:50 |
| 20 | 5:48 | 9:20 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 1:53:39 |
| 21 | 5:26 | 8:45 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:59:05 |
| 22 | 5:42 | 9:11 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:04:47 |
| 23 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:10:26 |
| 24 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 2:16:11 |
| 25 | 5:43 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:21:54 |
| 26 | 5:56 | 9:33 | +24 ft (+7 m) | 2:27:49 |
| 27 | 5:58 | 9:36 | +28 ft (+8 m) | 2:33:47 |
| 28 | 5:34 | 8:57 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 2:39:21 |
| 29 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:45:00 |
| 30 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 2:50:37 |
| 31 | 5:58 | 9:36 | +28 ft (+8 m) | 2:56:35 |
| 32 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 3:02:22 |
| 33 | 5:31 | 8:53 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:07:53 |
| 34 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:13:36 |
| 35 | 6:15 | 10:03 | +55 ft (+17 m) | 3:19:51 |
| 36 | 5:32 | 8:55 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:25:24 |
| 37 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 3:31:02 |
| 38 | 5:06 | 8:12 | -70 ft (-21 m) | 3:36:08 |
| 39 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -43 ft (-13 m) | 3:41:28 |
| 40 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +13 ft (+4 m) | 3:47:18 |
| 41 | 6:01 | 9:41 | +31 ft (+10 m) | 3:53:20 |
| 42 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:59:07 |
| 42.2 | 4:34 | 7:21 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sydney Marathon flat or hilly?
The Sydney Marathon is a challenging course with meaningful climbs (4/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 970 ft (300 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Sydney Marathon have?
About 970 ft (300 m) of total ascent and 1230 ft (380 m) of descent, for a net change of -262 ft (-80 m). Elevation is sampled from NSW 5M Elevation (Australia, 5 m) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Sydney Marathon course?
Kilometre 2 (near mile 1) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 13% more effort than flat running. The steepest grade on course is 8.9%.
How long is the Sydney Marathon?
42.195 km (26.2 miles), the standard marathon distance. Certified courses are measured along the shortest legal line with a small safety margin, so a GPS watch usually reads a few hundred metres long — you run wider than the measured line, and GPS adds error of its own. Pace off the course markers rather than your watch's distance in the closing kilometres.
When is the Sydney Marathon?
The Sydney Marathon is typically held in mid-September. The next edition is expected around September 15, 2027. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Sydney Marathon?
The field is roughly 25,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Sydney Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Sydney race
Courses like this one
- Vancouver Marathon — 4/5 difficulty, 980 ft (300 m) ascent
- Los Angeles Marathon — 4/5 difficulty, 940 ft (290 m) ascent
- Charlotte Marathon — 4/5 difficulty, 1010 ft (310 m) ascent
How Sydney Marathon ranks
- Hilliest marathon courses — ranked 7 of 20 (970 ft (300 m) of climbing)
- Net-downhill marathon courses — ranked 4 of 13 (260 ft (80 m) net drop)
- Hardest marathon courses — ranked 6 of 20 (4/5 — 970 ft (300 m) up, 1,230 ft (380 m) down)
- World Marathon Majors compared — ranked 7 of 7 (970 ft (300 m) of climbing)
- Biggest marathons by field size — ranked 17 of 20 (≈25,000 runners)
Official race site: https://sydneymarathon.com/