Great Ocean Road Running Festival

The Great Ocean Road Running Festival is one of Australia’s most spectacular destination running events, held along the iconic Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia, between the coastal towns of Lorne and Apollo Bay. The race comprises of a full weekend of running, walking, music, wellness, family activities, and coastal festival programming. The event is a weekend-long celebration hosted in Lorne and Apollo Bay, and it is operated as an IMG event.

This is not a typical city marathon. The festival’s signature race, the 44 km Great Ocean Road Marathon, starts in Lorne and finishes in Apollo Bay, taking runners along one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world. Runners pass through seaside communities including Wye River, Kennett River, and Skenes Creek, with ocean views, forested sections, rolling terrain, and dramatic Southern Ocean scenery throughout. The event also includes the 60 km Ultra Marathon, 23 km Half Marathon, 14 km Paradise Run, 12 km Trail Run, 6 km Run, 1.5 km Kids’ Gallop, and 5 km / 10 km Great Ocean Road Walk, giving the weekend broad appeal for competitive runners, trail runners, walkers, families, and destination-race travellers.