Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
Running Lorne? Do your long runs with the gel you will race on. Get them on Amazon Amazon partner link
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Great Ocean Road Running Festival
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 08:008:00 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- 44 km
- Entry fee
- A$175
- For the 2027 race
- Time limit
- 6 h 30 min
The course
The Great Ocean Road Marathon is a 44 km point-to-point run that starts at the Lorne SLSC car park and finishes at the Apollo Bay Hotel.
- 44 km along the Great Ocean Road, Lorne to Apollo Bay44 km, not 42.195: Lorne SLSC car park to the Apollo Bay Hotel on the Great Ocean Road.
- An 8:00 start in Lorne and a bus back from Apollo Bay8:00am start, 6 h 30 limit, buses Apollo Bay to Lorne before and after the race.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometry44 km along the Great Ocean Road, Lorne to Apollo Bay44 km, not 42.195: Lorne SLSC car park to the Apollo Bay Hotel on the Great Ocean Road.
The organiser lists the marathon at 44 km, with the start at the Lorne SLSC car park on Mount Joy Parade and the finish at the Apollo Bay Hotel on the Great Ocean Road. It puts 12 drink stations on the course and offers Brooks pace groups. The 60 km ultra marathon starts at the same time in Lorne.
Sourced
Whole courseTacticsAn 8:00 start in Lorne and a bus back from Apollo Bay8:00am start, 6 h 30 limit, buses Apollo Bay to Lorne before and after the race.
The point-to-point course needs a lift at each end. Before the race buses take runners from Apollo Bay to the start in Lorne; after it return buses leave Apollo Bay (Thomson Street) from about 12:00pm, and the final bus leaves at 3:30pm sharp. A bus pass is bought through the entry process. The entry is $175 AUD, the minimum age is 18 on race day, and race bibs are posted to Australian addresses for entries made by 31 March 2027.
Sourced
Race weekend
Bib pickup at Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving ClubFriday 14 May Bib pickup
-
09:009:00 AM–18:006:00 PM
Race Week Office, Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving Club Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving Club. Race packs and registration help. Race bibs must be collected before Sunday. -
15:003:00 PM–19:307:30 PM
Race Week Office, Lorne Foreshore, Mountjoy Parade Lorne Foreshore, Mountjoy Parade. Race packs and registration help. Race bibs must be collected before Sunday.
Saturday 15 May Last bib day
-
08:008:00 AM–18:006:00 PM
Race Week Office, Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving Club Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving Club. Race packs and registration help. Race bibs must be collected before Sunday. -
09:009:00 AM–20:008:00 PM
Race Week Office, Lorne Foreshore, Mountjoy Parade Lorne Foreshore, Mountjoy Parade. Race packs and registration help. Race bibs must be collected before Sunday.
Other races (3)
-
10:3010:30 AM
1.5km Kids Gallop start Apollo Bay. Saturday race. -
11:3011:30 AM
6km Run start Apollo Bay. Saturday race. -
13:001:00 PM
14km Paradise Run start Apollo Bay. Saturday race.
Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.
Number belt on AmazonAmazon partner link
Sunday 16 May Race day
-
08:008:00 AM
Marathon start Lorne SLSC Car Park, Mount Joy Parade, Lorne. The 44 km marathon finishes at the Apollo Bay Hotel on the Great Ocean Road. The 60 km ultra marathon starts at the same time from Lorne. -
12:0012:00 PM
Return buses leave Apollo Bay Thomson Street, Apollo Bay. Return buses to Lorne from about 12:00pm; the final bus leaves at 3:30pm. A bus pass bought with the entry is required. -
Time not published
Marathon time limit 6 hours and 30 minutes. The marathon course is 44 km. 6:30 limit: 9:14/km for 42.195 km6:30 limit: 14:52/mi for 26.2 mi
Other races (4)
-
08:008:00 AM
Half marathon (23 km) start Kennett River. Sunday race. -
08:458:45 AM
10km Run start Lorne. Sunday race. -
09:009:00 AM
5km Walk start Lorne. Sunday race. -
09:309:30 AM
12km Trail Run start Lorne. Sunday race.
Times as published by the organiser, in Lorne time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Lorne time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Lorne, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Great Ocean Road Running Festival
- When is the Great Ocean Road Running Festival 2027?
- Sunday 16 May 2027. The start is at 08:00.
- How do I enter the Great Ocean Road Running Festival?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: A$175 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the Great Ocean Road Running Festival?
- Runners have 6 h 30 min to finish.
- Where does the Great Ocean Road Running Festival start?
- Start: Lorne SLSC Car Park, Mount Joy Parade, Lorne.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Great Ocean Road Running Festival.
