Great Ocean Road Marathon - Race Reviews

I ran the full marathon in 2017. The race is between Lorne and Apollo Bay, the original section of the Great Ocean Road (which now more or less extends from Torquay to the South Australian border). Note that this race is 44Km, though they have a marker and timer at 42.195 for those wanting to know their 'official' time. The race starts in Lorne and ends in Apollo Bay. It's spectacular scenery all the way and because there are only 1500 odd entrants in the full marathon, it's never too squishy at the start, but always enough runners so you never feel isolated. Being held in May in Victoria the weather will never be hot (which is a good thing); this year was absolutely perfect running weather, clear skies, mild weather and no rain. Drink stations are fairly regular, more or less 5Km intervals. Water / sport drink gets handed out individually by the volunteers in paper cups. Usually porta loos at the drink stations too. The scenery is steep cliff on the left, with million dollar view of the ocean and forest on the right. Amazing really. Everyone should run/drive this road at least once. It's a hilly, windy stretch of road, but the hills are actually not too bad; there's only two steep bits, at Mount Defiance and Cape Patton. The trick is to go steady on the uphills and smash the downhill. If you work too hard on the uphill you'll be wrecked at the top and not be able to take advantage of the other side. In any case the last 10Km or so is quite flat. The race finishes in Apollo Bay and you might overtake some of the slow halfers near the end (but we are all in it together!). This was my 8th marathon and I actually thought it was my easiest, depsite the hills I was only 3 minutes off my PB from Tokyo. Pros: - amazing scenery! - great atmosphere in Lorne / Apollo Bay and within the running group. - Small size gives it a friendly feel. - great volunteers, made you feel like an individual. Cons: - Could have had more drink stations towards the end. - Should have a bus service for spectators based in Lorne. - Why not run the event in the opposite direction? It's easier to get home to Melbourne from Lorne than from Apollo Bay. I would love to do this again next year!

I ran this spectacular course and we had perfect conditions, no wind, cool but refreshing, the ocean views were to die for. There were 1200 or so marathoners and the start line was abuzz in Lorne, friendly bunch of runners, I love checking everyone out. I saw two barefoot runners and a few people dressed up, Mario & Luigi, to name a pair of cheeky runners! Cheeky because short shorts!! The first half of the 45km flew by, I was comfortable and realized the hills were hills! Loved looking out to the ocean & focusing on the sounds of the waves - not much spectator along the way because of the road closures but there were surfers & people fishing, and people sprinkled along the way. Heard one very experienced marathoner mention she didn't give the course the respect it deserved as she struggled up one of the many undulations. 39kms in, came into a water stop and refuled and saw my mum, who cheered me along, I knew I was on my home stretch, feeling every step, got clocked at 42.2 and knew I was running a strong race but knew I had 3 more to go, road was flat, the highlight was to come, spectators everywhere, it was like an avenue of spectators for about 300mtrs, it was excellent, saw mum again and my Bestie waiting at the finish, the finish stops bang right infront of the pub, which was where I ended up straight after my recovery wade in the crisp Apollo Bay Beach - which I'd been planning since we'd left 4.20 hours before hand - will be back!

If you want a course with great views this is a good choice. It is also a very hilly course along great costline. It is also a little longer than a marathon (45K rather than 42.2K). They did give you a marathon distance time though if you finish the race. The runners seemed more fit in general than in the US. The bad thing about the course is it does not go along the best parts of the Great Ocean road so you will want to view those before hand (12 Apostiles). It is really a nice run though. I think they did not provide sports drink until a while into the run also but there was water.

My first marathon. Ot was a lot harder on my body than I thought it would be, but thankfully the stunning location of the GOR Marathon meant no giving up! The course winds and inclines, but it's worth it - just try to remember to look to your left and enjoy the view!

This race is beautiful - truly one of the best roads I have ever run on. And everyone is so friendly. It has a very small-town feel to the race - and I like that - but they can learn from some of the bigger ones. For instance, they give full 16-ounce bottles of water at the stops - that's way too much, and it's wasteful. They could have more mileage signage and their goody bags were geared towards men. Due to the nature of the road, there are not many places for spectators at all, so you run alone for most of it.

Coming from Singapore and having never been to the area, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd been told the course was "undulating"... err, that means hilly! The weather was cold at the start and looked like a lot of rain to come, but the strong winds kept it away! On the whole, the conditions were pretty good for running - cool, and a little sun toward the last hour or two of the run. At some points at the higher sections the wind did make me feel like I was going backwards though. There were hardly any spectators, as you would expect for a marathon with only a few hundred runners running on a completely closed stretch of coastal road. Those that I did come across were really encouraging and a lot of fun - 5 of 5 for encouragement, but 1 of 5 for numbers!! It suited me just fine. As a first-timer and back-of-the-packer, there were times where all I could see ahead of me were 1-2 folks and mile upon mile of rugged shoreline. In hindsight, my second marathon was always going to be a disappointment after that day. Organization was pretty good, although the green tea drink was wholly inappropriate for a marathon! I stuck to water and GU. The icing on the cake - my wife and children were waiting for me at the finish with a big bag of chips! Having since done the Singapore Marathon - with upwards of 15,000 runners - I think I'll be supporting the small runs like this one in future, and I've realized that the course matters to me the most. I have unfinished business with this road and I'll be back one day.

First marathon for me and while I was very daunted, it is an achievable feat! So if you are considering it for your first, don't be put off by the hills and weather - it is a wonderful course with enthusiastic organizers. And if it were easy it would not feel so good!

As a local resident and one who cycles along the GOR between Aireys Inlet and Apollo Bay (plus being a tour operator showing visitors the coastline koalas, kangaroos, etc.), any opportunity to be on that road with no cars is one to grasp. I have completed 9 marathons and numerous half marathons including the 3 that have been run on the GOR in May of each of those years - and if my body lets me, I may enter the full marathon in the future. It has been great to see the number of participants increase each year; it's good to meet, run with and encourage others - and to enjoy the wonderful satisfaction to reach the finish line. May this fabulous event continue to grow.

I'd planned to do a marathon for 20+ years and never quite got around to entering. Now that I've done the first two along the Great Ocean Road, I can't imagine that there is a better place to run one. As a local, I drive and ride the road regularly but have never really had the chance to enjoy it on foot before (for 4:39 and 3:59 hrs). It is brilliant... I even kind of forgot how much I was hurting. The weather was kind in '05 and '06. One day we'll get a wet one into the teeth of the prevailing south westerly. Now that's a challenge I'm looking forward to! I'm up for it again this year. See you there!!!

I run at the back of the pack and did the Great Ocean Road for the first time this year. I was initially worried about the 6:30 cutoff, but to my surprise I did the 45KM in 5:30 and 42.2 in just five hours. It's so beautiful and that feeling lasts for about 20 KMs; then the weather changes, and I did the second half of the race in rain and wind. BUT it's such a thrill to finish this one. I've now done 14 marathons since starting running at age 42. This is one of the most challenging and yet fulfilling. Wonderfully organized, though I do agree that the KM signs were confusing at times.

The GO was my first marathon and I chose to do this one after speaking to various people about their marathon experiences. They told me 'if you're going to do one marathon in your life time, do the Great Ocean Road one. Easily the most spectacular race course ever' - comments I can now validate. Although still in its infancy, the GO marathon event was run extremely well. Volunteers, drink stations, safety and first aid were never an issue. I only have one recommendation: clearer signs to allow participants to better accurately gauge the remaining distances (especially near the time checks). All in all, definitely one of the most rewarding experiences! My wife and I will definitely be back in 2007. Number 129.

The Great Ocean Road in Australia in one of the most scenic coastlines in the world and some nutter decided to whack a marathon race on it. 2005 marked the inaugural run from the town of Lorne to the town of Apollo Bay - a distance of 45km but you get timed also at the 42.2. A winding course, up and down hills, with a slight headwind coming in from the southern ocean. A brilliant drive in a car but a damned hard road to run. About 3 hours from the city of Melbourne, and it's an isolated coastline, making it all the better to pit the individual against the elements. Destined to be one of the world's great runs!