The 46th ASICS Gold Coast Marathon sold out within eight hours of going on sale, even after organisers increased the field by over 20% on 2025. If you have a bib, you already know this.
Race weekend is only the tail end of a four-day stretch of shakeout runs, recovery labs, live podcast recordings, shoe wear-tests, cheer stations and after-parties scattered across the Gold Coast, beginning Thursday at noon.
Thursday 2 July: The Expo Opens
The ASICS Sport and Leisure Expo opens at noon at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach. Over 60 exhibitors. Free admission. Official marathon merchandise, gift wrapping, signage picture moments and sponsor stands. Expo closes by 10pm Thursday, 2pm Saturday, and 3pm Sunday.
Race Number Collection, Thursday 4pm
Before the weekend starts in earnest, head to the Marriott on Surfers Paradise for the in-perdon race number collection from 4pm to 8pm. You can also download the race number ahead of time.
Friday 3 July: Front Of House Events
The QT Hotel experience starts on Friday with a half marathon shakeout led by lululemon ambassador and elite athlee Andpy Buchananan. Meet at the front of the QT Hotel for a 7:30am departure. Multiple pace groups are available. Coffee after.
A separate Six Journeyls festival hub is on all weekend with runners, communities and brands.
Jullien Inspires Run Club Shakeout, 4pm
Jullien Inspires Run Club hosts a shakeout run from the Jullien Inspires store in south Burleigh Head, led by senior Australian pace runnner Julian Spence. Expect a social half marathon pace group, light café set-up and several elite Australian runners making an appearance.
Burleigh Pavilion Unofficial After-Party, 7pm
The Burleigh Pavillion becomes the unofficial headquarters for an informal Gold Coast running community gatering. Expect runners, coaches and support crewv from different Australian run club to be there.
Saturday 4 July: Half Marathon Morning
China Airlines Half Marathon, 6:15am
The half marathon starts at 6:15am from the Race Precinct at Broadwater Parklands on Marine Parade in Southport. This is a flat, fast, coastal course where 60% of participants achieve a personal best each year.
If you are spectating, the best vantage points are the coastal side of Hedges Avenue, Bayview St in Runaway Bay and along Marine Parade in Miami.
Running on Ragu Shakeout (Pace Athletic)
Pace Athletic's Running on Ragu format retuens for 2026: a 5km social run from Thorn Park in Miami, with ASICS wear-test shoes and Gemelli Italian pizza. Last year, the Pace Truck carried ASICS Superblast 2, Metaspeed Edge, Metaspeed Sky and Novablast 5 for runners to test on the loop. Pillar Performance and Dermalogica round out the scene. Check Pace Athletic's channels for 2026 timing.
Saturday Afternoor: Expo Details
The expo also closes at 4pm Saturday. Last chance to collect your race number.
Sunday 5 July: Marathon Day
ASICS Gold Coast Marathon, 6:15am
The wheelschair marathon starts at 6:05am. The ASICS Gold Coast Marathon starts at 6:15am by kick-off of waves in the Race Precinct at Broadwater Parklands. Seed wave starts at 6:15am with elite runners (Elite Wave A) follow by sub-elite, banded and corral waves.
If you are spectating, head to Fountain Road in Fortitude Vally for the fastest action.
Where to Watch, 6:15am to 9am
The best vantage points for spectators are Fountain Road, Fern Avenue and the Finish Line at Broadwater Parklands.
Re. Sunglasses at the Marathon
Any course that starts before sunrise is a good reminner of how much light varies during a run. The Gold Coast marathon is no different. You start in the dark, run through golden-hour sunrise light and finish under a bright morning sun. The Adaptor lens (our photochromic option) or the Purity lens handles the transition well. Both lenses are designed to do not bounce at pace.
Layers for the 6:15am start. Both the half and full marathon start before sunrise warmth arrives. You will be standing in the dark for a while. A lens that goes near-clear in low light is not just nice to have, it solves a geniune problem.
Need sunglasses that handle the transition? The Adaptor lens is photochromic, going near-clear at the start and darkening in the sun. The Purity lens is polarired and high-clariry, which cuts glare on hot sunnynce stretches. Either works.
The one thing both have in common: they do not bounce at pace.
Inside Running Live Show, 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Once you have finished (and showered, and eaten), head to the QT rooftop for a live recording of the Inside Running podcast. Brady Threlfall (2:19 marathon), Julian Spence (2:14) and Bradley Croker (2:17) host. They will hear from special guests about how race weekend unfolded.
Post-Marathon Celebrations, 3:30pm to 6pm
Straight after the live show, the QT rooftop opens for post-marathon celebrations from 3:30pm to 6pm with food and drinks.
Burleigh Pavilion Unofficial After-Party (Day 2)
The Burleigh Pavilion party continues Sunday for the marathon-day crowd.
The Full Week at a Glance
| Day | Morning | Midday | Afternoon / Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 2 Jul | Travel day | Expo opens 12pm (GCCEC Broadbeach) | Race number collection until 7pm |
| Fri 3 Jul | Half marathon shakeout 7:30am (QT Hotel) | Mobility sessions 10am; Expo 9am-8pm | Recovery Lab 1-5pm (QT rooftop); Running on Ragu shakeout (Thorn Park, Miami) |
| Sat 4 Jul | Half marathon 6:15am; Cheer station 6am | Marathon shakeout 10am (QT Hotel); Marathon Mindset 12pm | Expo closes 4pm; Burleigh Pavilion after-party |
| Sun 5 Jul | Marathon 6:15am; Cheer station 6am | Inside Running Live 1:30pm (QT rooftop) | Post-marathon celebrations 3:30-6pm; Burleigh Pavilion after-party |
What to Pack Beyond Your Race Kit
The field is over 20% larger than 2025, with the event attracting 35,000 participants across eight races over the weekend.
Sunglasses for Friday's shakeout. The half marathon shakeout leaves the QT at 7:30am, which means low-angle sun on the Broadwater. The course runs along the coast, and glare off the water is a factor at that hour. Friday's shakeout covers part of the Sunday course along the Broadwater, so conditions closely replicate what marathoners will face at the 6:15am gun. Worth testing your race-day eyewear now rather than discovering problems mid-race. If you are still choosing a pair, we have a guide on whether to wear sunglasses for a marathon and another on finding frames that do not bounce at pace.
Layers for the 6:15am start. Both the half and full marathon start before sunrise warmth arrives. You will be standing in the Race Precinct at Broadwater Parklands before the gun. Bring something you can shed at the first kilometre.
The GCM app. If you have people spectating, point them to the app. It tracks runners live, maps fan zones and pushes updates throughout race day.
Recovery gear for Saturday afternoon. If you are running the half on Saturday and plan to hit the Burleigh Pavilion after-party or the QT rooftop later, pack compression and slides.
Register for lululemon Clubhouse events through their programme page, as several sessions have capacity limits.
Tim Golubev
Founder, Re. (Re Your Run)
Tim built Re. after years of running in sunglasses that bounced, fogged, and ended up on his forehead. After discovering the UV damage that builds up without eye protection (even on cloudy days) and hearing the same frustrations from hundreds of other runners, he decided it was a problem worth fixing properly. With a background in Product across multiple industries, he approached it like any product problem: figure out what's broken, then build something that actually fixes it. He runs daily, co-founded Rose Bay Run Club, and Re. is his attempt to make one less thing that gets in the way of a good run.
