Eliud Kipchoge won the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday in 2:09:10, a course record, finishing 1 minute 25 seconds clear of Australia’s Thomas Do Canto (2:10:35). His time took two seconds off Timothy Ronoh’s 2:09:12 from 2022, on a course redesigned this year to be flatter and faster.
After finishing second in Cape Town in May, he went one better in Melbourne. Melbourne was the third stop of his seven-continent tour, run alongside a field the organisers said would be the biggest in the race’s history.
- Date: Sunday 11 October 2026, 6:15am start; finish inside the MCG
- Men’s winner: Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya), 2:09:10, course record
- Women’s winner: Camille French (New Zealand), 2:28:25
- Second and third: Thomas Do Canto (Australia), 2:10:35; Reece Edwards (Australia), 2:14:32
- Field: up to 20,000 in the marathon, the biggest the race has allowed
- Course records before the race: 2:09:12 (Timothy Ronoh, 2022) and 2:25:19 (Sinead Diver, 2018)
- Prize: A$25,000 to each winner
Melbourne Marathon 2026 results
| Men | Time |
|---|---|
| 1. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) | 2:09:10 (course record) |
| 2. Thomas Do Canto (Australia) | 2:10:35 |
| 3. Reece Edwards (Australia) | 2:14:32 |
| Women | Time |
|---|---|
| 1. Camille French (New Zealand) | 2:28:25 |
| 2. Sinead Diver (Australia) | 2:28:49 |
| 3. Nichola Sheridan (Ireland) | 2:29:13 |
Melbourne Marathon 2026, top three. Source: official results (MultiSport Australia).
Do Canto, racing in the 40–44 age category, finished 1:25 behind Kipchoge for second. Reece Edwards made it two Australians on the podium, third in 2:14:32. New Zealand’s Camille French won the women’s race in 2:28:25, 24 seconds ahead of Sinead Diver (2:28:49), who set the women’s course record here in 2018 and raced in the 45–49 category. Ireland’s Nichola Sheridan was third in 2:29:13.
How Kipchoge went
Kipchoge won in 2:09:10, breaking the course record by two seconds. It was his best result of the tour so far, after second place in Cape Town.
Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic marathon champion and former world record holder, isn’t racing to win on his world tour. He’s running “to celebrate the people on the course” (Marathon Handbook). He ran 2:13:29 at the Cape Town Marathon in May, the first stop of the tour (Marathon Handbook).
Half marathon results
Seth O’Donnell won the half marathon in 1:01:20, 3 minutes 8 seconds clear of Logan Janetzki (1:04:28), with Liam Cashin third in 1:04:48. New Zealand’s Georgie Grgec won the women’s half in 1:09:24, ahead of Tara Palm (1:12:06) and Donve Viljoen (1:13:14).
Was the new course faster?
Organisers redesigned the course for 2026, removing the climb from Birdwood Avenue to Domain Road at about 36 km, cutting up to 20% of the elevation and 30% of the turns, and dropping the false finish on Southbank Boulevard (Marathon Handbook). On the evidence of the men’s race, yes: Kipchoge’s 2:09:10 is the fastest time ever run at the Melbourne Marathon.
Wondering how your own time compares? Here’s what counts as a good marathon time, and the average by age.
Past winners
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jack Rayner, 2:15:02 | Caitlin Adams, 2:30:26 |
| 2026 | Eliud Kipchoge, 2:09:10 | Camille French, 2:28:25 |
Racing elsewhere that weekend: Perth Running Festival results, the Gravel World Championships and the other winners from 10–11 October. Inspired to run one yourself? Our free 16-week marathon training plan gets a beginner to the start line.
Next up: Team Australia starts the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships at Kembla Grange, NSW, at 11pm AEDT on Saturday 17 October, live in more than 70 countries at once.
Melbourne Marathon 2026 FAQ
Who won the 2026 Melbourne Marathon?
Eliud Kipchoge won the men’s race in 2:09:10, a course record. Thomas Do Canto was second in 2:10:35 and Reece Edwards third in 2:14:32. Camille French won the women’s race in 2:28:25.
What time did Kipchoge run in Melbourne?
2:09:10. He won the race and broke the course record by two seconds.
Where can I find my Melbourne Marathon results?
Official results and tracking are on the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival app and the official website.
What is the Melbourne Marathon course record?
Before 2026: 2:09:12 for men (Timothy Ronoh, 2022) and 2:25:19 for women (Sinead Diver, 2018). Kipchoge’s 2:09:10 is now the men’s course record. Sinead Diver’s 2:25:19 still stands for women.
