The Bondi to Manly Ultra Marathon returns this year, and for Manly residents and runners across the northern beaches, the significance is personal: the finish line lands at Manly Beach, the northern anchor of one of the world’s great urban running routes.
The 80-kilometre course starts at Bondi Pavilion and runs the full length of the Bondi to Manly Walk north to the finish at Manly Beach, passing 49 beaches, clifftop trails over the eastern suburbs, harbour foreshore paths, national parks, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge along the way. It is the world’s original urban ultra marathon, and it finishes at one of the most celebrated beach strips in the country.
For 2026, the event enters a new chapter under the management of MARI, the global events company behind the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival and the Great Ocean Road Running Festival. Founding CEO Elle Pacholski and the Bondi to Manly Walk Supporters Group remain as owner and advisory partner, ensuring the race retains its community roots as it grows.
Marcus Gale, managing director of MARI Australia, described the race as something rare in the global events calendar.
“The Bondi to Manly Ultra is a defining expression of Sydney’s identity and the enduring human spirit of athletic endeavour,” Gale said.
Not Just for Ultra Runners
The solo 80-kilometre category is the race’s centrepiece, open to participants aged 18 and over and drawing elite athletes alongside determined recreational runners from across Australia and internationally. But the 2026 edition makes the course accessible in new ways through its relay options.
A two-person relay splits the course into roughly 40 kilometres each. A four-person relay splits the journey into four stages, with legs ranging from 17km to 23km, perfect for runners who usually focus on the half-marathon distance. While the four-person relay is open to runners aged 16 and over, the solo and two-person categories remain an 18-plus challenge due to the longer distances involved.
All finishers receive a t-shirt, race number with timing device and finisher’s medal. Entries are strictly limited and the event sells out.
Running for More Than a Medal
The Bondi to Manly Ultra is a not-for-profit event. Every dollar raised goes directly to the Bondi to Manly Walk Supporters Group and is reinvested into the maintenance and enhancement of the coastal track that the course runs along. Entering the race is a contribution to the landscape that makes Manly’s foreshore and the northern beaches walking network what they are.
The 2026 Bondi to Manly Ultra will commence on Saturday 24 October 2026. To register for the event, click here. Follow the event on Facebook for course and logistics updates in the lead-up to October.
