Preparation guide · ASICS Gold Coast Marathon
Gold Coast Marathon 2027: split times, aid stations and how to run it
The next edition is on Sunday 4 July 2027 (weekend of 3–4 July 2027 according to the sources; the marathon is on Sunday. Start time is indicative), starting in Southport (Queensland, Australia) at 6:00. Here you have the Gold Coast Marathon and Gold Coast Half Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Gold Coast Marathon: route and profile
Stations from the official website: RS (full station, water and Fuel X) every 5 km and WS (water only) in between; at km 30 gels are available in limited supply.
The course, section by section
| Section | Length | What it's like and how to run it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Southport → Burleigh Heads km 0 | 15 km | South along the coast, through Surfers Paradise, to the turnaround at Burleigh Heads. Flat, at dawn. A dark, cool start: don't get carried away. Target pace from km 2 and drink at every station (one every 2.5 km). |
| 2. Back north through Surfers Paradise km 15 | 14 km | Back along the coast, with the sun up and often a headwind or crosswind off the sea. If there's a headwind, sit in a group. Gels every 30–40 minutes; the organisers' one comes at km 30. |
| 3. North: Labrador and Runaway Bay km 29 | 7 km | A quieter stretch north beside the bay to the last turnaround. The stretch with fewest spectators: go station to station and think only about the turnaround. |
| 4. Back to Southport and finish km 36 | 6.2 km | Back to Southport, finishing at the Broadwater Parklands. Whatever you have left, from km 38. Flat to the end: a good place to push. |
Route keys
- A flat, very fast course along the Queensland coast, run in winter with mild temperatures and sometimes a headwind on the coastal sections.
- There's a station every 2.5 km: those at km 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 are full stations (water and Fuel X) and those at km 2.5, 7.5, 12.5… are water only. Drink at all of them and, if you want salts, plan the sports drink at the full ones.
- The organisers hand out gels only at km 30, in limited supply: carry your own and use them at the points in your plan.
- The start is in the early morning, still dark or at dawn: throwaway clothes in the corral and warm up little, since it's cool at that hour.
1 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat, and your split times at your pace.
Split times
At an even pace (we haven't loaded the official track yet, so climbs and descents aren't adjusted: use it as a reference), with the clock time counted from the 06:00 gun. If you start from a later corral or wave, add the time it takes you to cross the start. Write yours down or wear them on a pace band: watch GPS usually reads long.
| Point | 3 h | 3 h 30 | 4 h | 4 h 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:20 6:21 | 0:24:53 6:24 | 0:28:26 6:28 | 0:32:00 6:32 |
| km 10 | 0:42:40 6:42 | 0:49:46 6:49 | 0:56:53 6:56 | 1:03:59 7:03 |
| km 15 | 1:03:59 7:03 | 1:14:39 7:14 | 1:25:19 7:25 | 1:35:59 7:35 |
| km 20 | 1:25:19 7:25 | 1:39:32 7:39 | 1:53:45 7:53 | 2:07:59 8:07 |
| Halfway | 1:30:00 7:30 | 1:45:00 7:45 | 2:00:00 8:00 | 2:15:00 8:15 |
| km 25 | 1:46:39 7:46 | 2:04:25 8:04 | 2:22:12 8:22 | 2:39:58 8:39 |
| km 30 | 2:07:59 8:07 | 2:29:18 8:29 | 2:50:38 8:50 | 3:11:58 9:11 |
| km 35 | 2:29:18 8:29 | 2:54:11 8:54 | 3:19:05 9:19 | 3:43:58 9:43 |
| km 40 | 2:50:38 8:50 | 3:19:05 9:19 | 3:47:31 9:47 | 4:15:57 10:15 |
| Finish | 3:00:00 9:00 | 3:30:00 9:30 | 4:00:00 10:00 | 4:30:00 10:30 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 3 h 30: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water. The organisers hand out gels at km 30: if they match your plan, those are gels you don't need to carry.
| Where | What's there | Time (for 3 h 30) | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 2.5 | water | 6:12 | ~100 ml |
| km 5.0 | water, sports drink | 6:25 | ~100 ml |
| km 7.5 | water | 6:37 | ~100 ml |
| km 10.0 | water, sports drink | 6:50 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 12.5 | water | 7:02 | ~100 ml |
| km 15.0 | water, sports drink | 7:15 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 17.5 | water | 7:27 | ~100 ml |
| km 20.0 | water, sports drink | 7:40 | ~100 ml |
| km 22.5 | water | 7:52 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 25.0 | water, sports drink | 8:04 | ~100 ml |
| km 27.5 | water | 8:17 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 30.0 | water, sports drink | 8:29 | ~100 ml |
| km 32.5 | water | 8:42 | ~100 ml |
| km 35.0 | water, sports drink | 8:54 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 37.5 | water | 9:07 | ~100 ml |
| km 40.0 | water, sports drink | 9:19 | ~100 ml |
How many gels and how much to drink
What a typical runner (68 kg) needs depending on their time, with 35 g gels. When running the stomach tolerates less than on the bike: more than 60 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Gels alone don't reach that figure (the first one comes around 45 minutes and none are due in the last half hour): the rest comes from drinking sports drink instead of water at a few aid stations.
| Time | Carbs per hour | Gels | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 h | 60 g/h | 4 × 35 g | 1.5 l | 300 mg/h |
| 3 h 30 | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 1.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 2.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h 30 | 60 g/h | 6 × 35 g | 2.2 l | 300 mg/h |
Nothing new on race day: gels, breakfast, shoes and socks, all tested on your long runs. Vaseline on your feet, groin and armpits, and protect your nipples. If it's cold at the start, wait in your corral in old clothes you can throw away.
Gold Coast Marathon: weather in early July
What the weather was like during the race (from the start to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 ºC | 15 ºC | 0.1 mm | 12 km/h |
| 2023 | 14 ºC | 17 ºC | 0.0 mm | 29 km/h |
| 2024 | 14 ºC | 19 ºC | 0.0 mm | 26 km/h |
| 2025 | 14 ºC | 16 ºC | 2.6 mm | 10 km/h |
| 2026 | 14 ºC | 17 ºC | 0.0 mm | 21 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Gold Coast Half Marathon: route and profile
Stations from the official website: RS (full) every 5 km and WS (water only) in between; no organiser gels.
Route keys
- The half shares the marathon's atmosphere: a flat, fast course along the coast.
- A station every 2.5 km: full (water and Fuel X) at km 5, 10, 15 and 20, and water only at km 2.5, 7.5, 12.5 and 17.5. There are no organiser gels: carry your own.
- In winter and in the morning, the corral is cool: throwaway clothes and warm up little.
- For a PB: flat, cool and with stations every 2.5 km. Even pace from km 2 and push over the last 5 km if you feel good. 1–2 of your own gels (km 8 and 15) are plenty.
More keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat, and your split times at your pace.
Split times
At an even pace (we haven't loaded the official track yet, so climbs and descents aren't adjusted: use it as a reference), with the clock time counted from the 06:00 gun. If you start from a later corral or wave, add the time it takes you to cross the start. Write yours down or wear them on a pace band: watch GPS usually reads long.
| Point | 1 h 30 | 1 h 45 | 2 h | 2 h 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:20 6:21 | 0:24:53 6:24 | 0:28:26 6:28 | 0:32:00 6:32 |
| km 10 | 0:42:40 6:42 | 0:49:46 6:49 | 0:56:53 6:56 | 1:03:59 7:03 |
| km 15 | 1:03:59 7:03 | 1:14:39 7:14 | 1:25:19 7:25 | 1:35:59 7:35 |
| km 20 | 1:25:19 7:25 | 1:39:32 7:39 | 1:53:45 7:53 | 2:07:59 8:07 |
| Finish | 1:30:00 7:30 | 1:45:00 7:45 | 2:00:00 8:00 | 2:15:00 8:15 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 1 h 45: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water.
| Where | What's there | Time (for 1 h 45) | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 2.5 | water | 6:12 | ~100 ml |
| km 5.0 | water, sports drink | 6:25 | ~100 ml |
| km 7.5 | water | 6:37 | ~100 ml |
| km 10.0 | water, sports drink | 6:50 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 12.5 | water | 7:02 | ~100 ml |
| km 15.0 | water, sports drink | 7:15 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 17.5 | water | 7:27 | ~100 ml |
| km 20.0 | water, sports drink | 7:40 | ~100 ml |
How many gels and how much to drink
What a typical runner (68 kg) needs depending on their time, with 35 g gels. When running the stomach tolerates less than on the bike: more than 60 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Gels alone don't reach that figure (the first one comes around 45 minutes and none are due in the last half hour): the rest comes from drinking sports drink instead of water at a few aid stations.
| Time | Carbs per hour | Gels | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h 30 | 60 g/h | 1 × 35 g | 0.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 1 h 45 | 60 g/h | 2 × 35 g | 0.9 l | 300 mg/h |
| 2 h | 60 g/h | 2 × 35 g | 1.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 2 h 15 | 60 g/h | 2 × 35 g | 1.1 l | 300 mg/h |
Nothing new on race day: gels, breakfast, shoes and socks, all tested on your long runs. Vaseline on your feet, groin and armpits, and protect your nipples. If it's cold at the start, wait in your corral in old clothes you can throw away.
Gold Coast Half Marathon: weather in early July
What the weather was like during the race (from the start to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 ºC | 15 ºC | 0.0 mm | 10 km/h |
| 2023 | 14 ºC | 14 ºC | 0.0 mm | 18 km/h |
| 2024 | 14 ºC | 15 ºC | 0.0 mm | 18 km/h |
| 2025 | 14 ºC | 16 ºC | 1.4 mm | 8 km/h |
| 2026 | 14 ºC | 15 ºC | 0.0 mm | 17 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Your Gold Coast Marathon, tailored to you
This guide uses a typical runner. In WinWatts we calculate it with your data:
- Your time, your pace and your split times from your threshold pace and the expected heat.
- The race-day forecast, and what to wear at the start and during the race.
- How much to drink at each aid station and where to take each gel, with your own gels.
- Your training plan until Sunday 4 July 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Gold Coast Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Aid stations from the official website (RS/WS stations); track not loaded yet (official GPX to be downloaded manually); weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.