How to train for the Ballarat Marathon: the two lap course and an 8 week plan

What the Ballarat course changes about training

Ballarat is not a hard course on paper, but it has traps of its own. The two lap format increases mental fatigue: passing the finish precinct at halfway is a real test of resolve, and the second lap can feel longer than the first even at the same pace. Easy early pacing is critical because there is no stadium finish to save yourself for, just the same loop again. The repetitive sealed surface stresses calves and feet over four hours. And the exposed sections mean wind that rewards steady effort rather than surges.

PaceBrain’s Ballarat plan adjusts for each of these. Long runs include steady segments to simulate lap discipline, so holding a rhythm through a familiar loop becomes a rehearsed skill. There is no downhill or aggressive pacing work, because the course does not need it and the legs do not want it. The emphasis is on durability and rhythm rather than speed. And the plan asks you to practise cold start clothing and fuelling timing, because an 8:00 AM start in late April can begin at single digit temperatures.

• Two laps: rehearse holding an even rhythm through a loop you have already seen once
• Even effort over pace: the wind on exposed sections punishes surges
• Repetitive surface: build calf and foot durability with easy volume, not speed
• Cool start: practise what you wear and when you fuel on cold morning long runs

The eight week Ballarat Marathon plan

The plan inside PaceBrain is an eight week, minimum effective load programme for a beginner who wants to finish safely and confidently. It assumes you can already run 8 to 10 km continuously, run at least three times a week, and are covering roughly 18 to 22 km a week with no current injury. It uses three runs a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and about 90 percent of the running is easy: there are no VO2 max or threshold sessions, long runs prioritise time on feet, fuelling practice is mandatory, and the progression is conservative with a cutback week in week four.

If you are starting from a 5 km base rather than a 10 km one, the free 18 week beginner PDF is the better fit. Aim it at the next Ballarat, which falls in late April each year, and count back 18 weeks from race day.

Why the plan is 90 percent easy

The intensity split is deliberate. Seiler (2010) reviewed the training of successful endurance athletes across sports and found that around 80 percent of sessions are performed at low intensity, with only a small fraction at genuinely hard efforts. Karp (2007), surveying qualifiers for the United States Olympic Marathon Trials, found that the men and women in his sample ran around 75 and 68 percent of their weekly distance below marathon race pace. A first time marathoner with eight weeks to go has even less reason to grind.

For Ballarat specifically, easy volume is also the durability work. The calves and feet that have to cope with a repetitive sealed loop for four hours are conditioned by time on feet at conversational effort, week after week, not by fast sessions that spike load and invite injury. The long run only delivers its value if you finish it, and you only finish long runs you start slowly.

The taper and race week

Weeks seven and eight cut volume while keeping the routine. Bosquet et al. (2007), in a meta analysis of 27 studies, found that performance is maximised by a taper of about two weeks in which volume is reduced progressively by 41 to 60 percent while frequency and intensity are maintained. Smyth and Lawlor (2021), analysing 158,117 marathon runners on Strava, found that disciplined tapers were associated with finishes roughly 2.6 percent faster than relaxed ones. The plan’s race week holds about 9 km of easy running plus the race, so you start Sunday fresh.

Rapoport (2010) modelled why the marathon rewards arriving rested and fully fuelled: the distance sits right at the limit of what stored carbohydrate can supply. Burke et al. (2011) set out the carbohydrate intake that supports a marathon, which is why the plan has you rehearse gels and drinks on the long runs, and why fuelling timing matters more on a cold morning when thirst is a poor guide.

Running the second lap as well as the first

The first lap should feel almost too easy. March et al. (2011) found that slower marathoners are the most likely to fade badly in the second half, and Abbiss and Laursen (2008) explain why an even effort is the most economical way to cover a long distance: every surge costs more than it saves. On a two lap course that discipline is visible: the runners who pass the halfway point looking relaxed are the ones who run the second lap at the same pace.

Use the first lap as reconnaissance. Note where the wind hits, where the road cambers, where the drink stations are, and then run the second lap on that information rather than on feel alone. Dress for the finish, not the start: the cool 8:00 AM air will feel very different by mid morning. And when the loop repeats, treat familiarity as an advantage. You already know exactly how far it is to the finish, and you have already run it once today.

What is the Ballarat Marathon course like?

Two laps of a 21.1 km loop on sealed bitumen roads in Ballarat, Victoria, with roughly 98 metres of total elevation gain. Some sections are exposed, so wind can be a factor. The format tests even pacing and mental discipline more than climbing legs.

When is the Ballarat Marathon held?

In late April. The 2026 edition was on Sunday 26 April with an 8:00 AM start. Average conditions are cool: maximums around 17 to 18°C, minimums around 7 to 8°C, low humidity and possible wind.

How many weeks do I need to train for the Ballarat Marathon?

It depends on your base. PaceBrain’s in app plan is eight weeks for runners who can already run 8 to 10 km and cover 18 to 22 km a week. Genuine beginners should use the free 18 week PDF, which starts from a 5 km base with run/walk intervals.

How should I pace a two lap marathon?

Evenly. Run the first lap at an effort that feels almost too easy, use it to learn where the wind and the drink stations are, and run the second lap at the same pace on that information. The runners who fade are the ones who raced the first lap.

How do I get the full Ballarat Marathon plan?

Create a free PaceBrain account and open the Ballarat Marathon plan on the Training page. Every session comes with paces, a coach tip and fuelling notes, and your coach can adjust the week if you miss a run.