# How do I enter the Sydney Marathon 2027 ballot? > The TCS Sydney Marathon 2027 ballot is free to enter. It runs 10:00 AEST 29 September to 10:00 AEDT 19 October 2026, results and card charges 3 November, race day 29 August 2027. - Canonical: https://theticketlottery.com/guides/sydney-marathon-2027-ballot - Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-09-28, facts last verified 28 September 2026 - Source: The Ticket Lottery (https://theticketlottery.com); not affiliated with the TCS Sydney Marathon or Pont3 Entering the Sydney Marathon 2027 ballot is free, and you only pay if your name is drawn. The organizer charges the entry fee automatically on selection: AUD 280 for domestic entrants, AUD 330 for international entrants. Entering costs nothing and does not commit you to anything. The 2027 ballot runs from 10:00 AEST on Tuesday 29 September 2026 to 10:00 AEDT on Monday 19 October 2026, per the organizer's own ballot page. Results go out on Tuesday 3 November 2026. The race itself is on Sunday 29 August 2027. Sydney is the newest of the World Marathon Majors, and demand has grown quickly. The organizer counted more than 123,000 entries in the ballot for the 2026 race, up 56 percent on the year before and the highest in the event's history. ## The Sydney Marathon 2027 dates - **Ballot opens:** 10:00 AEST, Tuesday 29 September 2026 - **Ballot closes:** 10:00 AEDT, Monday 19 October 2026 - **Results, and cards charged for successful applicants:** Tuesday 3 November 2026 - **Contact the organizer only if you have heard nothing after:** 6 November 2026 - **Race day:** Sunday 29 August 2027 The close is written in AEDT because New South Wales switches to daylight saving time partway through the window. Both times are 10:00 Sydney local time. If you are entering from Europe or North America, convert the close time to your own zone before the last weekend, not on the day. ## How the draw works It is a random draw. The organizer says plainly that this is not a first-come, first-served system: every application is considered equally, and there is no advantage to entering on day one versus the final day. If the site is slow or shows a wait when the window opens, the organizer's own advice is to come back later. Two groups should not use the ballot at all. Duo teams and non-elite racing wheelchair entrants have a separate application process, and the ballot page tells them not to register through it. The organizer also says it will not answer questions about the status of an application between the moment the ballot opens and the day applicants are notified, and that the outcome of the draw is final. ## What it costs, and when - **Domestic (Australia):** AUD 280 - **International:** AUD 330 Nothing is taken when you enter. The fee is charged automatically to the card you give on 3 November 2026, the same day successful applicants are notified. That makes two practical points worth checking before you submit: - Use a card that will still be valid and have room on it on 3 November 2026. - Check the email address carefully. The organizer asks entrants to make sure it is correct before submitting, and notes that results emails sometimes land in junk or spam. ## Your real odds Unknown, and honestly so. The organizer publishes the size of the ballot (more than 123,000 entries for the 2026 race) and a target of 40,000 finishers, but 40,000 is the whole field, not the number of places given out through the ballot. Part of the field goes to other routes (travel, charity, the High Performance Program), so dividing one number by the other gives a figure that looks precise and is not. The direction is clear, though. The year before, the 2025 race drew more than 79,000 applications for 35,000 starting places across the whole field, per the New South Wales Government. Applications grew by more than half again for 2026, and the field did not grow at the same pace. ## If you miss out Unsuccessful applicants are emailed on 3 November 2026 as well, with advice on the organizer's Travel and Charity Programs, which are the alternative routes to a place. Check the terms of each on the official site before you commit: these are separate programs with their own conditions, not a second draw. The organizer also runs giveaways of guaranteed race bibs through its Seven Rewards program, and the High Performance Program is a separate route for fast runners. Both are listed on the official site. If you hold a deferral from an earlier year, read the official FAQ before entering the ballot: deferrals are handled separately from the draw. ## What to do now - Put 10:00 AEDT on 19 October 2026 in your calendar in your own time zone. That is the only deadline that matters for the draw. - Enter once, with a card valid on 3 November 2026 and an email address you check. - Put 3 November 2026 in the calendar too. That is results day, and the day the fee is taken. - If you also want Chicago, its 2027 drawing runs 8 to 29 October 2026, inside the same weeks. Both are free to enter. ## Quick answers **When is the Sydney Marathon 2027 ballot?** The organizer's ballot page gives 10:00 AEST on 29 September 2026 to 10:00 AEDT on 19 October 2026. Note the switch from AEST to AEDT: New South Wales moves to daylight saving time during the window, so the close is 10:00 Sydney local time on 19 October. **Does it cost anything to enter the Sydney Marathon ballot?** No. Entering the ballot is free. If you are drawn, your card is charged automatically on 3 November 2026: AUD 280 for domestic entrants or AUD 330 for international entrants, per the organizer's ballot page. **Does entering on the first day improve my chances?** No. The organizer states it is not a first-come, first-served system and that every application is equally considered in a random draw, with no advantage to entering on day one versus the final day. **When are the Sydney Marathon 2027 ballot results?** 3 November 2026. Successful applicants are notified and have their card charged that day, with a confirmation email to follow. The organizer asks applicants to get in touch only if they have heard nothing after 6 November 2026, and to check spam folders first. **What are my odds in the Sydney Marathon ballot?** Nobody outside the organizer can say. The 2026 ballot drew more than 123,000 entries, up 56 percent on the year before, against a target of 40,000 finishers, but the number of places given out through the ballot itself is not published, so no honest success rate exists. **When is the Sydney Marathon 2027 race?** Sunday 29 August 2027, confirmed by the organizer. **What if I miss out in the ballot?** Unsuccessful applicants are also emailed on 3 November 2026, with advice on the Travel and Charity Programs, which are the organizer's own alternative routes to a place. ## Event pages - [TCS Sydney Marathon 2027](https://theticketlottery.com/ballots/tcs-sydney-marathon-2027) ## Sources - [tcssydneymarathon.com/ballot-information](https://www.tcssydneymarathon.com/ballot-information) - [tcssydneymarathon.com FAQ](https://www.tcssydneymarathon.com/frequently-asked-questions) - [Organizer release on 2026 ballot demand](https://www.tcssydneymarathon.com/post/record-demand-fuels-sydney-s-rise-as-the-world-s-fastest-growing-marathon)