The cost of running.
What it costs to enter a race at the 31 running festivals BibSwap tracks in Australia and New Zealand, and what moves the price. This is not every race in either country.
Typical full price for a road race, in Australian dollars. Updated 1 October 2026.
How much does it cost to enter a marathon or half marathon?
The typical marathon entry fee across the races we track is $195. A half marathon is $153. Longer races are cheaper for every kilometre you run: a 5km costs about $12.50 per kilometre and a marathon about $4.62.
Are capital-city races more expensive?
A capital-city marathon in Australia typically costs $235, against $190 for a regional one. Browse every race in the Race Index.
Is it cheaper to race in New Zealand?
With New Zealand prices converted to Australian dollars, a half marathon typically costs $109 in New Zealand and $155 in Australia. A marathon is $166 against $203.
New Zealand figures rest on 8 festivals, so read them as indicative.
How much more does a late entry cost?
Across the 17 festivals with tiered pricing, the last price is typically 20% above the first. On a half marathon or marathon that is about $32.
Do trail races cost more than road races?
Yes. A typical trail race costs about $7.45 per kilometre, against $4.62 for a road marathon.
How many races sell out?
20 of the 104 races we track have sold out at the organiser, across 9 of 31 festivals. Once a race sells out, a transferred entry is the only way in: see the bibs listed now.
How much does it cost to transfer a race entry?
The typical fee an organiser charges to move an entry to another runner is $20. It is free at Brisbane and Perth Running Festival. The highest is $55, at Kosciuszko, Tarawera and Ultra-Trail Australia (UTA). Each race's rules are in the Transfer Rules database.
27 festivals with a known fee, each in its local currency. Where we know who pays, it is the seller at 14 festivals and the buyer at 5.
Paid for a race you can't run?
Entry fees are rarely refundable, but most races let you transfer your entry to another runner. List your bib or read how a swap works.
Method: this covers only the races BibSwap tracks, 104 races across 31 festivals, of which 92have a recorded price. It is not a census of every race, and races that do not allow transfers are not in it. Prices are the published entry fees. "Typical" is the median. "Full price" is the highest tier we recorded and "early" the lowest; early-bird tiers that expired before we recorded a race are missing, so real savings may be larger. New Zealand entry prices are converted at NZ$1 = A$0.81 (30 September 2026).
What it costs to transfer a race entry
The transfer fee, who pays it and when transfers close, race by race.
Sold-out races you can still get into
Which races have sold out, whether entries can still change hands, and how many are listed right now.
Races that don't allow transfers
The races where an entry cannot be passed on, and what each organiser's terms say.