By ANNA USHER

Large parts of North Sydney will be locked down this weekend as thousands of runners flood local streets to take part in one of Australia’s largest sporting events.

The 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon returns on Sunday, with 40,000 athletes starting an arduous 42 kilometre journey at 6:30am from Miller St, before crossing over the Sydney Harbour Bridge into the southern part of the city.

Local authorities are warning the community should be aware that extensive traffic changes will be in place across the suburb from Saturday morning.

“Residents, businesses and visitors are advised to plan ahead as road closures, special event clearways and traffic changes will be in place,” a North Sydney Council spokesperson said.

“Motorists are encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel where possible and allow extra travel time due to detours and restricted access.”

Dates: Saturday 29 to Sunday 30 August 2026 

North Sydney road closures and clearways

• Roads around St Leonards Park, including Ridge Street, Elliott Street and Miller Street, will be closed from 2am to 12pm on Sunday 30 August.
• Part of Ridge Street will also be closed from 7am on Saturday 29 August to allow for event setup and operations.
• Traffic conditions around the start area will be affected throughout the morning, with vehicle access restricted on a number of local roads.
• Special event clearways will be in place on sections of Ridge Street and Miller Street from 6am on Saturday 29 August until 2pm on Sunday 30 August.
• No parking will be permitted in clearway areas during these times. Motorists should check signage carefully, as vehicles left in clearways may be towed and fees may apply.

Crows Nest road closures and clearways

To support the safe movement of marathon participants travelling from Crows Nest Metro to the start area at St Leonards Park, additional traffic changes will be in place.

• Roads including Clarke Street and Willoughby Road will be closed from 4am to 9am on Sunday 30 August. Special event clearways will operate from 12am to 10am on sections of:
• Clarke Street
• Burlington Street
• West Street
• Willoughby Road

Summary of traffic and transport arrangements

Significant Road Closures and Special Event Clearways will be in place in North Sydney, Milsons Point, Kirribilli, Lavender Bay, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Western Distributor, Ultimo, Pyrmont, Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Millers Point, The Rocks, Sydney CBD, Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Moore Park, Randwick, Kensington and Centennial Park on Sunday 30 August for the Sydney Marathon.

Major road closures will commence from 2am, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Western Distributor with roads reopening as per the following timings:

• 11am in Ultimo and Pyrmont.
• Sydney Harbour Bridge, Cahill Expressway and Western Distributor will reopen at 11am.
• 11.30am in Barangaroo and Walsh Bay.
• 12pm in Sydney CBD and the Rocks.
• 2pm in Kensington and Randwick.

Parts of the CBD, Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, and Paddington will be closed until 4pm with all roads reopened by 4.30pm.

Special event clearways will be in place from 12 midnight to 3pm.

Residents are advised to check if their vehicles and other items, such as trucks, boats, and trailers, will be in a Special Event Clearway, and plan to relocate them prior to the event start times.

Motorists are advised to check signs before parking. All vehicles left in Special Event Clearways will be towed, and fines apply.

Due to extensive road closures, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, patrons attending the Sydney Marathon are advised to use public transport and plan their travel in advance.

For timetables, maps and trip planning, visit transportnsw.info

For real-time traffic updates, including closure maps, visit livetraffic.com

For full road closure details, visit the TCS Sydney Marathon website.