Record-breaking Melbourne Marathon Festival as 50,000 runners hit the road

A record-breaking 50,000 runners crossed the finish line this year in the Melbourne Marathon Festival, shattering last year's attendance record by 8,000.

Olympic athletes, AFL legends, social media influencers and everyday Australians braved the early start in the pursuit of glory on Sunday morning — crossing the finish line at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Melbourne's Jack Rayner won the men's marathon for the second year in a row with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 2 seconds.

His time was just under 10 minutes shy of the fastest recorded time in Australia, which was set this year by Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros at the Sydney Marathon, who finished the race with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 6 seconds.

Rayner said he was at home sick yesterday, but "wouldn't have missed it [the race] for anything".

"There's nothing else like it. It's a home marathon, and it's one I always look forward to doing."

Caitlin Adams took out the top prize in the female marathon with a time of 2 hours, 30 minutes and 26 seconds.

Adams had never completed a marathon before Sunday's event.

She was supported by her teammates, father, partner and coach on the course by running parts of the route beside her.

"There's nothing that quite beats coming over that finish line and winning that race. It's such an iconic race here in Melbourne," Adams said.

"I'm a schoolteacher and I have tomorrow off, but I'll be back at school on Tuesday, and my office is on the second floor. I don't know how I'm going to get up there on the stairs."

Her mother met her at the finish line "bursting with excitement".

"This girl just makes me so proud … I'm so emotional," she said.

In the half marathon, Haftu Strintzos won the men's in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 3 seconds, while Izzi Batt-Doyle took out the women's in 1 hour, 8 minutes and 55 seconds.

Teenagers Harrison Baxter (14:36) and Abbey Reid (16:09) claimed victory in the 5-kilometre race, Ian Gainey (3:24:52) and Sharnie Digby (3:25:25) won the Wheelchair marathon and Adam Goddard (28:39) and Ellie Pashley (33:41) won the 10km.

Familiar faces cross the line

ABC Melbourne presenter and former Western Bulldogs great Bob Murphy ran the marathon and crossed the line with a time of 3 hours, 58 minutes and 28 seconds.

"I have dreamt of running the Melbourne Marathon almost as long as I've been avoiding running the same marathon," he said in a social media post.

Other notable AFL athletes include Melbourne Football Club captain Max Gawn, who finished the 10km race in a time of 44 minutes and 22 seconds and commentator and former AFLW player Abbey Holmes, who tackled the 10km in 1 hour, 5 minutes and 5 seconds.

Four-time Australian Olympian Genevieve Gregson (née LaCaze) ran the half marathon finishing in 56th place with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 47 seconds.

Comedian Joel Creasey competed in the 10km race and former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers ran the full marathon.

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