The epic distance run, one of the games most watched events, and its location has been one of the big outstanding questions since the Games were announced for "Victoria" on Ballarat turf last week.

While Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed Ballarat would host the Games' showpiece at Mars Stadium - the athletics program - there has been no word on where the marathon events would be run.

Cities such as Warrnambool, yet to be allocated any events, have the marathon in their sights predominantly for the tourism factor the event's broadcast can offer a region.

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But City of Ballarat chief executive Evan King confirmed to The Courier Ballarat leaders had been "advocating incredibly strongly" to ensure the men's and women's marathons take to Ballarat streets as part of the Commonwealth Games athletics program.

The endurance epic, covering 42km and inspired by another battle - at Marathon in ancient Greece- has also traditionally concluded in the athletics stadium of the host city.

Regional Development Australia chairman Stuart Benjamin, who is based in Ballarat, has also been championing the call and is calling on the community to stand up and add their support for the bid.

They said the logistics make sense: all track and field athletes will be based in Ballarat; there will be a designated athletes village in Ballarat; and, Ballarat had what was needed to design a Commonwealth Games Federation approved course.

Mr King said the marathon was a chance to showcase everything that was incredible about Ballarat to the world via the broadcast as runners took to the streets.

This is what other cities, such as Warrnambool, were lobbying to secure with prominent figures putting forward suggested routes for tourism promotion.

Mr King said Lake Wendouree, Sovereign Hill, Lydiard and Sturt streets, the Arch of Victory and the Avenue of Honour were in the Ballarat mix. He said this was a completely different chance to show off the city, compared to the Cycling Australia Road National Championships' broadcast in Buninyong.

"Think of this - four hours of international coverage of a marathon that goes up Lydiard street, goes through the Arch of Victory, goes through the Avenue of Honor - measuring what that's worth long term," Mr King said in a multi-organisation, transformational project launch for Ballarat on Thursday.

"So the motto of the Commonwealth Games, be bold, be brave, be brilliant, and I couldn't help but add one in: Be Ballarat. So, let the planning begin. Let that construction begin and let the games begin."

- with MAEVE McGREGOR

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