Belconnen's Rowan Walker added another victory to his 2011 triumph, while Magda Karamali-Poulos won the race for the fifth time, stopping the clock in two hours, 52 minutes, 46 seconds in perfect conditions at Telopea Park School on Sunday.

Walker finished in 2:24:23, with Vladimir Shatrov second and Alex Matthews third.

Walker said he struggled early, as Shatrov set a cracking pace, and it wasn't until about seven kilometres from the end that he caught the eventual second-placed runner.

Walker has also won the Melbourne and Auckland marathons.

''It's great to win a marathon in your home town, so I love that,'' he said.

''It's got a local feel about it but it's expanding a little. You typically get great weather, although two years ago - that contradicted that claim.''

Karamali-Poulos was more than nine minutes ahead of second-placed Canberran Annelore Vandierendonck, with Katrina Milne third. Karamali-Poulos made it three Canberra marathons in a row, to go with her 2007 and 2009 titles.

She said she loved the course and it was a great way to start the year.

The 39-year-old from Sydney, was hoping to run in another three or four marathons this year.

Walker had planned to go on and complete the 50-kilometre ultramarathon as well, but said he was spent after the regular 42-kilometre distance.

Instead, second-placed Shatrov, a Canberra Grammar old scholar, went on to claim that title instead.

It was the first time he'd run further than the regular marathon distance.

''I didn't know I was going to do the 50-kilometre - I wanted to win the 42-kilometre but I went out a bit too hard and just hadn't done enough training really, I guess, so I blew up a bit,'' Shatrov said.

''I got to the end [of the 42-kilometre] and I was stuffed and I thought 'why not?' I felt I could probably win the 50-kilometre, if I could just hang in there. It's definitely the hardest run I've ever done.''

The 5786 entrants across the two-day Australian Running Festival raised more than $211,000 for charity.