The Melbourne Cup has been run since 1861, so it has been going for about 165 years as of 2026.

Quick Scoop

  • The first Melbourne Cup was held on 7 November 1861 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
  • That makes the Melbourne Cup a long‑running annual event with a history of more than 160 years, often described as being over “160+ years since its foundation”.
  • Today it is still held each year on the first Tuesday in November and is known as “the race that stops a nation”.

Overall, if you’re asking “how long has the Melbourne Cup been going for,” the short, rounded answer people usually give is: just over 160 years (since 1861).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.