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    <submissionType>NPORT-P</submissionType>
    <isConfidential>false</isConfidential>
    <filerInfo>

      <filer>
        <issuerCredentials>
          <cik>0000893818</cik>
          <ccc>XXXXXXXX</ccc>
        </issuerCredentials>
      </filer>


      <seriesClassInfo>
        <seriesId>S000032780</seriesId>
        <classId>C000101149</classId>
        <classId>C000101150</classId>
        <classId>C000201973</classId>
        <classId>C000101151</classId>
      </seriesClassInfo>


    </filerInfo>
  </headerData>
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      <regName>BlackRock Funds III</regName>
      <regFileNumber>811-07332</regFileNumber>
      <regCik>0000893818</regCik>
      <regLei>5493008LW2651I1QB503</regLei>
      <regStreet1>100 Bellevue Parkway</regStreet1>
      <regCity>Wilmington</regCity>
      <regStateConditional regCountry="US" regState="US-DE"/>
      <regZipOrPostalCode>19809</regZipOrPostalCode>
      <regPhone>800-441-7762</regPhone>
      <seriesName>BlackRock LifePath Index 2040 Fund</seriesName>
      <seriesId>S000032780</seriesId>
      <seriesLei>549300D3W6QEVX9GFS91</seriesLei>
      <repPdEnd>2020-12-31</repPdEnd>
      <repPdDate>2020-09-30</repPdDate>
      <isFinalFiling>N</isFinalFiling>
    </genInfo>
    <fundInfo>
      <totAssets>6801400447.29</totAssets>
      <totLiabs>58168730.39</totLiabs>
      <netAssets>6743231716.90</netAssets>
      <assetsAttrMiscSec>0.00000000</assetsAttrMiscSec>
      <assetsInvested>0.00000000</assetsInvested>
      <amtPayOneYrBanksBorr>0.00000000</amtPayOneYrBanksBorr>
      <amtPayOneYrCtrldComp>0.00000000</amtPayOneYrCtrldComp>
      <amtPayOneYrOthAffil>0.00000000</amtPayOneYrOthAffil>
      <amtPayOneYrOther>0.00000000</amtPayOneYrOther>
      <amtPayAftOneYrBanksBorr>0.00000000</amtPayAftOneYrBanksBorr>
      <amtPayAftOneYrCtrldComp>0.00000000</amtPayAftOneYrCtrldComp>
      <amtPayAftOneYrOthAffil>0.00000000</amtPayAftOneYrOthAffil>
      <amtPayAftOneYrOther>0.00000000</amtPayAftOneYrOther>
      <delayDeliv>0.00000000</delayDeliv>
      <standByCommit>0.00000000</standByCommit>
      <liquidPref>0.00000000</liquidPref>
      <cshNotRptdInCorD>69591.69000000</cshNotRptdInCorD>
      <borrowers>
        <borrower aggrVal="18983836.00000000" lei="ZBUT11V806EZRVTWT807" name="JP MORGAN SECURITIES LLC"/>
      </borrowers>
      <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
      <returnInfo>
        <monthlyTotReturns>
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          <monthlyTotReturn classId="C000101150" rtn1="4.55000000" rtn2="5.06000000" rtn3="-2.54000000"/>
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          <monthlyTotReturn classId="C000201973" rtn1="4.49000000" rtn2="5.02000000" rtn3="-2.48000000"/>
        </monthlyTotReturns>
        <othMon1 netRealizedGain="-8013982.51000000" netUnrealizedAppr="288230395.97000000"/>
        <othMon2 netRealizedGain="-2345452.17000000" netUnrealizedAppr="334050188.22000000"/>
        <othMon3 netRealizedGain="7286124.79000000" netUnrealizedAppr="-178827817.23000000"/>
      </returnInfo>
      <mon1Flow redemption="74138748.21000000" reinvestment="41366254.49000000" sales="114442706.66000000"/>
      <mon2Flow redemption="63538359.96000000" reinvestment="1.54000000" sales="122598093.98000000"/>
      <mon3Flow redemption="69985232.60000000" reinvestment="0.00000000" sales="95155116.76000000"/>


    </fundInfo>
    <invstOrSecs>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>BlackRock Funds III</name>
        <lei>5493008LW2651I1QB503</lei>
        <title>BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares</title>
        <cusip>066922519</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <isin value="US0669225197"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>19489140.69100000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>19506680.92000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>0.289277926948</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>STIV</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>1</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <cashCollateralCondition cashCollateralVal="19506680.92000000" isCashCollateral="Y"/>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>iShares TIPS Bond ETF</name>
        <lei>549300EHD1VQKMRQ0829</lei>
        <title>iShares TIPS Bond ETF</title>
        <cusip>464287176</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <isin value="US4642871762"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>1738382.00000000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>219905323.00000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>3.261126596745</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>EC</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>1</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF</name>
        <lei>5493000KJHTQW5I5L936</lei>
        <title>iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF</title>
        <cusip>46432F834</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <isin value="US46432F8344"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>39912896.00000000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>2328518352.64000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>34.53119291161</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>EC</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>1</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <loanByFundCondition isLoanByFund="Y" loanVal="18983836.00000000"/>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>BLACKROCK CASH FUNDS TREASURY SL AGENCY SHARES</name>
        <lei>5493008LW2651I1QB503</lei>
        <title>BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares</title>
        <cusip>066922477</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <isin value="US0669224778"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>13121774.74000000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>13121774.74000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>0.194591781669</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>STIV</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>1</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>Bond Index Lifepath Mutual Fund</name>
        <lei>N/A</lei>
        <title>Bond Index Lifepath Mutual Fund</title>
        <cusip>000000000</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <other otherDesc="BlackRock Identifier" value="BRSC7UGG8"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>51343285.83100000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>716228568.69000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>10.62144382336</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>EC</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>N/A</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>SMALL CAP LIFEPATH MUTUAL FUND</name>
        <lei>N/A</lei>
        <title>SMALL CAP LIFEPATH MUTUAL FUND</title>
        <cusip>000000000</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <other otherDesc="BlackRock Identifier" value="BRSC7UH02"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>5748873.68800000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>117248278.87000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>1.738755003422</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>EC</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>N/A</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>iShares Developed Real Estate Index Fund</name>
        <lei>549300CCO72SBIYZNP24</lei>
        <title>iShares Developed Real Estate Index Fund</title>
        <cusip>091936187</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <isin value="US0919361875"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>31795685.21500000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>278530202.48000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>4.130515073090</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>EC</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>1</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
      <invstOrSec>
        <name>RUSSEL 1000 LIFEPATH MUTUAL FUND</name>
        <lei>N/A</lei>
        <title>RUSSEL 1000 LIFEPATH MUTUAL FUND</title>
        <cusip>000000000</cusip>
        <identifiers>
          <other otherDesc="BlackRock Identifier" value="BRSC7UGQ6"/>
        </identifiers>
        <balance>102945055.34600000</balance>
        <units>NS</units>
        <curCd>USD</curCd>
        <valUSD>3087414860.38000000</valUSD>
        <pctVal>45.78538881649</pctVal>
        <payoffProfile>Long</payoffProfile>
        <assetCat>EC</assetCat>
        <issuerCat>RF</issuerCat>
        <invCountry>US</invCountry>
        <isRestrictedSec>N</isRestrictedSec>

        <fairValLevel>N/A</fairValLevel>
        <securityLending>
          <isCashCollateral>N</isCashCollateral>
          <isNonCashCollateral>N</isNonCashCollateral>
          <isLoanByFund>N</isLoanByFund>
        </securityLending>
      </invstOrSec>
    </invstOrSecs>
    <explntrNotes>

      <explntrNote note="Monthly returns presented in Item B.5(a) have been calculated without deducting any applicable sales loads or redemption fees." noteItem="B.5.a"/>

    </explntrNotes>
    <signature>
      <ncom:dateSigned>2020-10-30</ncom:dateSigned>
      <ncom:nameOfApplicant>BlackRock Funds III</ncom:nameOfApplicant>
      <ncom:signature>Ann Frechette</ncom:signature>
      <ncom:signerName>Ann Frechette</ncom:signerName>
      <ncom:title>Assistant Treasurer</ncom:title>
    </signature>
  </formData>
  <documents>XXXX</documents>
</edgarSubmission>
