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Marathon Details - Auckland Marathon

International Marathons > New Zealand > Auckland > Auckland Marathon

Auckland Marathon

Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon & Half Marathon, 11K, 5K

Auckland, New Zealand

November 3, 2024

http://www.aucklandmarathon.co.nz

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Race Details

First 16km undulating then flat

Contact Information

Name:	Sarah Kelly
Address:	adidas Auckland Marathon M129, Private Bag 300987 Albany Auckland
Phone Number:	09-415-0617
Fax Number:	09-415-0615
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (19)

Course 4.2

Organization 3.8

Spectators 3.2

Write a review

Number of comments: 19 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

B. W. from Manitoba, Canada (11/9/2014) "Tough first half, scenic all the way" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I know that coming from the North American prairies, when a course description uses the term 'rolling' that means hilly to us. The first half, including the bridge crossing, certainly fit the bill. The out-and-back second half has its own challenges, but was very flat by comparison. The finish line area gets a little busy with the staged starts for all events meaning that there is significant crossover of the three different distances, but it was organized well so that it did not present an issue. The only real problem we had was with our 4 hour pace bunny. The announcements just before the race suggested runners try to achieve negative splits, especially in light of the first half being more difficult. By the 10k mark, we asked the bunny about his apparent fast start and he indicated he was aiming for a 1:51 first half! We let him go and ran our own pace to get the time we had trained for. We are from Canada and made a vacation of it, spending 2 weeks in NZ in total. Wonderful country, great city and a nice destination marathon.
J. B. from California, USA (3/28/2014) "Lovely race!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a great mid-size race. The first half has a few rollers, but once you get across the Harbour Bridge, the course is primarily flat, with only a very slight incline in the final mile. Organization-wise, it was superb. The ferry ride to Devonshire was easy (especially since we stayed at the hotel just across the street from the ferry building), there were plenty of porta potties for the marathoners, and the start was the most uncrowded of any of my 10 marathons. The views are spectacular! There wasn't much at the expo, so be prepared and bring your own nutrition instead of relying on purchasing it at the expo. We came from the west coast of the US and had no problems with jet lag. Arrived on Friday for the Sunday race and stayed on west coast time, which helped when we had a 3:30am wake up (7:30 pacific time) for the ferry Sunday morning! If you love mid size races and love to travel, this is a must-do.
C. C. from Boston, MA (1/29/2014) "Amazing, Fast" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 PROS: Cool to take the ferry to the Devonshire start, great course. Wonderful sunrise, scenery. Great crowd support. CONS: Twisty and turny towards the end. Hard to get to from the US
D. G. from Australia (11/3/2012) "Nice, small marathon with beautiful course" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is a very nice marathon. The course starts on the north side of the water and the first ~10 miles are nice but certainly non-spectacular. After crossing over the bridge and taking in the views, the race enters Auckland proper and has beautiful sections along the water. There are very few spectators and those present aren't particularly vibrant cheerers, but the scenery is lovely, the course mostly flat and not too crowded. The organization was good and the race went off flawlessly, but it is quite a bare bones marathon - not too many water stations, none of the frills you'll find with the best run races (e.g. bands playing, lots of signs, etc.). I won't run it again but was happy I did.
Stuart Graves from Salt Lake City, Utah (11/12/2010) "Great Destination Marathon" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a great marathon to do if you are looking for a vacation destination. The course is mostly flat (a few small hills during the first half), and very scenic. Much of the route runs along the water. You also get to run across the Harbour Bridge. Course support is limited, but very enthusiastic and friendly. The "expo" packet pick up is also on the small side, but I didn't go to New Zealand for the expo. I went for the scenic run, and a great vacation after. Be sure to allow some time to get over your jetlag. I suffered for it.
J. S. from Phoenix, Arizona (4/14/2009) "Scenic Hilly Course" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 At the start of the course, slow runners (those finishing in more than 3 and a half hours) and walkers need to be better segregated. I finished in 3:12 and spent the first 3K avoiding people who should have clearly started in the rear. One way to correct this is to note that the half-marathon typically draws slower runners in general. Realistically, they should start 30 minutes after the full marathon, and I think the issue would be corrected. Water points do need to be more frequent in the second half of the marathon. There may have been five on the second half of the race, but even with the cool weather, another one or two could have been beneficial. I absolutely enjoyed the race, and at the time it was a PR for me. The hills aren't really as bad as they are made out to be. Also, the packet pick up and expo were much smaller than expected. Maybe some more corporate sponsorship could help the event. Overall, it was a good race, and if I am back in the area, I would definitely do it again.
S. P. from Australia (11/1/2007) "Fantastic scenery and well organised" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Pack collection was easily accessed with a short walk from ferries and there were not any lines when we reached the collection point. Staff were very helpful and answered all questions. The t-shirt was fantastic - many jealous friends when i arrived home. The race started in Devonport which in itself is a beautiful little town to start a marathon. The start was well organized with ample toilets and a toilet for elite starters - very impressive. The initial 14 km of the race was quite hilly but still manageable. Drinks tables were well staffed and accessible. The run through Auckland city was nice and very scenic. Overall i enjoyed the run and was pleased to have traveled from Australia to run it. Thanks to the organizers
M. W. from Wellington, NZ (11/3/2006) "Enjoyable challenge, though too crowded at start" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Auckland Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 First half is definitely hilly - no question. I knew that from before, but it should be on the site. They should do what Boston does and show a side map with elevation by distance. To address the distance marker comments, they were every KM EXCEPT for over the Harbour Bridge. Unfortunately, the 15 KM-point occurs on the bridge. I agree that the water stops should be more frequent. As the marathon entered the second half, the stops were also about a KM later than advertised. However, my only real gripe is the start. Walkers were positioned near the front of the crowd, ignoring the barrier behind which they were supposed to start. Many slow runners ignored the "start here if you are running xx time" signs and also started themselves near the front. I placed myself according to the appropriate sign and then spent the first half-KM dodging slow runners and walkers. After a while, my patience was gone and I decided any walkers that selfish deserved to be pushed past with force. Perhaps walkers should start at a different time to runners like at other events?
J. M. from Sydney (10/30/2006) "Not designed for marathon runners" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Race was really crowded at the start with marathon and half marathon starting together. Was much hillier than described on the race website, which is as follows: "The first 5KM is undulating (not too steep), then flat to 13KM. The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a very sharp climb of approximately 1KM with the balance of the course being flat." After completing the first 5K at my target pace, the course did flatten out slightly. Great I thought, it is supposed to stay flat now until the bridge and then just one more steep hill and it's flat all the way home. This description is just not true. The hills continue right up to the bridge (which is actually not as bad as a lot of the preceding hills). It was also an extremely windy day, therefore dehydration can be a problem, and they only have drink stops every 5Ks, sometimes 6. This is really not good enough for a race of this distance. Kilometer markers were scarce, and we didn't see any from 11KM to 19KM (not great if you are trying to pace yourself). All in all I found this marathon to be disappointing. I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
E. R. from York, England (9/7/2006) "Good race - shame about the bogs!" (about: 2005) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Positives: Great course, a bit more hilly than expected - especially in the first half. Harbour Bridge was well worth going over though! Good crowds, even in the suburbs, through Devonport and at the finish. The organization of the race pack was top-notch and the goody bag contents were fantastic! We were still eating stuff from it two weeks later into our trip! Good weather, although in Auckland that can't be guaranteed. Negatives: Mix up at the start whilst still in the porta-loo! Could laugh afterwards though.... Not much segregation at the halfway point between 1/2 and full marathon - had to dash across the flow at the last minute. It was a bit lonely on the final there and the back leg, as most people were only doing the half. All in all, if you are in the City of Sails for whatever reason, it would be rude not to do it; just because the kiwis give every finisher proper respect.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]



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B. W. from Manitoba, Canada (11/9/2014) "Tough first half, scenic all the way" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I know that coming from the North American prairies, when a course description uses the term 'rolling' that means hilly to us. The first half, including the bridge crossing, certainly fit the bill. The out-and-back second half has its own challenges, but was very flat by comparison. The finish line area gets a little busy with the staged starts for all events meaning that there is significant crossover of the three different distances, but it was organized well so that it did not present an issue. The only real problem we had was with our 4 hour pace bunny. The announcements just before the race suggested runners try to achieve negative splits, especially in light of the first half being more difficult. By the 10k mark, we asked the bunny about his apparent fast start and he indicated he was aiming for a 1:51 first half! We let him go and ran our own pace to get the time we had trained for. We are from Canada and made a vacation of it, spending 2 weeks in NZ in total. Wonderful country, great city and a nice destination marathon.
J. B. from California, USA (3/28/2014) "Lovely race!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a great mid-size race. The first half has a few rollers, but once you get across the Harbour Bridge, the course is primarily flat, with only a very slight incline in the final mile. Organization-wise, it was superb. The ferry ride to Devonshire was easy (especially since we stayed at the hotel just across the street from the ferry building), there were plenty of porta potties for the marathoners, and the start was the most uncrowded of any of my 10 marathons. The views are spectacular! There wasn't much at the expo, so be prepared and bring your own nutrition instead of relying on purchasing it at the expo. We came from the west coast of the US and had no problems with jet lag. Arrived on Friday for the Sunday race and stayed on west coast time, which helped when we had a 3:30am wake up (7:30 pacific time) for the ferry Sunday morning! If you love mid size races and love to travel, this is a must-do.
C. C. from Boston, MA (1/29/2014) "Amazing, Fast" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 PROS: Cool to take the ferry to the Devonshire start, great course. Wonderful sunrise, scenery. Great crowd support. CONS: Twisty and turny towards the end. Hard to get to from the US
D. G. from Australia (11/3/2012) "Nice, small marathon with beautiful course" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is a very nice marathon. The course starts on the north side of the water and the first ~10 miles are nice but certainly non-spectacular. After crossing over the bridge and taking in the views, the race enters Auckland proper and has beautiful sections along the water. There are very few spectators and those present aren't particularly vibrant cheerers, but the scenery is lovely, the course mostly flat and not too crowded. The organization was good and the race went off flawlessly, but it is quite a bare bones marathon - not too many water stations, none of the frills you'll find with the best run races (e.g. bands playing, lots of signs, etc.). I won't run it again but was happy I did.
Stuart Graves from Salt Lake City, Utah (11/12/2010) "Great Destination Marathon" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a great marathon to do if you are looking for a vacation destination. The course is mostly flat (a few small hills during the first half), and very scenic. Much of the route runs along the water. You also get to run across the Harbour Bridge. Course support is limited, but very enthusiastic and friendly. The "expo" packet pick up is also on the small side, but I didn't go to New Zealand for the expo. I went for the scenic run, and a great vacation after. Be sure to allow some time to get over your jetlag. I suffered for it.
J. S. from Phoenix, Arizona (4/14/2009) "Scenic Hilly Course" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 At the start of the course, slow runners (those finishing in more than 3 and a half hours) and walkers need to be better segregated. I finished in 3:12 and spent the first 3K avoiding people who should have clearly started in the rear. One way to correct this is to note that the half-marathon typically draws slower runners in general. Realistically, they should start 30 minutes after the full marathon, and I think the issue would be corrected. Water points do need to be more frequent in the second half of the marathon. There may have been five on the second half of the race, but even with the cool weather, another one or two could have been beneficial. I absolutely enjoyed the race, and at the time it was a PR for me. The hills aren't really as bad as they are made out to be. Also, the packet pick up and expo were much smaller than expected. Maybe some more corporate sponsorship could help the event. Overall, it was a good race, and if I am back in the area, I would definitely do it again.
S. P. from Australia (11/1/2007) "Fantastic scenery and well organised" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Pack collection was easily accessed with a short walk from ferries and there were not any lines when we reached the collection point. Staff were very helpful and answered all questions. The t-shirt was fantastic - many jealous friends when i arrived home. The race started in Devonport which in itself is a beautiful little town to start a marathon. The start was well organized with ample toilets and a toilet for elite starters - very impressive. The initial 14 km of the race was quite hilly but still manageable. Drinks tables were well staffed and accessible. The run through Auckland city was nice and very scenic. Overall i enjoyed the run and was pleased to have traveled from Australia to run it. Thanks to the organizers
M. W. from Wellington, NZ (11/3/2006) "Enjoyable challenge, though too crowded at start" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Auckland Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 First half is definitely hilly - no question. I knew that from before, but it should be on the site. They should do what Boston does and show a side map with elevation by distance. To address the distance marker comments, they were every KM EXCEPT for over the Harbour Bridge. Unfortunately, the 15 KM-point occurs on the bridge. I agree that the water stops should be more frequent. As the marathon entered the second half, the stops were also about a KM later than advertised. However, my only real gripe is the start. Walkers were positioned near the front of the crowd, ignoring the barrier behind which they were supposed to start. Many slow runners ignored the "start here if you are running xx time" signs and also started themselves near the front. I placed myself according to the appropriate sign and then spent the first half-KM dodging slow runners and walkers. After a while, my patience was gone and I decided any walkers that selfish deserved to be pushed past with force. Perhaps walkers should start at a different time to runners like at other events?
J. M. from Sydney (10/30/2006) "Not designed for marathon runners" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Race was really crowded at the start with marathon and half marathon starting together. Was much hillier than described on the race website, which is as follows: "The first 5KM is undulating (not too steep), then flat to 13KM. The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a very sharp climb of approximately 1KM with the balance of the course being flat." After completing the first 5K at my target pace, the course did flatten out slightly. Great I thought, it is supposed to stay flat now until the bridge and then just one more steep hill and it's flat all the way home. This description is just not true. The hills continue right up to the bridge (which is actually not as bad as a lot of the preceding hills). It was also an extremely windy day, therefore dehydration can be a problem, and they only have drink stops every 5Ks, sometimes 6. This is really not good enough for a race of this distance. Kilometer markers were scarce, and we didn't see any from 11KM to 19KM (not great if you are trying to pace yourself). All in all I found this marathon to be disappointing. I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
E. R. from York, England (9/7/2006) "Good race - shame about the bogs!" (about: 2005) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Auckland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Positives: Great course, a bit more hilly than expected - especially in the first half. Harbour Bridge was well worth going over though! Good crowds, even in the suburbs, through Devonport and at the finish. The organization of the race pack was top-notch and the goody bag contents were fantastic! We were still eating stuff from it two weeks later into our trip! Good weather, although in Auckland that can't be guaranteed. Negatives: Mix up at the start whilst still in the porta-loo! Could laugh afterwards though.... Not much segregation at the halfway point between 1/2 and full marathon - had to dash across the flow at the last minute. It was a bit lonely on the final there and the back leg, as most people were only doing the half. All in all, if you are in the City of Sails for whatever reason, it would be rude not to do it; just because the kiwis give every finisher proper respect.

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Marathon Details - Auckland Marathon