It’s a new era for the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon with a new finish line announced for the iconic event.
More than 6000 participants are expected to take part across a series of events including the famous 42.2km race on Saturday.
For the first time, all events will finish in the heart of the newly redeveloped Rotorua Lakefront precinct with a grand final stretch down Eat Streat, Athletics NZ said in a statement.
“Runners will soak up the electric atmosphere as they descend the bustling dining boulevard, cheered on by crowds, before crossing the finish line outside the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.
“This new finish experience has been designed to celebrate the final moments of each runner’s journey, creating a festival-like environment for athletes, spectators, and supporters alike,” the statement said.
Daniel Balchin will also be one to watch, coming into the race with a 2:22.25 best from Auckland in 2022.
Billie-Lee Haresnape finished third in the 2022 edition of the event and returns in 2025.
Also in the top contenders is Rachel O’Brien who finished 4th in 2024 with a strong 3:10.21 performance and Angela Hancock who enters with a best of 2.58.49 from Sydney Marathon in 2024.
This year the event also hosts the 2025 NZ Master’s Marathon Championships.
Thousands of tamariki take over the lakefront
Beginning the action on Friday morning, more than 2400 tamariki will lace up for the Matthews Sport Vision Kids’ Mini Marathon.
Covering 2.2km along the Rotorua Lakefront, the event brings together students from dozens of local schools for kids of all ages to get active and involved.
Te Arawa Marae to Marae Relay returns
The Te Arawa Marae to Marae Relay returns on Saturday, for the first time since the 1990s.
Featuring more than 25 teams and 900 participants, the relay takes in 10 stages across key sites around Rotorua, including eight marae and two awa (rivers).
Each team is made up of about 30 runners of all ages.
The relay begins at Te Papa-i-Ōuru Marae in Ōhinemutu, completes the iconic loop of the lake and finishes at the new Red Stag Rotorua Marathon event village.
A new addition to this year’s schedule is the new Go Media 12km, which begins at Te Puia.
Runners will start their journey near the Pohutu Geyser and finish at the event village at the Rotorua Lakefront.
National titles on the Tarmac at Runway5
Saturday night ends with the Runway5 event at the Rotorua Airport runway.
This “fast and flat spectacle” will double as the New Zealand 5km Road Championships, drawing the country’s top speedsters to battle it out under lights for national honours.
In the people’s 5km, runners take on the full length of the runway.
More information on Rotorua Marathon weekend can be found here.
