Almost 16,000 participants will run in various events in the Auckland Marathon this year. Photo / Alisha Lovrich
Almost 16,000 participants will run in various events in the Auckland Marathon this year. Photo / Alisha Lovrich
Tomorrow, 3105 people from across Aotearoa will gather at Devonport’s King Edward Parade and attempt to run 42.2km as fast as they possibly can. Another 6753 will attempt half the feat.
Some will chase a certain time, others will fundraise for a cause and everyone will sweat.
Whether you’re participatingin an Auckland Marathon 2024 event, supporting or trying to avoid the crowds, here’s what you need to know for the November 3 race.
Runners start the Auckland Marathon race in Devonport. Photo / RADLAB
There are five events; the full marathon, half marathon, 11km traverse, 5km and kids marathon (2.2km).
How many people are running the Auckland Marathon?
Running is the “it” sport right now (or at least, we hear running clubs are the hot new way to find dates) and total registrations are at a 10-year high, at almost 16,000.
As of October 22, 3105, people were registered in the full marathon; 1099 more than in 2019 and an impressive 801 more than 2023.
This doesn’t mean 3105 medals will be handed out. A full marathon is no easy feat and in 2023, 2304 runners registered but only 1765 finished the race.
The more achievable yet still challenging 21km half marathon is more popular and 6753 runners were registered as of October 22.
Prepare to see a lot of young guns jogging along the waterfront; 25 to 29 years old is the most popular age group for men and women in the full marathon.
The average age has also dropped two years since 2023 to 36 years old.
Auckland Marathon regional director Amy MacCormack said they have seen running “explode” in popularity, especially among young Kiwis.
“It’s amazing to see thousands of people keen to challenge themselves across one of the five distances on offer at the Auckland Marathon,” she said.
The marathon demographic is gradually trending younger. Photo / Alisha Lovrich
Most full-marathon runners will be men (71%) but keep an eye on the women, whose participation is up 4% since last year.
There is also an almost perfect split between male and female runners (51% vs 49%) across all five marathon events.
Almost 20% of runners will travel from other regions for the event, mostly from Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury. One third of the marathon runners are from outside Auckland and 6% are flying from Australia.
Celebrities to watch out for
Hot on the heels of the Sydney Marathon, podcast and TV personality Brodie Kane will be running the half marathon. The 38-year-old is the co-founder of Solo Girls Run Club, a running club for women, and an ambassador for running shoe brand Hoka.
William Waiirua will also be running, as he does every day. On October 6, the TV and social media personality marked 4.5 years of running a minimum of 5km daily. In the past 19 months, he’s hit a minimum of 10km per day.
To avoid any event-related traffic or parking restrictions, steer clear of Devonport until 11am and Auckland’s downtown waterfront area or Tamaki Drive until 2pm.
More specifically, about 12 streets around Devonport and Takapuna will be closed from 4am until 9.30 and and two southbound Harbour Bridge lanes until 11.30am.
Tamaki Drive and Lower Hobson St to Quay St will be closed from 4am until 1pm and 2pm, respectively.
Specific road closure times, parking restrictions and detours are listed at aucklandmarathon.co.nz.
Where is the best place to watch the Auckland Marathon?
Spectators are spoiled for choice when picking a pretty waterfront spot to watch runners go by. However, organisers have revealed their favourite spots.
At Smales Farm, you’ll get to watch runners from every event, bar the 5km, jog past.
Those watching marathon runners should park up at Teal Park, a lesser-known grassy patch by Mechanics Bay, just on the corner of the waterfront. Or, head to St Heliers beach where you can park up at a cafe and watch runners at the “turnaround point”.
The finish line at Victoria Park will be busy with supporters and participants and it’ll also be where you find the most smiles and a celebratory atmosphere.
Spectators can use this handy map to plan where and how to cheer on their athletes.
