Change to the Half

Last year's half marathon men's category winner Aaron Pulford.

The Hamilton Half Marathon has undergone rebranding to become Hamilton's Running Festival, and with new routes for the half marathon, 10 and 5km events, the branding is not the only thing that has changed.

Event director Lyn Harris said the new routes were required as a result of future expressway extensions and were designed to cater to all running abilities.

"With the new half marathon course it's taking in a section of the Te Awa River Trail, the 10km course will now take them through the newer northern suburbs and the 5km is going to be a flatter, easier course that will take runners through Braithwaite Park," she said.

"With the 5km race it always had a number of hills in it so we've made it easier for everybody. We've also changed the start time from 9.10am to 10.30am."

There will also be a Kids' Commando Challenge, an obstacle course event complete with tyre jumps, tunnel crawls, hurdles and an inflatable slide.

The event has partnered with the Achilles New Zealand Hamilton chapter, which provides New Zealanders with disabilities the opportunity to participate alongside able bodied athletes in local mainstream events.

Lyn said most of the Achilles athletes would be training for the New York Marathon.

"They will be using our event as a build up towards that," she said.

Achilles athletes include a range of disabilities, from wheelchair-bound athletes to blind athletes.

Earlybird tickets are now on sale and will continue until April 30, with $10 off for half marathon runners and $5 off for the other events.

For more information on the new routes or to sign up visit www.hamiltonhalfmarathon.org.nz