Course & Elevation

The Christchurch Marathon is a road marathon through central Christchurch, New Zealand, held on a Sunday in April. A half marathon, a 10 km, a Youth 3K and a Kids Mile run on the same day. The marathon is four laps of a city circuit based at the Hagley Park Special Events Area, with the start line on Park Terrace. Landmarks on the course include Hagley Park, the Christchurch Town Hall, Canterbury Museum and the Avon River. The event began in 1978 as the Sedley Wells Midwinter Marathon, held on Queen's Birthday weekend over the 1974 Commonwealth Games course, and it became the City of Christchurch International Marathon in 1981. After the Canterbury earthquakes the race moved to Lincoln and then Christchurch Airport, returned to the central city in 2015, went back to its Town Hall base in 2019 and to the traditional route in 2021, when it also moved to April. The race record is 2:15:12, set by Tom Birnie in 1985. More than 8,200 people entered the 2026 events.

Surface: road Profile: Flat

Weather

Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record

Temperature 12°C

Humidity 72%

Rain Chance 35%

April is autumn in Christchurch: the average daytime high is about 17°C and the average low about 7°C, with around 58 mm of rain in the month.

Related Guides

The Race

Christchurch

Race Lore

A Midwinter Marathon Over the Commonwealth Games Course

1978 Origin

In 1978 Don Cameron and the Long Distance Running Club of New Zealand set up an annual marathon over the historic 1974 Commonwealth Games course. Held on Queen's Birthday weekend, it was New Zealand's first mid-winter marathon, the first to combine a half marathon and the first to welcome recreational runners alongside club runners. It was called the Sedley Wells Midwinter Marathon, and it became the City of Christchurch International Marathon in 1981.

Moved Out by the Earthquakes

2011 Drama

The Canterbury earthquakes forced the race out of the central city in 2011, first to Lincoln and then to Christchurch Airport. It returned to the central city in 2015, to its traditional base at the Town Hall in 2019, and in 2021 to the pre-earthquake route, when it also moved from the early-June Queen's Birthday weekend to April. The race also lost Brian Taylor, one of its founding drivers, in the earthquakes.

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Course Record

02:15:12

Tom Birnie (1985)

Registration

Entry fee, registration dates and lottery rules are not confirmed here yet. Check the official registration page.

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Fun Facts

▸ The first race, in 1978, was New Zealand's first mid-winter marathon and the first New Zealand marathon to combine a half marathon.
▸ Ian Thompson's 2:09:12 at the 1974 Commonwealth Games remains the fastest marathon ever run on New Zealand soil, according to the organisers.
▸ Jack Foster ran the inaugural full marathon at age 48 in 2:22:48, which is still the masters course record.
▸ More than 8,200 people entered the 2026 events.

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