Wellington Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Wellington Marathon is a road marathon on Wellington's harbour front that starts and finishes at Hnry Stadium, and has been run since 1986. It is held on a Sunday around the end of June or the start of July, with a half marathon, a 10K and a Kids' Magic Mile on the same day. All races start on the stadium's Fran Wilde Walkway and head south on Waterloo Quay toward the Railway Station. The marathon is two laps of the half marathon route, which goes through the city centre, along Oriental Parade and Evans Bay Parade, and on via Cobham Drive to the Miramar Peninsula and back. Every event is out and back, with kilometres marked sequentially on the way out and counting down on the way back. The organisers call the course flat, fast and spectator-friendly and name the Railway Station, the Michael Fowler Centre, Te Papa, Oriental Parade, Shelly Bay and Queens Wharf as landmarks. They say the only hill is the ramp into the stadium. The marathon and half marathon are measured and certified to IAAF and AIMS standard by Athletics New Zealand course measurers. Marathon runners must reach the end of the first lap, at 22.2 km, by 11:00am or finish as half marathoners, and road controls close at 1:00pm. Entrants must be 15 or older on race day.