Wellington Marathon runners set off outside the Westpac Stadium
This weekend will see the running of the 30th annual Wellington Marathon sponsored by Gazley Volkswagen. Starting out at the famous Westpac Stadium, the marathon takes on a flat and fast scenic route along Wellington’s stunning waterfront. In addition to the marathon course, there are also half marathon, 10k, 5k and a kids magic mile races so something for everyone to get involved with.
History of the Wellington Marathon
Aerial view of Wellington Waterfront where the Wellington Marathon course will take runners
Over the course of the last 30 years since the first Wellington Marathon in 1986, times have been getting quicker although the men’s course record is still held by Dougal Thorburn (2:25:33) from Wellington and was set in 2013. The women’s race record dates back to 2012 and is held by Australian Sara Burgess (2:48:40). This year more than 5,000 people will take part across all the different events, each one hoping to etch their name into the record books. Could it be your year?
The race attracts entrants from all over the world and is a truly multi-cultural event. Past winners and record holder include Kenyans, Americans and Australians as well as people from across New Zealand.
The Wellington Marathon course
Runners out on the flat and fast Wellington Marathon course
All of the events start and finish at the same point – the Fran Wilde Walkway in front of the Westpac Stadium. You can see kilometre markings at every kilometre along the way and marshals will be on hand for directions only. The course is a flat course and ideal for people running their first marathon or half marathon – if you’ve never run one before this could be a great way to break yourself in.
There is a fantastic atmosphere all around the course and the run takes you along the beautiful waterfront in Wellington where big crowds will get you through each kilometre.
Training
If you are only just thinking about a late entry, hopefully you have been doing some training of your own up to this point. If you are looking for some last minute tips to improve your performance on the day or simply looking for advice on what to do in the week leading up to the race, there is some great advice on the Wellington Marathon website. Whether you’re an elite athlete or a novice, everyone wants to improve on their time or run well and these tips could help you to make the most of the flat course and run your best.
Staying at the Willis Wellington Hotel
If you are planning on heading to Wellington for the marathon as either a spectator or a participant, we still have some great deals left on rooms at the Willis Wellington on our twin and king split rooms. Check the website for availability and some great prices.
The hotel is located in downtown Wellington around 3kms from the Westpac Stadium – ideal for a warm up jog to the start line and a great place to base yourself for the weekend.
For more information or to enter, check out the official Wellington Marathon website.