Auckland Marathon 2024: Everything you need to know, including traffic, weather and celebrity sightings

The weather looks clear but a little windy for the race and will become more stable as the day progresses.

The Met Office is forecasting clouds to clear and good weather this morning with a maximum temperature of 17C. Fresh southerly winds are expected to weaken by the evening.

Can I drive near the race site?

To avoid any traffic or parking restrictions associated with the event, stay away from Devonport before 11am, and away from the Auckland city center waterfront or Tamaki Drive before 2pm.

If you have to drive through this area, some roads around the marathon course will be closed and delays may occur.

There are southbound lane closures from Esmond Road to Shelley Beach Road, but three lanes in each direction remain open on the Harbor Bridge.

Some highway ramps are closed: the Onewa Road exit southbound, the Shelley Beach Road exit southbound and the Curran Street exit northbound. The southbound Fanshawe St on-ramp will also be closed until 3pm.

Tamaki Drive and Lower Hobson Street to Quay Street will be closed from 4am to 1pm and 2pm respectively.

Specific road closure times, parking restrictions and diversions are listed on aucklandmarathon.co.nz.

Is it just a full marathon?

There are five events; full marathon, half marathon, traverse 11 km, 5 km and children’s marathon (2.2 km).

How many people run the Auckland Marathon?

Running is the hottest sport right now (or so we hear, running clubs are the hot new way to find dates) and total registrations are at a 10-year high of nearly 16,000.

As of October 22, 3,105 people had registered for the full marathon; 1,099 more than in 2019 and an impressive 801 more than in 2023.

This does not mean that 3105 medals will be awarded. The full marathon is no easy task: 2,304 runners registered in 2023, but only 1,765 finished.

The more achievable but still challenging 21km half marathon is more popular, with 6,753 registered runners as of 22 October.

Who controls it?

Prepare to see plenty of young guns running along the waterfront; 25 to 29 years old is the most popular age group for both men and women in the full marathon.

The average age has also dropped by two years from 2023 to 36.

Auckland Marathon regional director Amy McCormack said they had seen an “explosive” increase in the popularity of running, particularly among young New Zealanders.

“It’s amazing to see thousands of people wanting to challenge themselves in one of the five distances offered by the Auckland Marathon,” she said.

The majority of full marathon runners will be men (71%), but look out for women, whose participation is up 4% from last year.

There is also a near-perfect ratio between male and female runners (51% vs. 49%) in all five marathon events.

Almost 20% of runners will travel to the event from other regions, mainly from Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury. A third of marathon runners came from outside Auckland and 6% flew in from Australia.

Celebrities to watch

Hot on the heels of the Sydney Marathon, podcast and TV presenter Brodie Kane will be competing in the half marathon. The 38-year-old is the co-founder of the Solo Girls Run Club for women and an ambassador for running shoe brand Hoka.

William Wairua will also be running the race, as he does every day. On October 6, the TV presenter and social networks celebrated 4.5 years of running at least 5 km a day. Over the past 19 months, he has traveled at least 10 km a day.

Justin Weston will also be easy to spot, with the 28-year-old personal trainer running a full marathon blindfolded to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation. The cause is close to Weston’s heart after his own battle with depression.

Where is the best place to watch the Auckland Marathon?

Spectators are spoiled for choice, choosing a beautiful spot on the waterfront to watch the runners. However, the organizers revealed their favorite places.

At Smales Farm you will be able to watch runners at every event except the 5K and the run-by.

Those watching the marathon runners should park at Teal Park, a lesser-known green space near Mechanics Bay, right on the corner of the boardwalk. Or head to St Heliers Beach, where you can park at the cafe and watch the runners at the ‘turning point’.

The finish line at Victoria Park will be packed with fans and competitors and is where you’ll find the most smiles and festive atmosphere.

Spectators can use this handy map to plan where and how to cheer on their athletes.