Auckland marathon: Quarter distance to include bridge

Competitors run over the Auckland Harbour Bridge from last years Auckland Marathon. Photo / Brett Phibbs

This year, for the first time, the Quarter Marathon of the ASB Auckland Marathon will cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The 10.55km run and walk, which used to run along Tamaki Drive and back, will now begin at 9.05am at Akoranga Station in Northcote and finish at Victoria Park. Until now, only the Marathon and Half Marathon races have crossed the bridge.

The managing director of the event, Stephen Brown, said they made the change, which follows the adjustment to the Half Marathon course last year, to showcase some of Auckland's greatest assets.

"Many entrants who are visitors to Auckland run in the Quarter Marathon so it therefore made sense to open up the opportunity to run over the bridge if we could," he said.

Brown said the Quarter Marathon will be a greater challenge than the original course but it will also offer greater views. It is more in line with the signature races of the event.

"It is still a very flat run, with the exception of the bridge and off-ramp, but now with a high-quality running surface, enhanced visual aspects of Auckland City and of course the run over the bridge is an exciting highlight for everyone."

The response to the change has been an overwhelming endorsement from the athletes.

"The event sold out in August and reached the 3500 entrants mark for the first time ever so we feel people have embraced the change very positively."

The Auckland Marathon was recently rated one of the top 10 in the world. Worldrunning.com, a site endorsed by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), included Auckland alongside the likes of New York City, Paris, Boston and London in "10 city marathons you absolutely have to add to your running bucket list".

The Numbers

16,200

entrants in total at 17 October.

1000

International visitors

44

countries represented

50,000

litres of water at the aid stations

800

volunteers

Current records

Marathon:

Men 2:17.43, Dale Warrander, 2006 / women 2:41.29, Alexandra Williams, 2012

Half marathon:

Men 1:06:19 Matt Smith, 2009 / women 1:13.08, Danielle Trevis, 2010

Best performances

Marathon:

Men 2:14:03, Phil Costley, 1997 / women 2:38:47, Gabrielle O'Rourke, 1999

Half marathon:

Men 1:02:51, Dale Warrander, 2005 / women 1:11:02, Yukiko Okamoto (Jap), 1995

Quarter marathon:

men 32:14, Brett Tingay, 2009 / women 36:56, Fiona Crombie, 2008