Marathon course
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
5km course
The 5km run/walk starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathways to Brophy’s beach. Take a breath, check out the views then turn around for home returning via the stunning Taputapuatea bridge to the finish line at Buffalo Beach.
This course is 100% flat.
The track surface is 80% hard packed trail and 20% footpaths.
10km course
The 10km run/walk starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathway for some distance before turning around and heading back along the beachside trail towards the Whitianga Marina. Keeping the water on your left, you run or walk alongside the Whitianga Harbour up to a place called Lovers Rock. From here, you return to the beachfront on quiet backroads.
This course is 100% flat.
The track surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpaths.
21km course
New single lap course for 2021!
The 21km half marathon starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathways to Brophy’s beach to a turnaround point. You then head back on the coastal pathway onto the Whitianga Marina before travelling onto the Whitianga Inner Harbour to Lovers Rock. Next up is a tour of the Whitianga Waterways heading out to the end of South Highway (the old main road into town). A turn around put you onto South Highway pathways to join up to the SH25 pathway back towards the town entrance at Joan Gaskell Drive. Then it is a hop, skip and jump along Kupe Drive to return to the Finish line at Buffalo Beach.
This course is 100% flat.
The trail surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpath/roads.
Marathon course
This really is a Marathon of two exciting halves with a fun ferry ride to join the two! You will enjoy 21km at Cooks Beach and final 21km in Whitianga to get to the magic 42km. To get to the start line you get a ride on the historic Whitianga Ferry. After a quick race briefing you are off to run/walk the beautiful and historic Shakespeare Cliffs trails. You will run in the footsteps of Ngati Hei people and maybe in the footsteps of Captain James Cook. After a stunning 3km of trail, you progress onto the quiet backroads of Cooks Beach running right up to the crystal clear Purangi River. You then journey onto a hidden gem, a circumnavigation of Cooks Beach lake. By now you will be well and truly warmed up to take on 6km of trails in an oceanside Avocado Orchard. To finish stage one, it is back on hard packed trail and paths to board the ferry for a well-earned 3 minute break including a very convenient aid station. Don’t worry, your timing Transponders will time out for the Ferry crossing and the ferry will run continuously.
Once off the ferry, you marathoners join the half marathon course to complete the second 21km. The marathon course on the Whitianga side is the same as the half marathon course plus a final 5km stretch is along the beachfront to Brophy’s Beach then back to the finish line – Yes your earned your medal!
The first 21km includes elevation changes (a nice word for hills up to 60 metres and one at 120 metres).
The trail surface of the first 21km is 75% of hard packed trail and 25% of footpaths/roads.
The trail surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpath/roads.
5km Course Description
The 5km run/walk starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathways to Brophy’s beach. Take a breath, check out the views then turn around for home returning via the stunning Taputapuatea bridge to the finish line at Buffalo Beach.
This course is 100% flat.
The track surface is 80% hard packed trail and 20% footpaths.
10km Course Description
The 10km run/walk starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathway for some distance before turning around and heading back along the beachside trail towards the Whitianga Marina. Keeping the water on your left, you run or walk alongside the Whitianga Harbour up to a place called Lovers Rock. From here, you return to the beachfront on quiet backroads.
This course is 100% flat.
The track surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpaths.
21km Course Description
New single lap course for 2021!
The 21km half marathon starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathways to Brophy’s beach to a turnaround point. You then head back on the coastal pathway onto the Whitianga Marina before travelling onto the Whitianga Inner Harbour to Lovers Rock. Next up is a tour of the Whitianga Waterways heading out to the end of South Highway (the old main road into town). A turn around put you onto South Highway pathways to join up to the SH25 pathway back towards the town entrance at Joan Gaskell Drive. Then it is a hop, skip and jump along Kupe Drive to return to the Finish line at Buffalo Beach
This course is 100% flat.
The trail surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpath/roads.
Marathon Course Description
This really is a Marathon of two exciting halves with a fun ferry ride to join the two! You will enjoy 21km at Cooks Beach and final 21km in Whitianga to get to the magic 42km. To get to the start line you get a ride on the historic Whitianga Ferry. After a quick race briefing you are off to run/walk the beautiful and historic Shakespeare Cliffs trails. You will run in the footsteps of Ngati Hei people and maybe in the footsteps of Captain James Cook. After a stunning 3km of trail, you progress onto the quiet backroads of Cooks Beach running right up to the crystal clear Purangi River. You then journey onto a hidden gem, a circumnavigation of Cooks Beach lake. By now you will be well and truly warmed up to take on 6km of trails in an oceanside Avocado Orchard. To finish stage one, it is back on hard packed trail and paths to board the ferry for a well-earned 3 minute break including a very convenient aid station. Don’t worry, your timing Transponders will time out for the Ferry crossing and the ferry will run continuously.
Once off the ferry, you marathoners join the half marathon course to complete the second 21km. The marathon course on the Whitianga side is the same as the half marathon course plus a final 5km stretch is along the beachfront to Brophy’s Beach then back to the finish line – Yes your earned your medal!
The first 21km includes elevation changes (a nice word for hills up to 60 metres and one at 120 metres)
The trail surface of the first 21km is 75% of hard packed trail and 25% of footpaths/roads.
The trail surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpath/roads.
5km course description
The 5km run/walk starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathways to Brophy’s beach. Take a breath, check out the views then turn around for home returning via the stunning Taputapuatea bridge to the finish line at Buffalo Beach.
This course is 100% flat.
The track surface is 80% hard packed trail and 20% footpaths.
10km course description
The 10km run/walk starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathway for some distance before turning around and heading back along the beachside trail towards the Whitianga Marina. Keeping the water on your left, you run or walk alongside the Whitianga Harbour up to a place called Lovers Rock. From here, you return to the beachfront on quiet backroads.
This course is 100% flat.
The track surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpaths.
21km course description
New single lap course for 2021!
The 21km half marathon starts at Buffalo Beach and takes you along the coastal beach pathways to Brophy’s beach to a turnaround point. You then head back on the coastal pathway onto the Whitianga Marina before travelling onto the Whitianga Inner Harbour to Lovers Rock. Next up is a tour of the Whitianga Waterways heading out to the end of South Highway (the old main road into town). A turn around put you onto South Highway pathways to join up to the SH25 pathway back towards the town entrance at Joan Gaskell Drive. Then it is a hop, skip and jump along Kupe Drive to return to the Finish line at Buffalo Beach.
This course is 100% flat.
The trail surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpath/roads.
Marathon course description
This really is a Marathon of two exciting halves with a fun ferry ride to join the two! You will enjoy 21km at Cooks Beach and final 21km in Whitianga to get to the magic 42km. To get to the start line you get a ride on the historic Whitianga Ferry. After a quick race briefing you are off to run/walk the beautiful and historic Shakespeare Cliffs trails. You will run in the footsteps of Ngati Hei people and maybe in the footsteps of Captain James Cook. After a stunning 3km of trail, you progress onto the quiet backroads of Cooks Beach running right up to the crystal clear Purangi River. You then journey onto a hidden gem, a circumnavigation of Cooks Beach lake. By now you will be well and truly warmed up to take on 6km of trails in an oceanside Avocado Orchard. To finish stage one, it is back on hard packed trail and paths to board the ferry for a well-earned 3 minute break including a very convenient aid station. Don’t worry, your timing Transponders will time out for the Ferry crossing and the ferry will run continuously.
Once off the ferry, you marathoners join the half marathon course to complete the second 21km. The marathon course on the Whitianga side is the same as the half marathon course plus a final 5km stretch is along the beachfront to Brophy’s Beach then back to the finish line – Yes your earned your medal!
The first 21km includes elevation changes (a nice word for hills up to 60 metres and one at 120 metres).
The trail surface of the first 21km is 75% of hard packed trail and 25% of footpaths/roads.
The trail surface is 50% hard packed trail and 50% footpath/roads.
Course maps
Click to enlarge
5km & 10km course
1st half – Cooks beach
2nd half – Whitianga
Elevation maps
Click to enlarge
5km & 10km course
1st half – Cooks beach
2nd half – Whitianga
Sponsors
