Half Marathon – ASICS Waterfront Half Marathon

Half Marathon

scroll to: the course / info at a glance

EVENT DATE
SUNDAY, 12th APRIL 2026
START TIME
07:00 AM /Walkers + 5mins
EVENT DISTANCE
21.1KM
TIME LIMIT
3.5 HRS
AGE LIMIT
>14 YEARS (on race day)

New Zealand's premier half marathon course - bar none - is here! Flat, fast and stunningly scenic, this is the place to rewrite your PB!

Stretching from St Heliers on the eastern outskirts of Auckland City all the way to the heart of Downtown, the half marathon distance at the ASICS Waterfront Half Marathon is the premier 21k race in the country. Tamaki Drive - probably New Zealand's most famous and storied running location - and Quay St in the city are cleared of traffic to become a runners playground on race day. Every kilometer of the course is marked with live timing, huge inflatable arches and live music. A thrilling and spectacular experience for everyone.

If you only do one half marathon this year ... make it the ASICS Waterfront Half!

Enter Now!

The Course

The half marathon course is and out-and-back along the stunning Auckland Waterfront and all the way into the heart of Downtown. The race begins in St Heliers on the eastern edges of the city and passes Kohimarama, Mission Bay and Okahu Bay beaches as well as landmarks like the Mission Bay fountain, Bastion Point and Kelly Tarltons. Just past Mechanics Bay, Quay St opens up to provide a stunning sunrise-lit view of Downtown Auckland's skyscrapers. The downtown section includes a lap around The Cloud on Queens Wharf, passes the historic Ferry Building and performs a cameo lap of Te Komititanga Square - filled with live music and cheering spectators. On the return leg, a detour at Ngapipi Rd passes the historic, multi-million dollar boatsheds.
Important! The half marathon course is AIMS Certified as accurate. View certificate here.

HALF MARATHON

Race Info at a Glance

The Basics
Race HALF MARATHON
Race Distance 21.1km [AIMS Certified]
Event Date Sunday, April 12th, 2026
Start Time 7:00am (Competitive Walkers @ 7:05am)
Time Limit 3.5 Hours
Awards Ceremony 10:30am (approx 45 mins duration)
Age Limit Participants must be 14 years or older on race day
Tickets & Fees See the enter page
Race Number Collection AHMS Series Pass entrants will receive all five race numbers by courier one week prior to the first event.
All other entrants must collect their race number at the Event Venue from 1pm - 4pm on Saturday (the day before the event) or from 5:30am on race morning.
Race Rules See our general Competition Rules here.

Event Base
Location Vellenoweth Green, St Heliers. Google locators: [start line pin] [finish line pin]
Access & Parking See the dedicated Traffic & Transport page.
Refuelling Station All race finishers will receive a banana or snack bar and a can of drink when they cross the line. Water will be available from the Refuelling station outside of the finish chute.
Toilets A large number of event portaloos will be located on the southern side of Vellowneweth Green. A large public toilet and changing room is available on the beachside promenade directly opposite the start line and another is sited at the eastern end of St Heliers beach, near the play area.

On Course
Course Map See Course Maps & Descriptions
Directions The entire course takes place on Auckland\s beautiful waterfront, mostly on Tamaki Drive, Quay St and Ngapipi Rd. The section around Downtown Auckland includes several turns which will be clearly marked and mostly fenced in.
Pacers Pacers will attempt to guide particpants to achieve specified finish times in 10 minute increments from 1hr 30m to 2hr 20m. You can find out more information on them here.
Important! Our pacers are experienced runners who volunteer who sacrifice their own race goals to help you achieve yours ... give them some love and appreciation. However, please be aware that pacers are succeptible to all the same ailments and pitfalls that you are. Whilst both they and we take every care to ensure a pacer will be present and run to the time advertised, we cannot guarantee it.
Pedestrians & Dogs Please be respectful of the public and always look out for members of the public attempting to cross the road in front of runners. Unfortunately, non-runners often misjudge how quickly participants are moving.
Friendly, well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome at the event venue however participants must not be accompanied by pets.
Toilets Public Toilets are available on course at the following locations:
> 1.2km / Kohimarama
> 2.6km / Mission Bay
> 4.6km / Okahu Bay
> 9.8km / The Cloud
> 16.5km / Okahu Bay
> 18.5km / Mission Bay
> 19.9km / Kohimarama
Aid Stations Aid Stations are located at:
> 2.6km / Mission Bay
> 4.6km / Okahu Bay
> 7.0km / Parnell Baths [TEAM PURE NUTRITION]
> 9.8km / The Cloud
> 13.0km / Parnell Baths [TEAM PURE NUTRITION]
> 16.5km / Okahu Bay
> 18.5km / Mission Bay
Stations will serve water and PURE electrolyte drink. TEAM PURE NUTRITION aid station at Parnell Baths (7k and 13k) will also serve Pure Nutrition gels (limited quantities - please keep your gel wrapper until the finish and dispose in the bins provided).

Awards & Results
Results Results will be updated live throughout the event - see the Results page for links.
Scan the QR code on your race number to be taken directly to your personal result page.
This link will provide live real-time results and progress reports on race day. Please share it with your friends and family.
Scoring In the spirit of athletic competition, awards will be given based on positions across the finish line (a.k.a. "gun time"). However, online results will show - and be ranked upon - the actual time taken between start and finish line (a.k.a. "net time").
Merit Awards Trophies will be awarded as follows:
> Top 3 Male & Top 3 Female overall
> Top 3 Male & Top 3 Female in the Competitive Walk category
Participation Awards All finishers receive a beautiful ASICS Waterfront Half Marathon finisher medal. See previous medals here.
A finish at this event also qualifies as the fifth and final part qualification for the Auckland Half Marathon Series Grand Slam Medal.
Competitive Walkers To be eligible to compete in the Competitive Walk category, you must:
1/ Be registered in the Competitive Walk category,
2/ Start on the Competitive Walk starting signal (normally 5 minutes after the main race start)
3/ Walk at all times whilst completing the race distance.
Full details and information are available on our dedicated Walkers page.
Virtual Event Couldn't make it to the event on race day? You can still record a finish time and earn yourself a finisher medal by completing the event virtually. Carefully read and adhere to the instructions on our dedicated Virtual Events page.
Important! You cannot qualify for an AHMS Grand Slam medal with a virtual finish at this event. 

Safety
On Course You must always remain fully aware of your surroundings and look out for uneven surfaces, obstacles or vehicles. Even where the road is closed, we cannot guarantee it will be traffic-free. Only proceed where you are satisfied it is safe to do so.
Medics Medical services will be provided by an appropriately licensed medical provider who will be available on-site and available to attend emergencies on course. In the case of an emergency, marshals or race crew *may* contact the on-site medical team in the first instance as they may be able to respond sooner than 111.
Important! If in any doubt, where there is a medical emergency, ask someone to call 111.
Marshals Please obey the marshals where they are acting for your safety. Marshals can make emergency calls on your behalf or contact event medical staff.
Important! Event marshals are provided by third-party organisations. They are volunteers and should be treated with respect, however they do not speak on behalf of the event organiser. Whilst provided with appropriate and accurate information, we cannot guarantee they will always communicate this.
Participants have primary responsibility for their own safety.