THE DEADLINE FOR DEFERMENT TO 2027 HAS NOW CLOSED
Notice of postponement was sent by SMS and email to every participant, in addition to being posted on the front page of the event web site from April 9 through the original event date and being widely publicised on our social media channels. Over 800 participants have chosen to defer to 2027. If you are unable to attend on April 19th, your only option now is the virtual event (see below).

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The decision has been taken to postpone the 2026 Waterfront Half Marathon to the official rain date of April 19th 2026. Whilst there still remains some uncertainty around the weather conditions for this Sunday, April 12th, current Met Service forecasts predict “damaging and potentially life threatening” winds whilst other government agencies have advised preparedness and extreme caution. The zenith of the storm’s effects on Auckland coincide exactly with the event window. Against that backdrop, it is not tenable or responsible to proceed. We understand how disappointing this news is. We’re gutted. But the safety of everyone involved in the event must come first.

We fully appreciate the weather on Sunday may not turn out to be that bad. We sincerely hope it is not. Advanced weather modelling is above our pay grade. However, there is a strong need to provide certainty to participants and event partners and waiting any longer may jeopardise our ability to produce on our alternate date. Hindsight (and blue skies) on Sunday morning will not make this decision any less correct at this time.

We have tried our very best to get ahead of this to make arrangements for a postponement. The Waterfront Half Marathon is not school sports or a Saturday parkrun. It takes the cooperation and availability of many essential services to enable us to change course – traffic management, buses (ours and public), marshals, medics, toilets, fencing … the list goes on. Fortunately, with the assitance of our partners – and in particular the efforts of Auckland Transport and Independent Traffic Control – we believe we can confirm all of the essential resources and permissions to make this change.
April 19^th, here we go!

What about me, what are my options?

If you are ready to lace up your shoes and get stuck in on April 19th, you don’t need to do anything.
All information on the web site, all start times, bus times, number collection arrangements, medals, etc – everything will proceed exactly as before, but one week later. Your race number will not change, your ticket is still valid, your bus transfer (if booked) will be there as before … there is nothing more for you to do. Whilst some fringe elements of the event production may be dialled back, we still aim to put on an absolutely amazing show for you.

I can’t make it on the 19th, what now?

If you are unable to take part on the postponement date, you have two options; switch to the virtual event or defer to the 2027 event. You can make this update yourself by accessing your event ticket online and following the instructions below. If you are unable to access your ticket then you can use our Ticket Recovery function here. If you are still having issues then contact us via our help system here.

Switching to Virtual

All of the information regarding the rules for our virtual events – including how to join, how to submit your time and how to receive your medal – are included in our Virtual Run information page here. For this event only, the virtual run will be open from 00:00 on Saturday 11th April until 23:59 on Sunday 10th May. We fully understand that for many people, running the event virtually will be a long way short of the event experience they hoped for. To soften the blow, we’ve sweetened the pot a little. For those who choose to go virtual by April 12th and complete and submit a virtual time within the time limit:

1/ We will issue all virtual finishers with a personal 50% off voucher, which can be used to discount the individual race entry fee for any one of our events throughout the 2026/27 season (including the 2027 Waterfront Half Marathon).

2/ We will post your 2026 finisher medal and 2026 Waterfront Half Marathon singlet – if you were in the 21k or 10k – to your (non-rural) Auckland address free of charge (other addresses may choose to pay for a courier or collect in person), approximately 1-2 weeks after the close of the virtual competition on May 10th).

3/ If you were chasing the 2025/26 AHMS Grand Slam Medal, we will count a virtual finish at Waterfront as an actual finish – for the purposes of medal qualification – and send your grand slam medal to you along with your Waterfront finisher medal.
If you have any merchandise or bus tickets attached to your virtual entry, they will be removed and any amounts refunded within two weeks.

Deferring to 2027 Event – Option Expires Midnight April 12th

Deferring to the 2027 event is quick, easy and can be done simply from your online event ticket. Simply click on the “Make Changes” button and then click “Change Race Option” and follow the prompts. There is no charge for this but the action is irreversible, so think carefully first. It’s also important to understand that by deferring to the 2027 event, you will forfeit any free singlet you may have qualified for from the 2026 event and you will not be eligible for the 2027 singlet.
If you have any merchandise or bus tickets attached to your deferred entry, it will be removed and any amounts refunded within two weeks.
Note: If you would prefer to defer to another of our 26/27 season events – which run from September 2026 to April 2027, switch to 2027 waterfront first and then send a note via our help system. 

Important! We will once again point out that – per our terms and conditions which all participants must specifically agree to when registering – we will not be issuing any refunds.

We look forward to finally getting the all-new 2026 ASICS Waterfront Half Marathon underway on the new event date of April 19th.
Cya there.