Travel, Traffic & Parking
scroll to: location map / event bus / drive & park / drop off / other options
Tamaki Dr, Quay St, Ngapipi Rd
RACE DAY ONLY: 04:00 AM - 11:30 AM
St Heliers is located 10km east of Auckland city centre on Tamaki Drive. Although normally very easy to get to via a number of alternative methods - best of all, running! - it can be challenging to get to there early on race morning due to the road closures and diversions in place to allow the safe operation of the event.
For this reason, it's important to plan ahead so you know where you are heading on race morning and how you will get there. Above all else ... allow plenty of time. By arriving early you can soak up the pre-race vibe, catch up with friends and get yourself race-ready without any last minute rushing around.
TRAVEL OPTIONS
St Heliers Traffic & Location Map
The area around the venue at Vellenoweth Green will be particulary busy and movement heavily restricted on race morning. It is best avoided if at all possible. Keep in mind that the entire length of Tamaki Drive - from St Heliers Bay Road west - is a towaway zone which will be rigorously enforced on race morning.This location map highlights the location of start and finish lines, the event bus drop off (pre-race) and boarding (post-race) points and the drop off area located in Polygon Rd. Take careful note, also, of the resident access only area to the west of the venue. These roads are not available for parking on race morning to ensure access for bus services.
Event Bus
By far the easiest and most stress-free way to get to the event is by catching the official Event Bus from Victoria Park in the city. You'll be dropped off right next to the venue and can board a return bus nearby for your trip back. Avoid the queues, the stress of parking and take the easy route to the venue.
Important! Absolutely no in-person bus ticket sales. Bus tickets may sell out at any time without warning. If not sold out prior, sales will close at midnight on Race Friday.
BOARD VICTORIA PARK | FROM 5:15 AM
BOARD GOLDIE ST | FROM 10:30 AM
$15 (RETURN) | LIMITED NUMBERS!
CITY -> ST HELIERS
Event buses will depart from Victoria Park, Auckland City and make the approximately 30 minute trip to St Heliers. An exact map of the boarding location will appear here closer to the event. Shuttle buses will have exclusive access within the road closure and will set you down right next to the venue in The Parade. From there, bag drop and the start line are only a few minutes away.
Boarding Procedure: Event buses will be available for boarding from 5:15am at the boarding location at Victoria Park in Auckland City. Buses will be filled one-at-a-time and each bus will depart when full. The final bus will depart at 5:45am - not before - whether it is full or not. Prior to boarding, your name will be checked off the boarding list.
Important! If you have not pre-purchased your ticket, you will not be permitted to board. No in-person bus ticket sales are available.
ST HELIERS -> CITY
Event buses returning to the city will park up within the road closure on Goldie St, just a few metres from the finish line. Buses will be available for boarding - one-at-a-time - from 10:30am. However, they will only leave when full. At the conclusion of the Awards Ceremony (approx 11:15am) all remaining buses will be available for boarding and will depart within 10-15 minutes. If you are taking the bus back to the city after the Awards Ceremony, please do not dally as you may be left behind!
BUS TICKET SALES
Tickets cost $15 per person which covers you for the bus to the venue in the morning and the return trip after the race (single leg tickets are not available). You can purchase tickets for yourself - and any friends or family accompanying you - when you register for the event or you can add them to your registration later (see "Making Changes" -> "Add Merch, etc" here for details on how to do this).
Important! Bus Tickets may sell out at any time without warning. If not sold out prior, no tickets sales will close at midnight on Race Friday.
Important! We strongly advise all participants to collect their race number from the venue on Saturday, particularly those in the half marathon.
Drive & Park
Many participants will look to find parking in the streets around St Heliers and nearby suburbs. This can be challenging on race day so leave plenty of time and be prepared for a 10-15 minute jog/walk to the venue (the ideal warm up!).
TOWAWAY AREAS
No parking or stopping of any sort is permitted on Tamaki Drive (west of St Heliers Bay Rd), Quay St (east of Lower Albert St), The Parade, Goldie St (north of Polygon Rd) and Maheke St from 4am - 11:30am on race day. Keep this in mind as parking in any of these locations is guaranteed to result in being towed.
So please .... *please* ... don't ruin your awesome event day by parking illegally only to return to your vehicle post-race and find you have received a ticket or - worse still - your vehicle has been towed. Allow plenty of time and slowly fan out from the venue area until you find free, legal street parking. It will only take you a few extra minutes to get to the venue.
ST HELIERS (WEST) RESIDENT ONLY ZONE
Due to narrow roads and the need to preserve access for public transport and emergency services, a number of streets to the west of the venue will operate as a "resident-only" zone. No access or parking within this zone is permitted. See the blue shaded area on the Location Map for details.
PARKING ENFORCEMENT
You may be tempted to imagine that parking enforcement officers will be having a lie-in at 7am on a Sunday morning. Please do not be deceived. In partnership with Auckland Council, we are fully supportive of having Parking Enforcement Officers specifically targeting our events. Parking illegally, blocking narrow roads and - worst of all - blocking or partially blocking residents' driveways all reflect badly on our event and can eventually lead to permits being refused.
So please .... *please* ... don't ruin your awesome event day by parking illegally only to return to your vehicle post-race and find you have received a ticket or - worse still - your vehicle has been towed. Allow plenty of time and slowly fan out from the venue area until you find free, legal street parking. It will only take you a few extra minutes to get to the venue.
Drop-off Zone
Travelling to the event with some supporters? The Drop-off Zone is a great way to get yourself into the venue early and take the pressure off your friends or family to find a parking space in a big hurry.
HOW IT WORKS
Polygon Road, from St Heliers Bay Rd to Goldie St, is our designated Drop-off Zone. It will operate as a strictly monitored P5 parking zone. So you cannot stop your car in this area for any more than 5 minutes without risking the wrath of enforcement officers who will be monitoring the area.
No worries, that's heaps of time to pull into the side of the road and gather all your things together and take the short walk ahead to the venue. Your designated driver can then exit the zone by turning left into The Parade and heading off to find a parking space for the day. With you squared away at the venue, the pressure is off them and they can take their time to park carefully (and legally!) and walk back to the venue in time to see you start.
Important! Remember that you can only enter the Drop-off Zone by turning into Polygon Rd from St Heliers Bay Rd. A one-way system will be in force and no access to drop-off will be permitted from Goldie St or Maheke St.
Other Options
Really can't find anything in the options above? OK, it's time to get creative.
Car Pool (Karaoke)
OK, there doesn't need to be any singing (although it makes the journey go quicker). Johnny No-mates? Try posting on our facebook page.
Uber/Taxi
Ouch! I know! Pretty spenny.But maybe you can share with mates. Either way, it's a near-guarantee to get you to the venue in the early hours with minimum fuss.
Public Transport
Use with extreme care! For those in the 10k or later events, it might be possible to get a bus to St Heliers in time. But be aware diversions are in place and buses may not run to timetable.
Bike or Scooter
We said things were getting creative. Its a 10k haul from the city - but it's all flat and you can use the footpath on Tamaki Drive. Sorry, no refunds for broken bones!