Rotorua Marathon
Rotorua, New Zealand
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Rotorua Marathon is an iconic major New Zealand event which was first held in 1965. The headline event is the full marathon, where participants complete the unique 42.2km ‘lap of the lake’ course around Lake Rotorua. The event caters for runners and walkers of all levels, with the full … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 02):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°C) | 16 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 19 |
| L (°C) | 3 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 11 |
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The perfect end to my 7 continents quest
Who wouldn't be interested in running a marathon that goes completely around a lake with a circumference of 42k? It's so cool to be able to gauge how far along … MORE
Who wouldn’t be interested in running a marathon that goes completely around a lake with a circumference of 42k? It’s so cool to be able to gauge how far along you are the whole way.
The expo and shirts were fine, a really cool thing happened at the expo though… I met a local journalist who asked if she could interview me about my seven continents experience. We ended up running a good section of the course together the following day. She even researched all my races over the years to get the info for her story.
The thing that made the Rotorua marathon special to me, besides the incredibly motivating haka we were treated to at the start line, besides getting to run around this gorgeous lake with such a rich history, besides the breathtaking views and besides completing my nine-year long quest, besides having the finish line just a few hundred meters from one of the world<s top ten spas, was the warmth, enthusiasm and hospitality of the locals. I've never in all my years of running, experienced such spectator support. I was given candy at least 10 times and at least twice as many high fives, not to mention all the great signs and words of encouragement.
As for the course, it’s mostly rolling hills, and then one killer hill, conveniently placed around the 30k mark.
I made a conscious choice to savour this marathon, to soak in the experience and not to rush it. I finished with more energy than I’ve ever finished any race.