City Comes Alive as Biggest Ever Auckland Marathon Takes to the Streets
New Zealand’s biggest and most iconic running event returned to the streets of Auckland today, with a record number of participants choosing to run, walk, and dance their way through the city.
The 2024 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon presented by ASICS saw nearly 18,000 registered runners and walkers, the most in the event’s 33-year history.
With New Zealand in the grips of a running boom, thousands of runners turned out in their droves, keen to test themselves across one of five distances at the event, from the Barfoot & Thompson Marathon and Garmin Half Marathon to the One New Zealand 11km Traverse and United Airlines 5km, to the Barfoot & Thompson Kids Run.
Media personality Brodie Kane took part in the half marathon, partly a race for herself, and partly as a way to support the more than 50 runners from her recently formed Solo Girls Run Club.
“We’ve got about 50 girls here from Solo Girls Run Club, which only started in April. I'm here for the girls, and there's heaps of them out here today. It's a pretty cool feeling to have it not just about yourself because running is quite selfish, but if you can do it with a bunch of pals, everyone's got their different stories to get to the start line, so that's why it's quite addictive,” said Brodie.
“It was so cool out there today. I just think everyone's buzzing, from jumping on the ferries in the morning, getting over there, it's so well-organised at the start line, and just vibes the whole way. It's just packed the whole way, which is such a good feeling because everyone carries each other through. So amazing, I'm so stoked with so many people out there running. It's a cool thing to do.
“Grinding up that bridge, as much as it never ends, when you get to the top, there's nothing that beats it,” she said. “Going over the bridge is amazing. When do you ever get to do that?”
Suresh Srinivasan was another runner stoked with his race day experience. While 68% of participants are from Auckland, nearly 60 nationalities were represented on the start line this year, with Suresh travelling from India on a ‘run-cation’ especially for the Auckland Half Marathon.
“I came all the way from New Delhi to Auckland to do this half marathon as part of my running holiday and as part of my 50th birthday. I'm so grateful to my parents and to my friends for hosting me here and giving me all the best food so that I can run my best and strongest half marathon ever,” said Suresh.
“It's one of the best half marathons I've run. The course was beautiful, the weather was amazing, the crowd support was awesome,” he said. “It was a wonderful opportunity for me to also volunteer at the Expo two days back, checking in all the athletes and handing them the bits. Loved it.”
Each athlete out on course today had their reason for running and a story to tell, but for many running for charity, there was an extra slice of motivation.
Justin Weston completed his first ever marathon today. But to make his 42.2km challenge even harder, Justin ran blindfolded, guided by his good friend Pita Tupou.
For Justin, the blindfold symbolises a journey from dark to light, after the 28-year-old’s struggles with mental health. Justin is aiming to fundraise $25,000 for the Mental Health Foundation NZ.
“I've done some pretty crazy stuff, but this is by far the best feeling ever because of what I was doing it for. Everything else has been for me, but this wasn't for me, this was for everyone else, so it feels so much better. It's incredibly amazing right now,” said Justin.
“The crowd support was so good. Because I can't see, just hearing what I could hear was so motivating, I was almost itching for the next drum or music to come through,” he said. “I couldn't even see, and I really loved it. That's how much of a testament that is to the Auckland Marathon.
“I’m proud of myself, proud of the people around me, and I just hope this shows that you can do anything you put your mind to. Two years ago, if you said this is what Justin was going to be doing, I would have laughed at you. Just so proud.”
Through the 2024 Auckland Marathon, nearly $500,000 has already been raised for charities in need, with the total set to rise over the next few days.
Like Justin, Vicki Tohill’s journey to the Auckland Marathon finish line has been one of perseverance. In 2018, she was involved in a serious collision that left her with a broken neck and temporarily paralysed down one side of her body.
Six years on, Vicki has made a miraculous recovery and is grateful every day to be alive, and so continues to challenge herself to do hard things. Usually a trail runner, Vicki was taking part in her first road marathon.
“The course is amazing. I thought I was going to be a little bored running on the road compared to trail, but there's so much to look at all the way through. The thing that made it is the people, you don't get this on trail. From 6:00 in the morning, there were people out in their dressing gowns having their morning coffee and toast, cheering us on. All day, there's been people along the course. It's just magic,” said Vicki.
“I just feel gratitude, I was just enjoying every step. I'm here because I can, so many people came out today and said, ‘Hey Vicki, good on you’, and they all said the same thing – we're here because we can.”
