Sign In / Register
The Ōrewa Half Marathon, to be held on Sunday, June 9, outran organisers’ expectations, with entries selling out for the first time.
The 600 participants signed up are aged from teenagers to 80 years old.
The event offers 5km and 10km options as well as the Half Marathon (21.1km), and can be walked or run. It has been part of Run 21’s family friendly series of coastal half marathons since 2021.
Co-director Natalie Waters says it has always attracted high participation rates, something she puts down to a scenic course, designed to give runners and walkers a bit of everything.
She says Run 21 prioritises keeping prices down, which means trying to avoid roads as traffic management is expensive.
The other key is maintaining a grass-roots, community feel, which Natalie says encourages and supports new runners.
“In Ōrewa, families come down to support and have picnics,” she says. “There will be elite runners taking part who want to beat their personal bests, while for others running their first 5km without stopping is a big deal. They push and inspire each other.”
All the marshalls this year are volunteers from Ōrewa Sea Scouts.
