RUNNING TO THEIR OWN DRUM

The return of Christchurch’s vibrant city centre also signals the rebirth of an iconic South Island event.

After two cancellations due to the pandemic, the Christchurch Marathon is set to bring runners and walkers alike to Ōtautahi for the classic 42.2km marathon, a half marathon, a quarter marathon, and the Kids’ Mara’Fun, on 16 April.

This year, in its 41st iteration, the Marathon has a few unique changes, most visibly, it’s now the ‘Frontrunner Christchurch Marathon’.

Aside from the new sponsor, the event is now condensed into the city centre, which it meanders throughout, bringing a decidedly vibrant feel to the races. The event hub will be based in Hagley Park, centred around a 10-kilometre track.

Along the entire course, runners can take in iconic landmarks as they go, with Canterbury Museum and Oxford Terrace added alongside popular Hagley Park and Avon River sections.

This new location and course maintain some Christchurch hallmarks, like its well-known flatness, speed, and scenery. The new setting, though, offers something that previous events hadn’t – more opportunities for spectators and supporters to be a part of the action.

Not only are the races more accessible to fans and supporters, but the event is also taking on a more inclusive feel with categories for best costume, school teams, and corporate teams – a festival-like aspect race director Chris Cox is excited about.

“That’s what we’re aiming for,” Chris says. “Much less of a race and much more of a festival of fitness. The changes are a result of the Covid experience forcing the event to take a hard look at itself.

“The cancellations in 2020 and 2022 were tough, but they also allowed us the time to analyse the Christchurch Marathon, and the thing we kept coming back to was that we had to make it more sustainable.

“Over the course of four decades, it had become too tough to organise, too removed from spectators, too focused on racing and too focused on a traditional course that was too inconvenient for the community. These changes fix all those problems at once and actually make the course flatter, faster, more achievable while providing a foundation for the next 41 years.” christchurchmarathon.co.nz

Alongside supporting athletic inclusivity and endurance, the Frontrunner Christchurch Marathon has teamed up with Canterbury’s mental health awareness and support services, with participants encouraged to sign up to fundraise for these organisations.