This race is the crown jewel of Auckland half marathons and the series’ final event. The course is almost completely flat, making it a great opportunity for heaps of runners to chase a new PB.
This year, the start line was moved to St Heliers Bay, so instead of the usual two laps, the route stretched into a single out-and-back along the waterfront to the downtown ferries. The course itself runs right along the coast: on one side, you have the bay, yachts, and Rangitoto Island on the horizon; on the other, houses, cafes, and typical urban scenery.
Running such a flat route after the hills of previous races was an absolute pleasure, plus the weather was brilliant. The run felt effortless, and my body quickly settled into a steady rhythm, so I managed to hold a consistently high heart rate without blowing up. In the end, even though I didn’t quite match my half marathon PB, I finished way faster than in all my other races this season.
And at the finish line, a double reward was waiting for me. Two medals at once: one for the half marathon itself, and a second, much bigger and heavier one, for completing all five races in the series. Season closed, mission accomplished — now it’s time to take a breather and forget about running for a while.
