Marathon Details - City of Christchurch Marathon

International Marathons > New Zealand > Christchurch > City of Christchurch Marathon

Frontrunner City of Christchurch Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K

Christchurch, New Zealand

April 21, 2024

http://www.christchurchmarathon.co.nz

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Name:	Chris Cox
Address:	Christchurch Marathon, PO Box 25-156, Christchurch, New Zealand
Phone Number:	027 293 8309
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.0

Spectators 3.8

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Number of comments: 6

C. D. from Florida, USA (12/18/2016) "Flat course; a lot of 2011 earthquake damage" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Relatively plain, flat double-loop course through what was once suburbia. Now laid waste by the big earthquake in 2011. Still whole city blocks without any buildings. New Zealand is a wonderful place to visit, and this marathon is a good enough excuse to go (it was my excuse), but best to plan it as part of a multi-city trip. Well organized and not too expensive race; and the course could be pretty fast if you wanted it to be.
David Brown from Perth Western Australia (6/9/2008) "Terrific course -but missing a medal!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Thank you for putting on a well-run marathon. However, as documented by fellow Perth runner, John Harris, this is the first time a finisher's medal was not draped around our necks at the end of a marathon. I did not even read the fine print on what was awarded post-race, as it was assumed all marathoners would get what all marathon finishers the world over get - this being a medal (be it great, mediocre or poor in quality). We have nothing "physical" to show for our efforts, as humble as they may be. Had we known this, I can guarantee that we would have not traveled all the way from Perth to get basically nothing on race day, apart from a shirt that we purchased outside of our own entry cost and a series of photos that we now have to purchase - and fair enough. We had a friend from Perth doing his first marathon and, in building up the achievement of actually finishing, we referred to the magic feeling you got when a finisher's medal is draped around your neck as you crossed "that" line. This was a disappointment all-round. Please explain your reasons for not issuing a medallion. Seeing the kids getting their medals engraved post-race was the icing on the cake. Cost is therefore not a reason, surely? Fantastic that the youngsters be rewarded and encouraged, but for goodness sakes, what about the folk belting out the 42.2? Thank you. Regards, David Brown
John Harris from Perth .West Australia. (6/8/2008) "Good marathon, but could be a great marathon." (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 What a beautiful city, with the friendliest and most helpful folks I have encountered in a long time. I offer the following as positive criticism, as I appreciate the difficulty of managing these events mostly with volunteers. The marathoners should have their own start for two reasons: 1. The marathon event and the athlete deserve this respect. It's a special event, and a long way from running a 10-20K event in every sense. Those who put their toe on the line have shown courage and great commitment, so let`s acknowledge that. I think the public would also appreciate this. 2. It`s simply too congested. Even a 5-minute difference would fix this. The water stops were too far apart, up to 5K, and I think this is too far; 3K would have been good. For the average marathon finisher using gels, etc., 5K is a long time between drinks - even on a cool day, such as the one we had. This was the feelings of most I spoke to, especially the inexperienced. However, the issue that has astounded me the most has been the absense of a FINISHER'S MEDAL. This was very disappointing. Please let me know why. The one thing that marathoners hold so dearly is the receiving around one`s neck of that precious medal - the permanent reminder of the race, the pain, the beautiful city, and the finish. The completion of a marathon for many is often a one-off occurrence, a practical acknowledgment of significant change in their life, e.g. overcoming cancer, or other major health issues; recovering from divorce; or other issues that can bring people to a halt. It is not only the domain of the competent distance runner. The marathon in some magical way has great healing qualities to propel these people forward with great energy. I feel for these folks, particularly when they receive nothing as they pass the finish line. Many may never have the chance again. Of the many marathons I have done across Australia, I have never seen a medal not issued to the finisher. This view was held by all marathon finishers I spoke to, including the other 3 Australians who made the journey to CC. I think race directors generally have missed the point a little in regard to the finisher's medal for marathoners. Race directors always want more entrants. They advertise and promote (and so they should), yet they never talk up the medal! From my experience of talking and running with many, many marathoners and ironman competitors over the years, good medals hold attraction! (Consider the New Zealand Ironman finisher's medal.) Good medals attract athletes to register in a particular event. I understand cost. But every runner competing in a marathon has made a sacrifice, so a relatively small cost to receive a great medal should pose no issue. I would be appreciative of your response. Thank you for the forum to voice my view. -John Harris
M. M. from Houston, Texas (1/13/2007) "Great for a first international race" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first "international" marathon, and I found everything about it charming. I was worried about not having Gatorade, but the sports drink they provided was equivalent. It was a very peaceful run, and such a pretty city! There was plenty of support, and it was a nice, flat course (I cut 7 minutes off my previous PR), and it was funny how folks ran and passed on the right - that kind of threw me off at first! For my inaugural foreign marathon, I was quite glad it was somewhere that English was spoken, and folks were so friendly and helpful, although they were definitely not as loud in cheering as in the states!
Michael Wray from Wellington, New Zealand (6/6/2006) "Well organised, nice course, personal best" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Aside from a mix-up with event T-shirts, which ultimately was resolved by having to accept a larger size than ordered, I thought this was a great event. This was my second marathon and my first in Christchurch. The race was a leisurely 8:45am start; much more agreeable than the 6:30am of Auckland! The weather was cold and overcast, with not much wind. In other words, perfect for running. The flat course starts in the Christchurch city centre and heads north for about 8kms before crossing the river and coming back towards the city. At the park, it turns off down south towards the airport for about 10km and then follows the same route back to the turn-off from Hagley park. From here, it goes through the park and swings back to the start (finish) point in the city. I was very impressed with the rest stations. They were spaced perfectly and offered both water and carboshotz fluid. They also had wet sponges, which would be lovely to have on a hot day, but I didn't use any in the cold conditions. I had taken a fuel belt with 4 bottles, but I needn't have bothered. The stops were spaced well enough throughout and the belt's useful purpose on the day was to merely hold my gels. Somewhere around 13km, the 10km runners merged into our course. That was a pain. It wasn't the front of the 10km pack, more likely nearer the back. They were going quite slowly and clogging up the way through. Around 16km or so, we passed back through the city. The congestion with the 10km runners continued until about 19km, when we got around the bottom of the park. Sections of this course were a little narrow, so there were times when I wanted to push through the 10kmers but had to be patient. It was a relief when we turned right to head off to Memorial Ave and they continued going round the park. The long straight down Memorial Ave left me appreciating what a good job the police were doing at directing traffic. Memorial is a major road with lots of intersections. All of the traffic lights were turned to amber and at each crossroads a policeman was directing traffic through gaps in the runners. At no time in the race did I have to alter my pace because of traffic and I was impressed with the police handling. At 3 hours 28, I was very happy with my time, so I guess I was always going to look back with enjoyment at this race. I reckon I'll be back for 2007.
E. R. from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (1/19/2005) "Excellent course and conditions. Small numbers." (about: 1999) 2 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Christchurch was my first marathon, and it was a great experience. The course is flat and fast. Generally the weather is ideal for marathoning with temperatures below 50. Christchurch can be windy, and it being New Zealand, it could rain. Compared to international races, this one will seem small (less than 1000 finishers, I think), and the crowd support is relatively thin on the second part of the course. Very well organized. Each kilometer is marked (mostly accurately).

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C. D. from Florida, USA (12/18/2016) "Flat course; a lot of 2011 earthquake damage" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Relatively plain, flat double-loop course through what was once suburbia. Now laid waste by the big earthquake in 2011. Still whole city blocks without any buildings. New Zealand is a wonderful place to visit, and this marathon is a good enough excuse to go (it was my excuse), but best to plan it as part of a multi-city trip. Well organized and not too expensive race; and the course could be pretty fast if you wanted it to be.
David Brown from Perth Western Australia (6/9/2008) "Terrific course -but missing a medal!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Thank you for putting on a well-run marathon. However, as documented by fellow Perth runner, John Harris, this is the first time a finisher's medal was not draped around our necks at the end of a marathon. I did not even read the fine print on what was awarded post-race, as it was assumed all marathoners would get what all marathon finishers the world over get - this being a medal (be it great, mediocre or poor in quality). We have nothing "physical" to show for our efforts, as humble as they may be. Had we known this, I can guarantee that we would have not traveled all the way from Perth to get basically nothing on race day, apart from a shirt that we purchased outside of our own entry cost and a series of photos that we now have to purchase - and fair enough. We had a friend from Perth doing his first marathon and, in building up the achievement of actually finishing, we referred to the magic feeling you got when a finisher's medal is draped around your neck as you crossed "that" line. This was a disappointment all-round. Please explain your reasons for not issuing a medallion. Seeing the kids getting their medals engraved post-race was the icing on the cake. Cost is therefore not a reason, surely? Fantastic that the youngsters be rewarded and encouraged, but for goodness sakes, what about the folk belting out the 42.2? Thank you. Regards, David Brown
John Harris from Perth .West Australia. (6/8/2008) "Good marathon, but could be a great marathon." (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 What a beautiful city, with the friendliest and most helpful folks I have encountered in a long time. I offer the following as positive criticism, as I appreciate the difficulty of managing these events mostly with volunteers. The marathoners should have their own start for two reasons: 1. The marathon event and the athlete deserve this respect. It's a special event, and a long way from running a 10-20K event in every sense. Those who put their toe on the line have shown courage and great commitment, so let`s acknowledge that. I think the public would also appreciate this. 2. It`s simply too congested. Even a 5-minute difference would fix this. The water stops were too far apart, up to 5K, and I think this is too far; 3K would have been good. For the average marathon finisher using gels, etc., 5K is a long time between drinks - even on a cool day, such as the one we had. This was the feelings of most I spoke to, especially the inexperienced. However, the issue that has astounded me the most has been the absense of a FINISHER'S MEDAL. This was very disappointing. Please let me know why. The one thing that marathoners hold so dearly is the receiving around one`s neck of that precious medal - the permanent reminder of the race, the pain, the beautiful city, and the finish. The completion of a marathon for many is often a one-off occurrence, a practical acknowledgment of significant change in their life, e.g. overcoming cancer, or other major health issues; recovering from divorce; or other issues that can bring people to a halt. It is not only the domain of the competent distance runner. The marathon in some magical way has great healing qualities to propel these people forward with great energy. I feel for these folks, particularly when they receive nothing as they pass the finish line. Many may never have the chance again. Of the many marathons I have done across Australia, I have never seen a medal not issued to the finisher. This view was held by all marathon finishers I spoke to, including the other 3 Australians who made the journey to CC. I think race directors generally have missed the point a little in regard to the finisher's medal for marathoners. Race directors always want more entrants. They advertise and promote (and so they should), yet they never talk up the medal! From my experience of talking and running with many, many marathoners and ironman competitors over the years, good medals hold attraction! (Consider the New Zealand Ironman finisher's medal.) Good medals attract athletes to register in a particular event. I understand cost. But every runner competing in a marathon has made a sacrifice, so a relatively small cost to receive a great medal should pose no issue. I would be appreciative of your response. Thank you for the forum to voice my view. -John Harris
M. M. from Houston, Texas (1/13/2007) "Great for a first international race" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first "international" marathon, and I found everything about it charming. I was worried about not having Gatorade, but the sports drink they provided was equivalent. It was a very peaceful run, and such a pretty city! There was plenty of support, and it was a nice, flat course (I cut 7 minutes off my previous PR), and it was funny how folks ran and passed on the right - that kind of threw me off at first! For my inaugural foreign marathon, I was quite glad it was somewhere that English was spoken, and folks were so friendly and helpful, although they were definitely not as loud in cheering as in the states!
Michael Wray from Wellington, New Zealand (6/6/2006) "Well organised, nice course, personal best" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Aside from a mix-up with event T-shirts, which ultimately was resolved by having to accept a larger size than ordered, I thought this was a great event. This was my second marathon and my first in Christchurch. The race was a leisurely 8:45am start; much more agreeable than the 6:30am of Auckland! The weather was cold and overcast, with not much wind. In other words, perfect for running. The flat course starts in the Christchurch city centre and heads north for about 8kms before crossing the river and coming back towards the city. At the park, it turns off down south towards the airport for about 10km and then follows the same route back to the turn-off from Hagley park. From here, it goes through the park and swings back to the start (finish) point in the city. I was very impressed with the rest stations. They were spaced perfectly and offered both water and carboshotz fluid. They also had wet sponges, which would be lovely to have on a hot day, but I didn't use any in the cold conditions. I had taken a fuel belt with 4 bottles, but I needn't have bothered. The stops were spaced well enough throughout and the belt's useful purpose on the day was to merely hold my gels. Somewhere around 13km, the 10km runners merged into our course. That was a pain. It wasn't the front of the 10km pack, more likely nearer the back. They were going quite slowly and clogging up the way through. Around 16km or so, we passed back through the city. The congestion with the 10km runners continued until about 19km, when we got around the bottom of the park. Sections of this course were a little narrow, so there were times when I wanted to push through the 10kmers but had to be patient. It was a relief when we turned right to head off to Memorial Ave and they continued going round the park. The long straight down Memorial Ave left me appreciating what a good job the police were doing at directing traffic. Memorial is a major road with lots of intersections. All of the traffic lights were turned to amber and at each crossroads a policeman was directing traffic through gaps in the runners. At no time in the race did I have to alter my pace because of traffic and I was impressed with the police handling. At 3 hours 28, I was very happy with my time, so I guess I was always going to look back with enjoyment at this race. I reckon I'll be back for 2007.
E. R. from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (1/19/2005) "Excellent course and conditions. Small numbers." (about: 1999) 2 previous marathons \| 1 City of Christchurch Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Christchurch was my first marathon, and it was a great experience. The course is flat and fast. Generally the weather is ideal for marathoning with temperatures below 50. Christchurch can be windy, and it being New Zealand, it could rain. Compared to international races, this one will seem small (less than 1000 finishers, I think), and the crowd support is relatively thin on the second part of the course. Very well organized. Each kilometer is marked (mostly accurately).

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Marathon Details - City of Christchurch Marathon