Christchurch Marathon Race Review

run.vince.run (62)in #running • 6 years ago

A wet start, and middle and end for this years marathon

The Christchurch Marathon is my fourth race in three months and the third marathon in my "4 Marathons in 4 Months for my 40th Birthday", and as the name suggests takes my to the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. The race being held on the Queens Birthday Long Weekend in New Zealand brings a big number of runners to the centre of the city to take on 10km, half marathon and marathon distance races. The race brings needed positive attention to the city which has struggled since a major earthquakes 7 years ago.

Race Expo and Registration

The race expo, registration, start and finish line are all in the same designated area, near the centre of the Christchurch CBD, making it easy to get to and access. It also gives you a large number of hotels and accomodation choices to choose from which are close by and within walking distance of the race. The race registration is quick to get through with a small number of stands in the expo allowing you to see some nicely discounted products and services for runners and endurance athletes.

Race Location and Course

A lot of people will tell you this is a fast cause, a lot of people will also tell you it is an enjoyable course. I can't agree. The course is flat but the constant cornering, turning and looping back on itself make the course confusing and sometimes draining. I understand a lot of runners prefer this course from when it was held at the airport, but unfortunately I don't have this comparison as I didn't run this previous course. It is the second year I have run this race, last year as the half marathon and struggled to enjoy both times. The constant cornering and turning also causes bottlenecks through the course, especially for the first half of the race. I think a nice 10km or half marathon loop course would be a lot nicer.

Transportation, Extras and Finish Line

Due to the abundance of accommodation close to the start/finish line, there is no transportation on offer. Even though I am not 100% convinced the course is the best for this city, there are marshals throughout the course and it is marked clearly. There are aid stations every 5km which are stocked to get you through the run.

Running the Race

My day did not go as expected as I was performing pacing duties on the day. My girlfriend needed to pull out of the race half way through due to an injury, so I was running alone for the second half of the race. Like I said earlier, the winding course and wet conditions made is a little less enjoyable, but glad to have another marathon ticked off.

Here is how Strava saw my day:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1613243424

Summing It All Up

This is the second year that I have run the race and both have been on wet, cold days which I think takes away a little from the actual event. It is well run and the marshals and volunteers are helpful and friendly. Christchurch is a cool little city with a lot to offer, so I do think this race should be considered, but would love for the organisers to possibly rethink the course.