Last reviewed: October 2026. Dates come from our event calendar and can change, so always check the organiser’s page before you register.
New Zealand has a half marathon almost every weekend of the year. At the time of writing there are 88 on our calendar between now and August 2027, from road races on the Auckland waterfront to trail halves in the Rotorua forest. This guide groups them by month and region so you can pick a race that fits your fitness, your travel plans and your training block. The full, filterable list lives on our half marathon calendar.
Coming up in the next few weeks
If you are already fit and want a race this season, these are the next half marathons on the calendar:
- 16 Oct: The Coastal, Timaru (also 1.7 km, 5 km and 10 km)
- 17 Oct: Cromwell Half Marathon & 10K, Central Otago
- 17 Oct: The Shorebird Coast Run, Kaiaua
- 18 Oct: Hibiscus Half Marathon and Millwater Half Marathon, Hibiscus Coast
- 18 Oct: Gizzy Laser Half Marathon, Gisborne
- 18 Oct: Wairarapa Half Marathon, Masterton
- 24 Oct: Kaikōura Mountains To Sea
- 31 Oct: Clyde Classic, Central Otago, and Round the Vines, Martinborough
- 1 Nov: The Nelson Half Festival of Running, plus the Runaway Auckland Marathon with its half marathon option
Half marathons by month
November 2026
- 6 Nov: Legend of the Peaks, Rotorua (trail, with distances from 2 km up to 50 km)
- 7 Nov: Feilding Festival of Running, Remutaka Rail Trail Run & Walk and Hamilton Gardens Trail
- 8 Nov: Kāpiti Half Marathon and City to Surf, Tauranga
- 14 Nov: Queenstown Marathon (with a half marathon), The Imperium Run in Mission Bay and Coastal Five in New Plymouth
- 15 Nov: Aotearoa Afghanistan Marathon, Riverhead Forest
- 21 Nov: Kerikeri Half Marathon and The Poronui Passage
- 29 Nov: Ōmaha Half Marathon
December 2026 to February 2027
- 6 Dec: Whanganui 3 Bridges Marathon (marathon and half)
- 13 Dec: Canterbury Half Marathon, Pegasus
- 1 Jan: The First Race 2027, Christchurch: start the year with a half
- 17 Jan: Hobsonville Half Marathon
- 23 Jan: Mount Festival Half Marathon, Mount Maunganui
- 31 Jan: Clevedon Half Marathon
- 14 Feb: Coatesville Half Marathon and Round the Bays Wellington
March to May 2027
- 7 Mar: Rotorua Off Road Half Marathon
- 14 Mar: Hamilton Half Marathon and Maraetai Half Marathon
- 20 Mar: Middle-earth Halfling Marathon, Matamata
- 11 Apr: Waterfront Half Marathon, Auckland
- 18 Apr: ASICS Christchurch Marathon (marathon and half)
- 24 Apr: Ultra Wanaka
- 8 May: Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon, Blenheim
- 16 May: Run Akaroa
Winter 2027
- 6 Jun: Selwyn Marathon, Lincoln
- 11 Jul: Cape Egmont Half Marathon, Okato
- 17 Jul: Mackenzie Half Marathon, Fairlie
- 1 Aug: South Island Half Marathon, Lake Hood, Ashburton
Half marathons by region
Auckland and the north. The Auckland area has more half marathons than any other region, including Hibiscus, Ōmaha, Hobsonville, Clevedon, Coatesville, Maraetai and the Waterfront Half. Most of them belong to the Auckland Half Marathon Series, which runs from spring to autumn, so you can build a whole season around it. Heading north, Kerikeri also has a half marathon.
Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua. Rotorua has several half marathons, mostly in the forest. Tauranga and Mount Maunganui add City to Surf and the Mount Festival, and Hamilton has both the Hamilton Gardens Trail and the Hamilton Half Marathon.
Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti. The Kāpiti Half Marathon, the Wairarapa Half Marathon, Round the Vines in Martinborough and the Remutaka Rail Trail make a strong spring cluster, followed by Round the Bays in February.
Canterbury and the South Island. Christchurch has several half marathons through the warmer months, including the Canterbury Half Marathon and The First Race on New Year’s Day. Further south, Cromwell and Clyde in Central Otago both run in spring, and Queenstown and Wānaka host bigger events.
How to choose your half marathon
- Count back from race day. Most people need 10 to 12 weeks of structured training for a first half. Our free 12-week half marathon training plan shows you exactly what to run each week. If you are starting from zero, look at races in March or later and begin with our Couch to 5K guide.
- Check the shorter distances. Many of these events also have a 5 km or 10 km, which makes them easy to enter with friends or family who do not want to run 21 km.
- Road or trail? Events tagged Trail Running on our calendar, such as Legend of the Peaks, Kaikōura Mountains To Sea and the Remutaka Rail Trail, are usually slower than road races, so do not set a road pace target for them.
- Pick a pace target. Use our pace calculator and race predictor to turn a recent 5K or 10K time into a realistic half marathon goal.
Never miss a race
Every event page has a follow button, so you can keep a shortlist of the races you are considering. Want to run with other people before race day? Browse NZ run clubs or join the conversation in our community, where runners swap training tips and look for race partners.
Know a half marathon that is missing from the list? Browse the calendar and use Submit an Event in the footer to add it.
Frequently asked questions
How many half marathons are there in New Zealand?
At the time of writing (October 2026) our calendar lists 88 upcoming half marathons through to August 2027. The number changes as organisers announce new events.
When is the next half marathon in NZ?
The next one on our calendar is The Coastal in Timaru on 16 October 2026, followed by Cromwell and the Shorebird Coast Run the next day. The calendar page is sorted soonest first.
What is the best half marathon in New Zealand for a first-timer?
It depends on where you live and when you can train. Look for events with a 5 km or 10 km option so your support crew can run too, give yourself at least ten weeks, and choose a date that is not too close to the next holiday trip.