GOODBYE MARATHON HILL, HELLO NEW ‘FIRST HALF’ COURSE FOR 2017 AIR NZ QUEENSTOWN INTERNATIONAL MARATHON
The removal of the infamous ‘marathon hill’ and the introduction of a new limited capacity half marathon course are the
main innovations for the 2017 Air New Zealand Queenstown International Marathon.
Entries for the 2017 Air New Zealand Queenstown International marathon will go on sale on Thursday at 11am(NZT), and on
the back of a record breaking and hugely successful 2016 event (9,544 entries), organisers are expecting demand to be
high across all race distances, with a number of innovations to further excite those taking part.
The 2017 event will take place on Saturday November 18 and will include significant new innovations, including a
strictly limited capacity half marathon course taking in the first half of the Air New Zealand Marathon course for the
first time, starting and finishing at stunning Millbrook Resort.
This new ‘First Half’ race option sits alongside the existing NZ Sotheby’s RE Half Marathon but will be limited in
numbers (final number to be confirmed), with the proviso however that entrants have competed in any previous race
distance through the event’s three year history.
IRONMAN Oceania Managing Director Dave Beeche says the event must continue to innovate and provide fresh and exciting
challenges to those retuning year upon year, with the new ‘First Half’ a significant part of that thinking.
“This is a loyalty offer, an event exclusively for our previous customers on a very limited capacity basis. This will
offer competitors a chance to enjoy perhaps the most stunning part of the full Air New Zealand Marathon course, taking
in Arrowtown, Arrow River Trail and Lake Hayes before finishing back at Millbrook.”
That is not the only change to the event however, with confirmation that the affectionately nicknamed ‘marathon hill’
has been removed from both the full and half marathon courses (at the 31km mark in the full marathon).
With the completion of repairs to the parts of the trail that were washed away prior to the first event in 2014,
competitors will for the first time experience the ‘original’ section of the course on the Twin Rivers Trail alongside
the Kawarau River when they line up in 2017.
“While marathon hill has become something of a landmark on the course and many people have commented on the challenge
that it provides, there is no doubt that the work done by the Queenstown Trails Trust will will mean a new and less
hilly challenge for all competitors in the Air New Zealand Marathon and the Sotheby’s Half,” said Beeche.
Indeed it is thanks to the funds provided by the Air New Zealand Queenstown Marathon to the Queenstown Trails Trust that
the work on the Twin Rivers Trail has been completed.
Trust CEO Mandy Kennedy knows that competitors are going to love the changes – for multiple reasons!
“Now that the repair work to the Twin Rivers Trail is complete we are delighted the 2017 marathon and half marathon
course will run alongside the reinstated trail – it is a truly beautiful part of the Queenstown Trail network with lots
of greenery and birdsong. Combine that with the fact that it is flat and we have no doubt the competitors will enjoy
it,” said Kennedy.
“The Queenstown Trails Trust constantly strives to ensure our trail network is the best it can possibly be and our
sincere thanks go to Air New Zealand Marathon competitors and organisers for their ongoing support which is invaluable.”
Beeche says the ‘new’ course is more a case of going back to the future.
“We are at last able to return to the original course that we had planned, something that will mean a new challenge for
those taking part. ‘Marathon hill’ was a wonderful short term solution and for some provided one of the real talking
points of the event – and a few great grimaces for our photographers! But thanks to the wonderful work of our official
charity the Queenstown Trails Trust we can now take runners on the originally planned riverside trail course and past
yet more amazing scenery as they approach the finish line.”
Organisers will offer the same shuttle bus service to the start and from the finish at Millbrook Resort for the new
First Half event, ensuring that no one misses out on the fun of the overall event finish line and prize giving in
Queenstown, while Millbrook will put on a show of its own in what will surely be one of the most spectacular finish
lines for a half marathon event in the world, as competitors wind their way through the Resort to the finish near The
Avenue.
‘The atmosphere at Millbrook on marathon weekend is truly amazing and we are delighted to be a part of this iconic
event. We couldn’t resist the opportunity to host runners both at the start and now the finish of the ‘First Half’. The
natural surroundings of Millbrook provide us with a wonderful venue and we have no doubt will help create a fitting
atmosphere and finish line for runners and supporters to enjoy,” said Brian Howie, Director of Operations, Millbrook
Resort.
The Air New Zealand Queenstown International Marathon will feature a number of events, including the Kids Race (2.2km
from Queenstown Gardens to the finish line at the Queenstown Recreation Ground), the AIA 10km, the NZ Sotheby’s RE Half
Marathon, the new First Half and of course the full Air New Zealand Marathon.
ENTRIES OPEN THIS THURSDAY
Entry to all events opens online at 11am on Thursday December 1st, for further information and to enter the Air New
Zealand Queenstown International Marathon, CLICK HERE
‘FIRST HALF’ COURSE DESCRIPTION
Runners make their way down The Avenue at Millbrook Resort, right onto Malaghans Road, left onto Manse Road, left onto
Surrey Street, right onto Villiers Street and onto Buckingham Street through Arrowtown, straight ahead onto Nairn Street & right onto Arrow River track, after third bridge turn right up track, across and left on to Centennial Avenue, turn
right to cross McDonnell Road and left onto Hogans Gully Road, left onto Arrowtown- Lake Hayes Road across onto Lake
Hayes lakeside trail at the northern entrance and around Lake Hayes (clockwise direction), exit lake on to Rutherford
Road, turn right onto Slope Hill Road, right onto Speargrass Flat Road, left onto Mill Vista Lane, up Christine’s Hill
and in to Millbrook Resort. Cross McEntyre’s Lane, left on to Ayrburn Ridge, turn right on to Taramea Lane, through
Millbrook Village Centre and to the finish area by The Avenue.
DONATIONS TO QUEENSTOWN TRAILS TRUST
The Air New Zealand Queenstown International Marathon has donated over $110,000 to official charity partner the
Queenstown Trails Trust in the three years it has been run, including $40,474.50 raised by and on behalf of the
participants in 2016.
About IRONMAN
A Wanda Sports Holdings company, IRONMAN operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon
Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, six of nine International
Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon Majors Series, mountain
bike races, premier marathons and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports
Holdings events, provide more than 680,000 participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s
vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since
the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at
the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation
with more than 260 events across 42 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Wanda Sports Holding
Wanda Sports Holding is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global
sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator
Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service
business). Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.