The weather looks clear but a little windy for the race and will stabilize over the course of the day.

Metservice forecasts that the clouds will clear this morning to give way to good weather, with a maximum temperature of 17°C. Cool southerly winds are expected to ease by this evening.

Can I drive near the race?

To avoid any event-related traffic or parking restrictions, avoid Devonport until 11am and the Auckland CBD waterfront or Tamaki Drive until 2pm.

If you need to pass through this area, some roads will be closed around the marathon route and there may be delays.

Southbound lane closures are in place between Esmonde Road and Shelly Beach Road, but there are still three lanes open in each direction on the Harbor Bridge.

Some highway ramps are closed: Onewa Road southbound on-ramp, Shelly Beach Rd southbound off-ramp, and Curran St northbound on-ramp. Fanshawe Street will also be closed until 3 p.m.

Tamaki Drive and Lower Hobson St to Quay St will be closed from 4am to 1pm and 2pm respectively.

Specific road closure times, parking restrictions and detours are noted on aucklandmarathon.co.nz.

Is it just a full marathon?

There are five events; the full marathon, the half marathon, the 11 km crossing, the 5 km and the children’s marathon (2.2 km).

How many people run the Auckland Marathon?

Running is the hottest sport right now (or at least we hear running clubs are the hot new way to find dates) and total registrations are at a 10-year high , at nearly 16,000.

As of October 22, 3,105 people had registered for the full marathon; 1099 more than in 2019 and an impressive 801 more than in 2023.

This does not mean that 3,105 medals will be awarded. A full marathon is no small feat and in 2023, 2,304 runners registered but only 1,765 completed the race.

The more achievable but still challenging 21km half marathon is more popular and 6,753 runners were registered as of October 22.

Who runs it?

Be prepared to see lots of young guns running along the waterfront; 25-29 year olds are the most popular age group for both men and women in the full marathon.

The average age has also fallen by two years since 2023, to 36.

Auckland Marathon regional director Amy MacCormack said she had seen running “explode” in popularity, particularly among younger Kiwis.

“It’s amazing to see thousands of people wanting to challenge themselves in one of the five distances on offer at the Auckland Marathon,” she said.

Most full marathon runners will be men (71%) but keep an eye out for women, whose participation is up 4% since last year.

There is also a near perfect split between male and female runners (51% versus 49%) in the five marathon events.

Nearly 20 per cent of runners will come from other regions for the event, mainly from Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury. A third of marathon runners come from outside Auckland and 6% come from Australia.

Celebrities to Watch

Hot on the heels of the Sydney Marathon, podcast and TV personality Brodie Kane will run the half marathon. The 38-year-old is co-founder of Solo Girls Run Club, a women’s running club, and an ambassador for running shoe brand Hoka.

William Waiirua will also run, as he does every day. On October 6, the television and social media personality celebrated 4.5 years of running at least 5 km per day. For the past 19 months, he has walked at least 10 km per day.

Justin Weston will also be easy to spot: the 28-year-old personal trainer will be run the full marathon blindfolded has raise money for the Mental Health Foundation. The cause is close to Weston’s heart, after his own battles with depression.

Where is the best place to watch the Auckland Marathon?

Spectators are spoiled for choice when they choose a nice spot on the water’s edge to watch the runners go by. However, the organizers have revealed their favorite spots.

At Smales Farm you can watch runners in every event except the 5K jogging.

Those watching the marathon runners should park at Teal Park, a lesser-known grassy area near Mechanics Bay, just around the corner from the seafront. Or head to St Heliers beach where you can park at a cafe and watch runners at the “turning point”.

The finish line at Victoria Park will be filled with supporters and participants and it will also be the place where you will find the most smiles and a party atmosphere.

Viewers can use this handy card to plan where and how to support their athletes.