The Red Stag Rotorua Marathon will send its full marathon field anticlockwise around Lake Rotorua from 2027.
“Runners get far better views of the lake for longer, with Mokoia Island and the shoreline on show across long stretches of the course, and the new route keeps more of the field on quieter roads, away from the busier main roads,” a statement from organisers said.
The Rotorua Lakefront will become a single hub for the 2027 event, with start and finish lines positioned around the event village outside the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.
A new half-marathon course will start from Hamurana Springs, a decision organisers said was shaped by runner feedback.
Reinstating an anticlockwise run returns the race to its original 1965 direction. Photo / NZME
Jason Cameron, Red Stag Rotorua Marathon event director, said they were always looking for ways to make the event better.
“Turning the course around is the boldest change we’ve made in a generation.
“Running the lake anti-clockwise keeps people beside the lake for far longer, so you’ll experience new views and scenery for most of the way around the course, making for a scenic and nostalgic journey for new and returning participants.
“After 50 years the same way, we can’t wait for runners to experience this new take on the lake.”
A new Rotorua half marathon course will start from Hamurana Springs from 2027.
Alongside the full and half marathons, the 2027 programme features the iconic Te Puia 10km, the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa 5km, and 2.2km Kids Mini–Marathon.
Te Arawa Marae to Marae Relay returns for its third year since its reintroduction in 2025.
The unique relay format “allowed runners of all abilities to contribute, carrying the wairua of their marae across the stages and uniting at the finish”, organisers said.
The marathon is promoted as New Zealand’s oldest, having been run almost every year since 1965.
That first race had just 16 starters – all men – and 12 finishers.
It has grown into an iconic event on the New Zealand running calendar, with the 2025 and 2026 events welcoming more than 7000 participants.
The 2027 event will be held on May 1.
Super early-bird entries for all events open today at rotoruamarathon.co.nz.