The 43km Marathon turning points (These will be well-marshaled on the day)
- Makara Peak MB Park. At the Peak, follow the 4WD track over the ridge, and follow this road to the LEFT and it will take you down. Stick to the RIGHT at the lower intersection (701 Snake Charmer), and follow this down until you see a green marked trail to your LEFT which will say LAZY FERN. Follow this to the MB car park.
- Top of the Tip Track. You will be heading down to the LEFT as opposed to straight ahead to Red Rocks. Please DO NOT go to Red Rocks, as this is the 62km route.
43KM/62KM COURSE OVERVIEW
Leg #1
Start is at the end of Woodmancote road, Khandallah.
Head up to Mt Kaukau lookout. From the lookout, take the LEFT track which will take you along the SKYLINE track. You’ll want to follow the yellow markers for 11-12 km until you reach Makara Road. There are also some signs which point towards Makara Hill Road, so follow these. Here will be the first Aid Station at Makara Hill Road.
Leg #2
Watch for traffic here as you cross the road, and head up the drive, through the barrier, and head on up the track on your RIGHT called VARLEYS in BLUE. Keep going up, and veer RIGHT until you hit the 4WD track. Turn LEFT, and follow this up, and it will take you to Makara peak lookout. From here you want to keep going over and Follow the 4WD track just over the ridge.
43KM RUNNERS - TURN LEFT DOWN THE 4WD TRACK -carry on down the 4WD track veering to the RIGHT down 701 Snake Charmer, until you see a green sign that says 'Lazy Fern' - take this all the way down until you hit the MB car park, and aid station #2
62KM RUNNERS - hang RIGHT, and follow the main 4WD track along. Follow these MB tracks from here....
(704) 4WD Track – (401) Leaping Lizard – (403) Possum Bait Line – (404) Nikau Valley – (304) Missing Link – (701) 4WD Track down to – (203) Lazy Fern – Car Park
Leg #3
Exiting the car park, hang RIGHT on South Karori road, and then LEFT onto Hazlewood Ave, and then RIGHT onto Fitzgerald Place. At the end of the street there is a trail (Salvation) taking you up through Wrights Hill reserve. Keep following this trail until you reach Wrights Hill Road. Cross directly over the road (watch for traffic here!) and follow the signs through to the Sanctuary Fence line.
Once you get to the Sanctuary path, hang RIGHT and carry on around the trail until you get to the Wind Turbine. Head over the barrier, and past the Turbine, and you’ll want to head SOUTH. There will be an aid station here also. This is also the 2-person Relay Teams transition point.
Leg #4
You’ll find a marked trail just over the road. Take this track, and continue following this all of the way down to the top of the Tip Track.
43KM RUNNERS WANT TO TURN LEFT HERE AND HEAD DOWN THE TIP TRACK - NOT TO RED ROCKS. Once at Happy Valley, follow the road up to Tawatawa reserve and carry on from there.
62KM RUNNERS - Carry on straight ahead all of the way down. There are small wooden markers, and it is relatively straightforward. The path splits as you get close to Red Rocks. Take the lower track to the RIGHT, and this will take you down single track through the gulley.
Once you hit the coast, head LEFT, and carry on along to Owhiro Bay.
Leg #5
Keep on running until you reach Happy Valley road. Keep on heading North along Happy Valley road until you reach the Tip Track on your LEFT. Here is where you will be directed up the track. This is a 6km up, and back, so head up until you get your number checked at the top by the marshal, before coming back down.
Once back on Happy Valley Road, head LEFT, and go past CarlucciLand on your LEFT. On your RIGHT you’ll see a track, and a gate to Tawatawa reserve.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST AID STATION BEFORE YOU FINISH, although there MAY be a smaller aid station at Mt Albert.
Go through here (close the gate after), and head on up the zig-zag trail until you reach the top.
Now you want to follow the path down some stairs, past a water tank on your RIGHT, and carry on until you reach a few track options. Take the path HARD LEFT (past the bathtub). When you hit the gate a few meters past here, take another HARD LEFT. This area will be well marked so just follow the ribbon markers.
Keep following this track down and eventually you will come out at the Golf Course. Stick to the RIGHT around here, and you will see markers for the City Trail, and you can follow these down to Adelaide road via a Soccer field.
Leg #6
Take care crossing Adelaide as it’s a busy one. Go up the side of the BMX track to the Scout den, and head around the LEFT side. You will see a 4WD track going up. This is quite a grunty climb.
Follow it sticking to the RIGHT, and you will come to Mt Albert Road. Follow this up and around the corner before crossing, and heading through the gate, and up to the Southern walkway.You now want to follow the Southern Walkway until you reach Melrose Park off to your RIGHT. Head diagonally across the park, and follow the track to the LEFT, just past the changing rooms. This will take you down the zoo fence line until you hit a small car park near the start of the Zoo.
Look to your RIGHT, and you’ll see a small track taking you up to Manchester Street. Head over the road, and you will see where the track continues. This is a blind corner so take extra care when crossing. Take this, and head LEFT. You will head up and over this small park, and keep to the RIGHT of the Bowls club (along the tree line).
Keep heading up the gravel road until you reach the water tank down to your LEFT. Follow the path down until you hit Coromandel Street. Take the first RIGHT onto Colville, then LEFT down Paeroa, and follow the trail down to Crawford.
Head over the road (watch for cars), and continue following the Southern Walkway trail, which is to the East side of Alexandra road, or the RIGHT side as you’re running up towards Mt Vic. Keep on following the trail up, and when crossing Alexandra road take care, as cars fly along here at times. Finish is just below the Mt Vic Lookout. Feel free to run up to the lookout so you can look back to where you started. There is a great view over Wellington City from here also!
Start is at the end of Woodmancote road, Khandallah.
Head up to Mt Kaukau lookout. From the lookout, take the LEFT track which will take you along the SKYLINE track. You’ll want to follow the yellow markers for 11-12 km until you reach Makara Road. There are also some signs which point towards Makara Hill Road, so follow these. Here will be the first Aid Station at Makara Hill Road.
Leg #2
Watch for traffic here as you cross the road, and head up the drive, through the barrier, and head on up the track on your RIGHT called VARLEYS in BLUE. Keep going up, and veer RIGHT until you hit the 4WD track. Turn LEFT, and follow this up, and it will take you to Makara peak lookout. From here you want to keep going over and Follow the 4WD track just over the ridge.
43KM RUNNERS - TURN LEFT DOWN THE 4WD TRACK -carry on down the 4WD track veering to the RIGHT down 701 Snake Charmer, until you see a green sign that says 'Lazy Fern' - take this all the way down until you hit the MB car park, and aid station #2
62KM RUNNERS - hang RIGHT, and follow the main 4WD track along. Follow these MB tracks from here....
(704) 4WD Track – (401) Leaping Lizard – (403) Possum Bait Line – (404) Nikau Valley – (304) Missing Link – (701) 4WD Track down to – (203) Lazy Fern – Car Park
Leg #3
Exiting the car park, hang RIGHT on South Karori road, and then LEFT onto Hazlewood Ave, and then RIGHT onto Fitzgerald Place. At the end of the street there is a trail (Salvation) taking you up through Wrights Hill reserve. Keep following this trail until you reach Wrights Hill Road. Cross directly over the road (watch for traffic here!) and follow the signs through to the Sanctuary Fence line.
Once you get to the Sanctuary path, hang RIGHT and carry on around the trail until you get to the Wind Turbine. Head over the barrier, and past the Turbine, and you’ll want to head SOUTH. There will be an aid station here also. This is also the 2-person Relay Teams transition point.
Leg #4
You’ll find a marked trail just over the road. Take this track, and continue following this all of the way down to the top of the Tip Track.
43KM RUNNERS WANT TO TURN LEFT HERE AND HEAD DOWN THE TIP TRACK - NOT TO RED ROCKS. Once at Happy Valley, follow the road up to Tawatawa reserve and carry on from there.
62KM RUNNERS - Carry on straight ahead all of the way down. There are small wooden markers, and it is relatively straightforward. The path splits as you get close to Red Rocks. Take the lower track to the RIGHT, and this will take you down single track through the gulley.
Once you hit the coast, head LEFT, and carry on along to Owhiro Bay.
Leg #5
Keep on running until you reach Happy Valley road. Keep on heading North along Happy Valley road until you reach the Tip Track on your LEFT. Here is where you will be directed up the track. This is a 6km up, and back, so head up until you get your number checked at the top by the marshal, before coming back down.
Once back on Happy Valley Road, head LEFT, and go past CarlucciLand on your LEFT. On your RIGHT you’ll see a track, and a gate to Tawatawa reserve.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST AID STATION BEFORE YOU FINISH, although there MAY be a smaller aid station at Mt Albert.
Go through here (close the gate after), and head on up the zig-zag trail until you reach the top.
Now you want to follow the path down some stairs, past a water tank on your RIGHT, and carry on until you reach a few track options. Take the path HARD LEFT (past the bathtub). When you hit the gate a few meters past here, take another HARD LEFT. This area will be well marked so just follow the ribbon markers.
Keep following this track down and eventually you will come out at the Golf Course. Stick to the RIGHT around here, and you will see markers for the City Trail, and you can follow these down to Adelaide road via a Soccer field.
Leg #6
Take care crossing Adelaide as it’s a busy one. Go up the side of the BMX track to the Scout den, and head around the LEFT side. You will see a 4WD track going up. This is quite a grunty climb.
Follow it sticking to the RIGHT, and you will come to Mt Albert Road. Follow this up and around the corner before crossing, and heading through the gate, and up to the Southern walkway.You now want to follow the Southern Walkway until you reach Melrose Park off to your RIGHT. Head diagonally across the park, and follow the track to the LEFT, just past the changing rooms. This will take you down the zoo fence line until you hit a small car park near the start of the Zoo.
Look to your RIGHT, and you’ll see a small track taking you up to Manchester Street. Head over the road, and you will see where the track continues. This is a blind corner so take extra care when crossing. Take this, and head LEFT. You will head up and over this small park, and keep to the RIGHT of the Bowls club (along the tree line).
Keep heading up the gravel road until you reach the water tank down to your LEFT. Follow the path down until you hit Coromandel Street. Take the first RIGHT onto Colville, then LEFT down Paeroa, and follow the trail down to Crawford.
Head over the road (watch for cars), and continue following the Southern Walkway trail, which is to the East side of Alexandra road, or the RIGHT side as you’re running up towards Mt Vic. Keep on following the trail up, and when crossing Alexandra road take care, as cars fly along here at times. Finish is just below the Mt Vic Lookout. Feel free to run up to the lookout so you can look back to where you started. There is a great view over Wellington City from here also!
THE 43KM COURSE PREVIEW VIA RUNWELLINGTON (CLICK BELOW)
Includes Course GPX
THE 43KM COURSE VIA FATMAP
