The Auckland Marathon has established a reputation for being New Zealand’s most popular road race. Over 16,000 people participated in one of the many distances, from the KIDs marathon (2.195km) right up to the full marathon. From competitive runners to weekend warriors, there was a place for everyone.

I arrived at the starting area around 6.15am. It was quite hard to escape the overwhelming sensation of being engulfed by the enormous group of runners and walkers preparing to race. The half marathon is the most popular race distance, with over 7,000 runners and walkers entered. Waiting in line for a coffee at the nearby cafes was a marathon in itself.

At 7am, the gun sounded and everyone was off. I had found a position in the crowd of starters five minutes before the gun, leaving me with a rather unglamorous position near the race walkers. To give an indication of how many people were participating, my gun time was 1:41:11, whilst my net time was 1:35:44.

The race course was brilliant. A pulchritudinous view of the sun slowly beaming over Rangitoto, onto a still, calm ocean was an incredibly magical sight to behold and was a great source of motivation for me in those early stages.

One thing you are aware of straight away is the hilly terrain. Auckland’s landscape is very rugged and I knew that plenty of hill work was needed to keep a consistent pace. About three or four kilometres in, I got so charged with adrenalin, the kilometres began to slowly melt away. Before you have time to process it, you’re in Takapuna, then Northcote. Auckland’s support was amazing. People are cheering you on from their households, families clap you on from the sidewalk; even a drummers group set up right before the Auckland bridge to keep runners spirits up.

Going over the harbour bridge was a surprise for many participants, who had become accustomed to whizzing over it in their cars every morning. Nonetheless, it produced a dazzling view of New Zealand’s biggest city at its finest.

There can be burdens when you take part in big races. Nothing is more frustrating for a fast runner having to continually navigate through the slower runners; nudging past people to get a drink; or the inconvenience of running in a rather narrow area alongside many other runners. The organising team for the Auckland Marathon has done a terrific job at working to reduce these inconveniences. Pacers are assigned to run a particular time, so anyone aiming for a certain time is able to run accordingly. The drink stations are well spaced, with the volunteers letting everybody know what drinks they are holding.

Who can forget the final turn around towards the finish at Victoria Park? Thousands of people applaud you as you make a dash to the finish line. I could see women ecstatically hugging each other, grown men in tears, and overweight runners storming through the finish. It is certainly true when people say runners come in all shapes and sizes. For these people, months of hard work has come to an end.

My experience participating in the Auckland half marathon was enjoyable. Things come alive at big races. Elvis himself was running, a Lego man hobbled along, barbecues were happening roadside, supporters sang songs, danced to Gangnam style. Victoria Park was filled with various tents, from Fonterra to Auckland University of Technology. Giveaways and freebies kept tired runners happy.

As I walked to the car, proud to have participated in New Zealand’s largest race, one question wouldn’t leave my mind. So, what’s my next race going to be?