Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
Running Rotorua? Do your long runs with the gel you will race on. Get them on Amazon Amazon partner link
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Red Stag Rotorua Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 08:008:00 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 10K · 5K, from the race name, not from a published programme
- Entry fee
- NZ$174
- For the 2027 race
The course
For 2027 the marathon runs anti-clockwise around Lake Rotorua for the first time in over 50 years, the direction of the first race in 1965.
- One lap of the lake, run the other wayA lap of Lake Rotorua, reversed in 2027, with start and finish at the lakefront.
- Four personalised bottle stationsPersonalised bottles wait at stations 3, 6, 8 and 11, at 9.3, 19.5, 27.8 and 37.0 km.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometryOne lap of the lake, run the other wayA lap of Lake Rotorua, reversed in 2027, with start and finish at the lakefront.
The organiser describes the marathon as New Zealand’s most iconic marathon course, a lap of Lake Rotorua. The 2027 reversal returns the race to its original direction and, it says, brings runners closer to the water, with more lake views and quieter roads.
The start returns to the redeveloped Rotorua lakefront. For 2027 the start and finish lines are around the event village outside the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside. The course is measured and certified by World Athletics.
Sourced
Whole courseTacticsFour personalised bottle stationsPersonalised bottles wait at stations 3, 6, 8 and 11, at 9.3, 19.5, 27.8 and 37.0 km.
Bottles must be handed in at registration before 8:00 pm on Friday 30 April, labelled with name, race number and station. A personalised bottle is the first table at stations No. 3 (9.3 km), No. 6 (19.5 km), No. 8 (27.8 km) and No. 11 (37.0 km). Bottles are not returned, so they should be recyclable.
Marathon entrants must be 18 or older on race day, and walkers are welcome with results recorded but no awards for walking.
Sourced
Race weekend
Bib pickup at Novotel Rotorua LakesideFriday 30 April Bib pickup
-
11:0011:00 AM–20:008:00 PM
Registration and expo open Novotel Rotorua Lakeside. Registration runs until 9:00 pm. Personalised drink bottles for the marathon must be handed in at registration before 8:00 pm. -
17:005:00 PM
Shakeout run Lakefront Reserve
Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.
Number belt on AmazonAmazon partner link
Saturday 1 May Race day
-
08:008:00 AM
Marathon start Hinemaru Street. The marathon starts at 8:00 am. Drink bottle stations are at 9.3, 19.5, 27.8 and 37.0 km. -
17:005:00 PM
Course close off Finish line, Tutanekai St. Official event timing stops at 5:00 pm.
Other races (2)
-
07:307:30 AM
Half marathon start Hamurana Springs, Hamurana Road. Buses for half marathon entrants leave the Rotorua i-Site from 6:00 am. -
15:003:00 PM
Prize giving for the marathon and Marae to Marae relay Lakefront Reserve
Times as published by the organiser, in Rotorua time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Saturday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Rotorua time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Rotorua, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon
- When is the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon 2027?
- Saturday 1 May 2027. The start is at 08:00.
- How do I enter the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: NZ$174 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- Where does the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon start?
- Start: Hinemaru Street.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon.
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