The weather looks clear but a little windy for the race and will get calmer as the day goes on.

Metservice predicts that the clouds will clear this morning and the weather will be pleasant and the maximum temperature will be 17C. Fresh southern winds are expected to ease from this evening.

Can I drive near the race?

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

If you have to pass through this area, some roads around the marathon course will be closed and some delays may occur.

Lane closures are in place southbound from Esmonde Road to Shelly Beach Road, but three lanes are still open in each direction at the Harbor Bridge.

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

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 listed at: aucklandmarathon.co.nz.

Is this just a full marathon?

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

How many people run the Auckland Marathon?

Running is the biggest sport at the moment (or at least we hear running clubs are the popular new way to find dates) and total registrations are at a 10-year high at almost 16,000.

People registered for the full marathon as of October 22, 3105; That’s 1099 more impressive than 2019 and 801 more impressive than 2023.

This does not mean that 3105 medals will be distributed. A full marathon is no easy task, and in 2023, 2304 runners signed up but only 1765 completed the race.

The more achievable but equally challenging 21-kilometer half marathon is more popular, and as of October 22, 6,753 runners had registered.

Who is running it?

Prepare to see a lot of young guns running along the waterfront; Ages 25-29 are the most popular age group for men and women in the full marathon.

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

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

“It’s fantastic to see thousands of people willing to challenge themselves at one of the five distances on offer at the Auckland Marathon,” he said.

The majority of full marathon runners will be men (71%), but watch out for women, whose participation has increased by 4% since last year.

There is also a nearly perfect split between male and female runners across all five marathon events (51% vs. 49%).

Almost 20% of runners will travel from other regions for the event, mostly Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury. A third of marathon runners fly from outside Auckland and 6% from Australia.

Celebrities to watch out for

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

William Waiirua will also run like every day. On October 6, the TV and social media personality celebrated 4.5 years of running at least 5 km a day. He has traveled at least 10 km a day for the last 19 months.

It will also be easy to spot Justin Weston: 28-year-old personal trainer run the marathon blindfolded with Raising money for the Mental Health Foundation. The reason for this is close to Weston’s heart following his battle with depression.

Where is the best place to watch the Auckland Marathon?

Spectators are spoiled for choice when choosing a nice spot on the beach to watch the runners pass. However, the organizers have announced their favorite venues.

At Smales Farm you will be able to watch the runners in each event and run the 5km distance.

Those watching marathon runners should park at Teal Park, Mechanics Bay’s lesser-known grassy area, just around the corner from the parking lot. Or you can head to St Heliers beach, park there, go to a cafe and watch the runners at the “turnaround point”.

The finish line at Victoria Park will be packed with fans and participants and will also be where you’ll find the most smiles and celebratory atmosphere.

Viewers can use this is a useful map planning where and how to cheer on their athletes.