Queenstown Marathon Returns as Thousands Run the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon

More than 13,000 registered runners and walkers laced up this morning for the 11th edition of the New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty Queenstown Marathon Presented by ASICS, waking up to freshly snowcapped mountains and finishing with blue skies and stunning views.

The four courses, from the New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty Marathon, La Roche Posay Half Marathon, United Airlines 10km to the Kids Run, took in the best highlights of the Queenstown Lakes District, offering scenic mountain and lake vistas at every turn.

It was a record-breaking day for the Queenstown Marathon. In addition to the marathon course records that tumbled earlier in the day, the event also set records for the most international runners at more than 5,000 registered participants – making up 38% of entries – and the most ever registered for the marathon distance at more than 4,000.

Among those flying in for the race were Australians Kate Reichel and Grace Wearne from Melbourne and Sydney respectively. Part of the Femmi Run Club, the duo finished the half marathon side-by-side in 1:43:54.

“We do this as a tradition every year, this is our third year running it together. We love to do races as a group and it’s just a really special moment,” said Wearne. “We’re here for an entire week and will do a bunch of hiking. Queenstown is our favourite spot – it’s just a two-hour flight from Australia. It’s incredible.”

“It’s the most beautiful race in the world – they’re not wrong,” added Reichel. “The food, the hiking, everything here is amazing. The moment you get off the plane it doesn’t stop. It’s just the best place.”

This year’s race attracted some of New Zealand’s greatest sporting heroes, with Rugby League and Warriors legend Shaun Johnson completing the half marathon in 1:48:20 and former Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio finishing the 21.1km in 2:42:41.

“That was cool,” said Johnson. “I’m used to running around the hills of Devonport up in Auckland, so that was a quite a nice, scenic, flat-ish run for my first half. All in all, pretty stoked. Support was cool, lots of little pockets of vibes – music, barbeques, and lots of signs. I came down here a few years ago and I was down there at the finish line watching my brother and I said then I want to run this one day so I’m stoked to tick it off.”

Like Johnson, Ekenasio was delighted with the support she received on course from the thousands of spectators watching on.

“It’s my first half marathon, first running event, so it was quite exciting. A bit overwhelming but really just cool to have finished it,” said Ekenasio.

“I felt quite good at the start, adrenaline pumping, and then hit a few points along the way that were quite tough. But honestly, finishing with people everywhere, people all the way, that was so cool. When we were running through town, I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was just thinking that this is so cool. It just gives you that extra little boost along the way.”

Meanwhile, Olympians Marcus Daniell and Max Brown completed the 42.2km marathon course wearing weight vests, adding to the challenge in the name of charity. The duo tackled the run to fundraise for Miracle Feet, an organisation that treats clubfoot in newborns, and have raised nearly $25,000 so far. Daniell reached the finish line in 5:01:58, while Brown crossed in 5:49:18.

More than 91% of participants who took part in this year’s event were visiting from outside the Queenstown Lakes District. The influx of runners and spectators is expected to inject more than $25 million into the regional economy.

The 2025 New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty Queenstown Marathon Presented by ASICS will return on Saturday 14 November 2025.