First Light Marathon & Half 2025

Excursions & Extensions for 2024 | 2025 TBC

Learn To Surf – 26th January (3 Hours) $129

Hop on a surfboard and get crash course in riding the waves

Stingray Encounter – 24th January (2.5 Hours) $149
Take a reef ecology tour and meet Stingrays, Eagle Rays, and other reef dwellers

Gisborne Astro Tours – 25th January (2 Hours) $119
Marvel at the celestial wonders of the Southern Hemisphere

Maunga Hikurangi – 26th January (8 Hours) $TBA
Embark on a tour to the sacred mountain that is the first to greet the sun each day

Tolaga Bay – 26th January (5 Hours) $TBA
Hike Cooks Cove Walkway and learn the history of local iwi Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti

Lakes & Legends – 27th (6 Days) $2,960
Trek the Tongariro Pass, relax in a Polynesian spa, and marvel at cavernous glow worms on this exciting tour

Marathon Tours & Travel First Light Marathon Package 2025 TBC

For 2025 we plan to offer four accommodation packages to choose from starting at $TBC per person based on sharing a twin (2 beds) or double room (1 double bed). Each package includes the following inclusions:

• 4 nights accommodation in Tairawhiti Gisborne
• English-speaking tour leader
• Arrival and departure transfer between the Tairawhiti Gisborne airport and hotels
• Meals according to itinerary inc. Pasta Dinner
• Powhiri (Maori welcome) incl. lunch
• Guided shakeout run with a beer and fingerfood
• Celebration dinner at a local vineyard

Event Entries

• Marathon – $TBC
• Half marathon – $TBC

Race entry includes

• English-speaking race officials
• Medical team
• Time keeping and results
• Manned water and supply stations along the route
• Start number and medal

Time limit

The race officially ends at 13:30. This means that both marathon runners and half-marathon runners have a cut-off time of 7 hours. Any runners left on the route after this cut-off time will be collected by car.

Weather

Remember, January is summertime in the southern hemisphere. Summer is the driest season in Tair?whiti Gisborne, but the chance of rain is still around 20% each day. Daytime temperatures will be warm and humid, on average around 24°C / 75°F.

Route Logistics

The route will be well-marked with many small flags, arrows, and kilometer signs. Water stations will be positioned along the route at approximately every 4 kilometers. Some stations will also serve energy drinks, bananas, and energy gels. Personal supplies can be deposited at the start/finish area in a staffed bag drop area. There will be toilets and post-race refreshments in the start/finish area as well.

Start / Finish

Both the marathon and the half-marathon will start and finish at the boardwalk next to Midway Beach. Bathrooms should be available before the race in the hotel. Refreshments will be waiting for you after the race in the start/finish area.

Both the marathon and half-marathon will begin at 6:30 and end no later than 13:30.

Surface

The First Light Marathon will be run on a variety of surfaces: pavement, dirt roads, grass, single-track trails, and sandy beach will all be included in this strenuous race.

Route description

Both the marathon and half-marathon runners will begin on the boardwalk next to Midway Beach. The race starts just before sunrise, and participants will follow the boardwalk out of Tairawhiti Gisborne until the first hills are reached. As runners crest the first hill, they’ll be rewarded with a view of the sun slowly rising out over the Pacific Ocean. You will be among the first people in the world to greet the new day as the sun illuminates the landscape around you.

Both marathon and half-marathon runners will face a series of short, steep hills once they are out of the city. The race is a mix of single-track trails, roads, and off-road surfaces. Half-marathon runners will loop through the hills back toward the city, while marathon runners head out to Wainui Beach for roughly a kilometer through the sand next to the sparkling waves. Then, marathon runners will head back into the hills to tackle even more challenging climbs until they once again reach Tairawhiti Gisborne.

Both half-marathon and marathon runners will finish the race on the same boardwalk where the race began, running onto Midway Beach for some well-deserved rest and refreshments.

Note: Do not forget that this is first and foremost an adventure. We are far away from comforts of home and this makes it impossible to offer services at the same level usually provided in city marathons.