About the Race
The Race
The Monaco Mid Winter Marathon takes place on the Nelson Tasman "Great Taste Trail", utilising coastal trails around the Waimea Inlet, with snow-capped mountains in the distance.
The idea of the event is to break down the barriers to participation and give everyone a good chance to compete in or complete a full marathon (42.2km).
You can participate in a full marathon, with run or walk options. For those with a little less confidence, you can enter as a two-person relay and do approximately a half marathon each. If you’d prefer a team effort, grab 3 mates and enter as a four-person team.
Race Options
Solo marathon 42.2km - age 18 upwards - entry $tbc per person
2 Person Relay 42.2km - age 14 upwards - entry $tbc per team
4 Person Relay 42.2km - age 10 upwards - entry $tbc per team
Entering using a credit card will incur an online service fee charged by the registration hosting company.
Register opening soon.
Event Details
Event Date: 2024 – Saturday 06 July
Venue: The Honest Lawyer Country Pub, Monaco, Nelson. (See course map below)
Enter: The registration link is HERE.
Contact: If you have any questions about the event please contact the event organisers via email.
Social Media: Follow us on Facebook for all the up-to-date news.
Start times:
7 am: For those who wish to start early – you must notify us in advance of the event if you wish to start at this time.
8 am: For anyone taking part who believes their total race time will be over 5hrs 30mins.
9 am: All remaining entrants.
Time cut-off: There will be no formal cut-off but hopefully everyone will be off the course by 3 p.m. (i.e. 7 hours)
Please make sure you arrive at the event venue with plenty of time to get yourself organised and to the start line. We suggest a minimum of 45 minutes before the beginning of your event, earlier if you were unable to register on the Saturday before the event. You may need to walk a short distance to the start line as car parking at the venue is limited.
Racer check-in: Will be at the Honest Lawyer Country Pub on Friday 05 July 2024 from 3pm to 7pm. This will be in "The Barn" round the back of the main building.
It would be appreciated if you could check-in and collect your race number the day before the race to ensure race day runs smoothly. You can collect on someone else’s behalf providing you know their details.
The Course
From the rear of the Honest Lawyer, participants will run through the car park and head out towards Monaco Peninsula along Point Rd.
At the Monaco Boat Club, turn right onto Martin St. Continue along Martin St to the end of the peninsula, follow the road left around the point. Before the beach, turn left into Rainier St and then turn right back onto Martin St. Return the way you came back to the Honest Lawyer water station (approx. 4km mark).
Pass the Honest Lawyer entrance and veer right onto the "Great Taste Trail" shared trail.
From this point on, the course follows the "Great Taste Trail" as far as it goes. There are 4 short sections where the trail shares a roadway, please be conscious of vehicles and give way where necessary. There will be extra arrows to point you in the right direction. These will be either on the ground or signposts.
After another 3.5km, opposite the Richmond Aquatic Centre, turn right and follow the "Great Taste Trail" towards Mapua. This turn will have a marshal.
Water station Fittal St - approx. 9km.
Sandeman Reserve will be clearly signposted but follows the "Great Taste Trail" signage. End of Leg 1 for 4 Person teams.
At the junction with Best Island Rd, follow the GTT signage and cross the road next to the bollards and continue down the trail to "speedway corner" on Lower Queen Street. Water station - approx. 16km.
Turn right and follow the shared roadway before re-joining the trail at the the gate. Cross the swing bridge and continue along the trail until you reach the junction with Redwood Road (approx. 19.5km mark).
Turn right and follow the trail until you reach the Rough Island Bridge, where you will be crossed over the road. Cross the bridge and pass the Tic Toc Rd water station - approx. 20km
Keep following the trail up to Cooper Road. Turn left at Cooper Rd where the trail shares the road. Follow the road to a Marshal, where the GTT goes left but the course carries on straight ahead and follows the tarseal road a short distance to the beach front. Then turn hard right along the beach front path.
Continue straight, following the arrows, until you reach the main changing room block on the gravel track – this is the 2-person relay change-over point and end of Leg 2 for 4 Person teams (approx. 23.5km).
After this point, continue on the gravel track, veering right away from the beach, crossing a small road, then carefully cross Cooper Road and re-join the "Great Taste Trail" .
From this point, its back along the same route, right back to the Honest Lawyer. On the return, turn left into the Honest Lawyer, through the Car Park and back to the Barn and the finish line. *THERE IS NO LOOP OF MONACO ON THE RETURN LEG.
2 Person Relay change-over point
The 2 Person change-over is at the changing sheds on the seafront at Moturoa/Rabbit Island. It is approximately 23.5km into the course. The 2nd leg runner has just under 19km to go to the finish line at the Honest Lawyer Country Pub. A split time will be recorded here for all participants & teams.
4 Person Relay change-over points
Teams will be provided with a time sheet for self-recording of split times. However a time will be recorded for all competitors & teams as they pass through the 2 Person change-over at the changing sheds on Moturoa/Rabbit Island. There is a carpark & toilet at Sandemans Reserve.
The official change-over points for the 4 Person relay with leg distances:
Leg 1 • Ends at Sandeman Reserve, Sandeman Rd – approx. 11.5km.
Leg 2 • Ends at the Changing sheds on Rabbit Island (2 person change-over point) – approx. 12km
Leg 3 • Ends at Sandeman Reserve, Sandeman Rd – approx. 11.5km.
Leg 4 • Ends at The Honest Lawyer Country Pub – approx. 7.5km.
4 Person teams & supporters, please be considerate of solo marathoners & 2 Person teams running through Sandeman Reserve.
Water & Aid Stations
There are 7 official water & aid stations:
• Honest Lawyer (near the grass area before entry to Honest Lawyer car park) – at approx. 4km
• Next to Waste Recycling Plant on Fittal St, Richmond (+ toilets) – at approx. 9km (outward)
• Speedway Corner, Lower Queen St – approx. 16km (outward)
• Grass area on corner of Ken Beck Drive and Tic Toc Road East (+ toilets) – approx. 20km (outward)
• Grass area on corner of Ken Beck Drive and Tic Toc Road East (+ toilets)– approx. 26km (return)
• Speedway Corner, Lower Queen St – approx. 31km (return)
• Next to Waste Recycling Plant on Fittal St, Richmond (+ toilets) – at approx. 38km (return)
There is a toilet close to the course at Sandeman reserve – at approx. 12km & 35km
There are toilets and a tap at the 2 Person change-over at the changing sheds on Moturoa/Rabbit Island – at approx. 23km
Spectator points
There are several places along the course with car access that provide suitable places for viewing, supporting and cheering participants:
• Honest Lawyer (near the grass area before entry to Honest Lawyer car park)
• Junction onto Mapua trail (park at Richmond Aquatic Centre)
• Next to Waste Recycling Plant on Fittal St, Richmond
• End of Headingly Lane, Richmond
• Sandemans Reserve, Sandeman Rd
• Speedway Corner, Lower Queen St
• Grass area on corner of Ken Beck Drive and Tic Toc Road East
• Changing sheds on Rabbit Island (2 person change-over point)