Half Marathon Hub Weekly: Results, Training & What’s Coming Up | 10 August 2026
Kia ora and welcome to the Half Marathon Hub Weekly, your Monday round-up of what’s happening across the New Zealand half marathon scene.
Each week, we look back at the weekend’s racing, celebrate performances from around the country, share practical half marathon training advice, and look ahead to the events coming up on the New Zealand calendar.
This week we’ve got plenty to cover.
There was half marathon action from Te Anau to Rotorua, along with trail racing at Riverhead Forest and Inverary Station. We’ve also got three new training resources on www.HalfMarathonTraining.co.nz covering threshold training, periodisation and one of the easiest ways to unnecessarily damage your legs early in a race: attacking the downhills.
And looking ahead, another three half marathons are taking place around New Zealand this weekend.
Let’s get into it.
🏁 Weekend Half Marathon Results
Run The Forest – Rotorua
We’ll start in Rotorua with Run The Forest, where runners tackled the 21km Pohutu Geyser Trail.
There was some confusion with the initially published women’s results, but these were subsequently corrected. The current results show Odette Jennings taking the women’s victory in 1:27:12.
Women
- Odette Jennings — 1:27:12
- Arabella White — 1:36:18
- Sophie Bates — 1:41:57
Men
- Henry Randal — 1:24:48
- Dónal McGoldrick — 1:25:46
- Jordan Iremonger — 1:26:45
Congratulations to everyone who took on the Rotorua trails.
Meridian Hydro Half Marathon
Further south, runners tackled the Meridian Hydro Half Marathon around Te Anau.
This is certainly not simply another flat road half marathon. The course incorporates riverside and lakeside running, native bush, sections of road and 4WD track, along with some undulating terrain.
Women
- Margie Campbell — 1:25:34
- Kristy Eyles — 1:30:02
- Rebecca Vella-King — 1:31:38
Men
- Hunter Gough — 1:16:45
- Hamish Elliott — 1:17:37
- Marijn Wouters — 1:23:33
Congratulations to Margie and Hunter on taking the respective victories, and to everyone who completed the half marathon.
Canterbury Winter Trail Run Series Race 4 – Inverary Station
There was more off-road racing at Inverary Station for Race 4 of the Canterbury Winter Trail Run Series.
Women
- Sophie Shallard — 1:48:40
- Stephanie McLafferty — 1:57:20
- Julia Mercer — 1:58:00
Men
- Craig Fowler — 1:29:27
- Lachie Brownlie — 1:30:49
- Lee Calderon — 1:32:13
Trail times can be difficult to compare with traditional road half marathon performances because elevation, terrain and underfoot conditions can completely change the demands of 21.1km.
That’s one reason we’ll concentrate on the racing and performances themselves rather than trying to compare finishing times between very different events.
Auckland Trail Run & Walk – Riverhead Forest
The Auckland Trail Run & Walk at Riverhead Forest deserves a slightly different classification.
The longest event was officially the Super Long course rather than a traditional half marathon. However, at more than 21km, it sits close enough to half marathon territory to warrant inclusion in the Hub. The Auckland Trail Series describes its Super Long category as 21km-plus.
Women
- Juliette Foley — 1:58:20
- Georgia Gibson — 2:05:13
- Tracy McCartney — 2:06:58
Men
- Franklin Hamilton — 1:41:57
- Hamish Marsden — 1:43:44
- Kyle Nortje — 1:44:05
Congratulations to everyone who tackled Riverhead.
Sri Chinmoy Auckland Series: Race 6
At the time of preparing this week’s Hub, the results from Race 6 of the Sri Chinmoy Auckland Series were still being finalised and had not been officially published by the organisers.
📚 This Week on Half Marathon Training
Away from racing, we’ve added three new resources to www.HalfMarathonTraining.co.nz this week.
And there is a common theme connecting all three: doing the right training at the right time and at the right intensity.
🏃 Workout of the Week: 4 × 5min Threshold Runs
This week’s Workout of the Week moves us into threshold running.
The session is:
10min warm-up — Level II
Then:
4 ×
- 5min — Level IV
- 2min recovery — Level II
Followed by:
10min cool-down — Level II
10min stretching
That gives you 20 minutes of quality Level IV running, broken into manageable five-minute repetitions.
The key word here is controlled.
Level IV should feel comfortably hard. You’re running considerably quicker than your normal Level II running, your breathing is elevated and conversation becomes difficult, but this shouldn’t feel like four separate five-minute races.
If the first repetition feels fantastic and you’re fighting for survival during the fourth, you’ve probably started too quickly.
And importantly, don’t turn a threshold workout into a Level V workout simply because you’re feeling good.
Running harder doesn’t automatically make the session better.
The purpose is to accumulate quality running at Level IV. Pushing into Level V changes the training stimulus and creates additional fatigue that can affect the sessions that follow.
For half marathon runners, threshold training is particularly valuable because we’re not simply trying to develop speed. We’re trying to improve your ability to sustain a strong pace efficiently for a prolonged period.
This session fits particularly well into the Transition Quality (TQ) phase of a half marathon programme.
Read Coach Ray’s Workout of the Week: 4 × 5min Threshold Runs
🗓️ Why Your Half Marathon Training Changes Over Time
That brings us nicely to another article published this week: Half Marathon Periodisation: How I Structure Your Training.
A good half marathon programme shouldn’t simply be 12, 16 or 20 weeks of increasingly difficult workouts.
Training needs to evolve.
Early in a programme, we’re developing the foundations that allow you to tolerate and benefit from harder work later.
As your race gets closer, training progressively becomes more specific to the demands you’ll encounter over 21.1km.
That’s the basic idea behind periodisation.
Rather than asking:
“What’s the hardest workout I can do?”
A better question is:
“What’s the right workout for this stage of my training?”
That’s an important distinction.
A fantastic workout performed at the wrong point in a programme may be considerably less useful than a seemingly simpler workout that develops exactly what you need at that stage.
It is also why workouts such as this week’s 4 × 5-minute threshold session have a specific home within the programme rather than being randomly dropped into training whenever we feel like running hard.
Read Half Marathon Periodisation: How I Structure Your Training
⛰️ Don’t Waste Your Legs on the Early Downhills
Our third article this week moves from training to race execution.
Downhill running feels easy — particularly early in a half marathon.
Your breathing settles, gravity gives you a helping hand and suddenly you’re running much faster than expected without feeling as though you’re working particularly hard.
That’s where runners can get themselves into trouble.
The cardiovascular cost might feel low, but your legs are still absorbing the impact of every downhill stride.
Attack those early descents too aggressively and you may pay for them later when the quadriceps begin to fatigue.
The goal isn’t to be frightened of running downhill.
It’s to use the downhill intelligently.
Stay relaxed, maintain control and allow the terrain to give you some speed without turning the opening kilometres into an opportunity to chase time.
A half marathon is long enough that what feels “free” early in the race can become very expensive later.
Read Don’t Waste Your Legs on the Early Downhills
📅 Three Half Marathons Coming Up This Weekend
Another three events give New Zealand runners the opportunity to tackle the half marathon distance this weekend.
🍺 Otago Ale Trail
First up is the Otago Ale Trail Half Marathon on Saturday, 15 August.
Based around Wedderburn in Central Otago, the event combines a half marathon with an 8km option and takes runners through the Central Otago countryside.
For runners taking on the half marathon, this isn’t necessarily a day for becoming obsessed with kilometre splits.
On trail and mixed terrain, effort is often the better guide.
Let the terrain influence your speed, stay controlled early and save enough for the latter stages.
🌲 Te Miro Tussle Trail Run
On Sunday, 16 August, we have the first-ever Te Miro Tussle Trail Run at Te Miro MTB Park near Cambridge.
The Ultimate Tussle Half Marathon covers 21km, with 10km, 5km and 2km options also available. The organisers are promising trails, hills and — quite possibly — some mud.
For anyone tackling the half marathon, forget trying to run it like a flat road race.
Run according to the terrain and your effort.
And particularly early in the race, don’t spend energy fighting the course. You’ll get far more benefit from working with the terrain and keeping something in reserve for the final third.
✈️ Woodbourne Half Marathon
Also on Sunday is the 41st Woodbourne Half Marathon at RNZAF Woodbourne near Blenheim.
The course travels through vineyards and quiet back-country roads, with a small farm-track section and a slight climb, although most of the half marathon is relatively flat. Runners can complete the event as a run, walk or run/walk.
Compared with our two trail events, Woodbourne potentially offers a better opportunity to settle into a consistent rhythm.
But the same fundamental half marathon rule still applies:
Don’t allow the excitement of race morning to dictate your opening pace.
Twenty-one kilometres gives you plenty of time to work.
🎯 Training for Your Next Half Marathon?
If you’re looking at those races and thinking about what might come next, that’s exactly what we’re building the NZ Half Marathon Hub for.
The free Half Marathon Hub Weekly will continue bringing together race results, upcoming events, training advice, workouts and what’s happening around the New Zealand half marathon scene every Monday.
And if you want more structure behind your own training, Hub+ provides access to event-specific training programmes across different ability levels, along with coaching support to help guide your preparation.
Whether you’re trying to complete your first half marathon, break two hours, chase a PB or see how fast you can cover 21.1km, the objective is the same:
Give your training a purpose and arrive at the start line prepared.
Start Training Now
🏃 16 Weeks to Race Day: The Spectacle & Whanganui Training Starts Next Monday
If The Spectacle or the Whanganui 3 Bridges Marathon Half Marathon is your goal race, next week marks an important point in your countdown.
Our dedicated 16-week training programmes begin Monday, 17 August, giving you a structured build all the way through to race day.
And just like our other event-specific programmes, there isn’t one generic plan that every runner is expected to follow.
Through Hub+, you’ll have five levels to choose from:
Starter • Builder • Improver • Performance • Elite
Whether your goal is to confidently complete your first 21.1km, improve on a previous half marathon, break a particular time barrier or maximise your performance, you can choose the level that best matches where you are now and where you want to be on race day.
Why Start 16 Weeks Out?
Sixteen weeks gives us plenty of time to build rather than rush.
Instead of jumping immediately into highly specific half marathon workouts, your training can progress through the appropriate phases, developing your aerobic foundation before gradually introducing more demanding quality work and eventually the race-specific training you need closer to your event.
That progression is important.
We’re not simply trying to make you fitter next week. We’re trying to have you at your best on race day.
Two Races. Five Levels. One Structured Build.
Starting Monday, 17 August, Hub+ members can choose from:
The Spectacle
- The Spectacle • Starter • 16 Weeks
- The Spectacle • Builder • 16 Weeks
- The Spectacle • Improver • 16 Weeks
- The Spectacle • Performance • 16 Weeks
- The Spectacle • Elite • 16 Weeks
Whanganui 3 Bridges
- Whanganui 3 Bridges • Starter • 16 Weeks
- Whanganui 3 Bridges • Builder • 16 Weeks
- Whanganui 3 Bridges • Improver • 16 Weeks
- Whanganui 3 Bridges • Performance • 16 Weeks
- Whanganui 3 Bridges • Elite • 16 Weeks
If either race is on your calendar, this is the ideal week to choose your programme, get organised and be ready to start next Monday.
➡️ Join Hub+
Get access to the 16-week training programmes through Hub+ and start your build towards The Spectacle or Whanganui 3 Bridges on Monday, 17 August.
➡️ Coming Next Week
Next Monday we’ll be back with results from:
Otago Ale Trail Half Marathon
Te Miro Tussle Trail Run
Woodbourne Half Marathon
We’ll also catch up on the latest training content from www.HalfMarathonTraining.co.nz, look at what’s happening around the New Zealand half marathon scene and preview the races coming up the following weekend.
And if the official Sri Chinmoy Auckland Series Race 6 results become available, we’ll catch up on those as well.
If you’re racing this weekend, good luck.
Start controlled. Race the course you’re given. And give yourself the opportunity to finish strongly.
See you next Monday for the Half Marathon Hub Weekly.
