Queenstown Marathon: Run, Relax, and Explore!
The tenth Queenstown Marathon in November 2024: who won, the records that fell, how the race has grown, and when the next one is.
This post covers the 2024 Queenstown Marathon. For the next race, read From Start Line to Skyline: Make the Most of Marathon Weekend.
The 2024 Queenstown Marathon was the tenth, run on Saturday 16 November 2024, and it was a good one to have been at. Runners woke to fresh snow on the mountains and a cold start, then sun and blue sky as the day went on. More than 12,500 people registered across the four distances, nearly nine in ten of them from outside the region and around three in ten from overseas.
With that many visitors in town, the people who made a week of it had the best of it. If you are planning a future race weekend, a car from Evolve Rentals covers the expo, the supporters and the days either side.
Who won the 2024 Queenstown Marathon?
Hannah Oldroyd won the women's marathon in 2:52:53, fourteen minutes clear of second place. It was her sixth title in the race's ten years, and her fourth in a row. The men's marathon went to a local, Ciaran Faherty of Queenstown, in 2:34:05, his first win, and a Queenstown runner winning on home trails in front of a home crowd is about as good as race day gets.
The records fell further down the distances. Taonga Mbambo won the men's half marathon in 1:06:29, taking nearly a minute off the course record, and Maya Irving won the women's half in 1:22:51. Oli Chignell won the men's 10km in 30:44, more than two minutes inside the record set in 2018.
What was the 2024 race like?
Loud, by all accounts. Oldroyd said the atmosphere coming through town "was insane", and singled out the metal bridge the organisers put out on the course as one of her highlights. The course runs mostly on hard packed trail, from the Arrowtown end of the basin past Lake Hayes and the Shotover River, along Lake Wakatipu and through the Queenstown Gardens to finish in the middle of town.
The race was projected to bring more than 20 million dollars into the local economy that year, which tells you how many people come for the weekend and stay for longer.
How long has the Queenstown Marathon been running?
It started in 2014, when the organisers expected around 1,500 runners and got about 6,000, and the 2024 race was its tenth. Numbers have kept climbing since: more than 13,000 runners and walkers registered for the 11th edition in 2025, and the event calls itself the world's most beautiful marathon, a claim that is hard to argue with from anywhere on the course.
What did 2024 teach us about marathon weekend?
Pack for every season. Fresh snow on the tops in the middle of November can happen here, as 2024 showed, and a race that starts in the cold and finishes in the sun means layers you can shed and a warm top waiting at the finish. Supporters feel it more than runners do, because they spend the morning standing still.
Run, relax, and explore
The advice from 2024 still stands. Recover properly first: our guide to unwinding indoors has the saunas, spas and massages that suit tired legs. Then explore at a gentler pace. Arrowtown is close, easy on the legs and full of good food, and our Arrowtown guide has where to start.
When is the next Queenstown Marathon?
Saturday 14 November 2026. Our guide to marathon weekend has the races, bib collection at the expo, the start line shuttles and where supporters can watch, and the official Queenstown Marathon site has entries and course maps.
We bring the car to you, which nobody else in Queenstown does, or you can collect from us at 153b Glenda Drive in Frankton, near the airport. When you have your entry sorted, book your car with Evolve Rentals and save your legs for the course.
FAQs
Who won the 2024 Queenstown Marathon?
Hannah Oldroyd won the women's marathon in 2:52:53, her sixth title, and Ciaran Faherty of Queenstown won the men's in 2:34:05.
When was the 2024 Queenstown Marathon?
Saturday 16 November 2024. It was the tenth Queenstown Marathon, with more than 12,500 people registered.
What records were set at the 2024 Queenstown Marathon?
Taonga Mbambo set a new men's half marathon course record of 1:06:29, and Oli Chignell won the men's 10km in a record 30:44.
When did the Queenstown Marathon start?
The first Queenstown Marathon was held in 2014, when about 6,000 people took part. The 2024 race was the tenth.
When is the next Queenstown Marathon?
Saturday 14 November 2026, with the marathon, half marathon, 10km and kids' run.