New Wave Of Marathon Hits Taranaki

With hundreds of running events happening around the country every year, it takes something disruptive to get the running community buzzing.

Enter the Coastal Five - a brand new wave of running event launching in Taranaki this November. It’s a five-event, two-day running adventure that enables participants to choose their events or race all five to conquer the marathon distance over two days.

Set against the backdrop of the mighty Taranaki maunga and spectacular New Plymouth coastline, while taking in the highlights of the Coastal Walkway, world-renowned Pukekura Park, Pukeiti Gardens, and Lake Mangamahoe - this truly is a running event like no other.

The Coastal Five is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Mark Turner and Suzanne McCarthy of World Multisport. Mark and Suzanne are international multisport coaches who have recently relocated to New Plymouth with the ambition to launch an innovative running challenge in Taranaki that would appeal to locals and visitors alike.

“After living overseas and coming back to Taranaki, you can appreciate that it’s a hidden gem with so much to offer adventurous Kiwis who are keen to get out there and explore their own backyard. We want to showcase this natural playground to the rest of New Zealand while creating a running event that the Taranaki community can really own. We’ve had great support from the local councils and businesses who are working with us to ensure the event offers an awesome experience for the runners, spectators and local community,” says Coastal Five Race Director, Mark Turner.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the hard work and passion of the Coastal Five team come to life as part of the inaugural Coastal Five event happening in Taranaki this November. This innovative event is for not only the local Taranaki community but also others right around Aotearoa, encouraging them into our region to experience our manaakitangi alongside our stunning natural landscapes and competitive streak,” says Venture Taranaki General Manager People and Place, Vicki Fairley.

By fusing the spectacular scenery on offer in Taranaki with an innovative new running challenge, the event hopes to attract 1,000 participants in the first year and is already drawing entries from all over New Zealand. While the early bird entries have predominantly been for all five events, this is an event that caters to everyone.

Coastal Five Athlete Services Manager, Suzanne McCarthy comments: “Whether you’re a serious runner and want to conquer the marathon distance over two days, or if you just want to run a race with your kids, we have something for everyone. The event kicks off Day One with a half marathon along the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway and finishes Day Two with a mile race down New Plymouth’s main street. Devon Street will be closed for the race so we’re aiming to create a fun atmosphere where you can dress up, cheer on the runners and get amongst the local festival-like vibe.”

THE EVENTS IN ADDITION TO THIS THE COASTAL FIVE IS:

Waste-free

All Coastal Five participants will be emailed a virtual race pack and have the option to opt-out of receiving a medal. Use the code NOMEDAL when you enter and receive a $5 discount off your entry.

Open to runners and walkers

All the events are open to walkers, as well as runners. Due to the logistics of the five events, participants need to meet the cut-off times to guarantee a finishing time and road closures. Cut-off times are 4 hours for the half marathon, 2 hours for the 10 km and 1.5 hours for the other events.

Open to teams

You can enter a team of up to five members so it offers a unique opportunity to get together with a group of friends, family or colleagues of all ages and abilities.

Fundraising for local schools, childcare centres and community groups

Local community groups have the opportunity to earn 5% of revenue from any tickets they sell to be invested directly back into their own fundraising initiatives.

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