The Queenstown Marathon runs on Saturday 14 November. Most of the town is not racing, so this is the page for everyone else: what is happening, when the roads change, and where to look for the detail that gets updated on the day.
What is on, and when
Four distances, all finishing at the Queenstown Recreation Ground.
- 10km, from 7:30am, starting at Lake Ave and Allan Crescent in Frankton
- Half marathon, from 8am, starting at Coronet Fields and Queenstown Polo, 679 Malaghans Road
- Marathon, from 8:45am, starting at Millbrook Resort
- Kids Run, 1pm, Queenstown Gardens on Park Street
The event hub at the Recreation Ground is open 8am to 5pm, and the course closes at 4:30pm. Athlete check in and the sports expo run at the Queenstown Event Centre on the Thursday and Friday before. Times for all of it are on the organiser's event schedule.
The roads
This is the part worth knowing if you are not running.
Closures and parking restrictions apply across Queenstown, Frankton and Arrowtown on Saturday. The organiser publishes the full list, and it is the version that gets corrected if something moves: read the 2026 road closure advisory.
One closure is worth stating on its own, because it is a state highway and NZTA publishes it separately. SH6A, Shotover Street, is scheduled to close between Camp Street and Beach Street from 7am to 5pm on Saturday. The signposted detour is via Gorge Road, Robins Road, Isle Street, Brecon Street, Man Street and Lake Street. Heavy vehicles are routed via Gorge Road, Robins Road, Isle Street, Brecon Street, Man Street, Thompson Street and Brunswick Street. NZTA also flags heavier traffic around check in on the Friday. The bulletin is here: highway closure and increased traffic for Queenstown event.
If you are driving anywhere near the course on Saturday morning, assume it takes longer than usual and check the advisory before you leave.
Watching
The organiser's race day information covers spectator spots and parking near the finish. There is a spectator map as a PDF, and an interactive spectator map if you would rather pan around it.
The closest public parking to the finish is on Boundary Street, off Gorge Road, about 100 metres away. Warren Park, from Gorge Road, is also close and asks for a $10 donation. The Man Street car park is about 300 metres away. Those are the organiser's figures, from the race day page above.
The trails
The trails are not closed, but the ones near the course will be busy from early, and the Frankton Track in particular sits alongside a start. If you had a quiet Saturday ride in mind, go early, go somewhere else, or go on Sunday.
Entering, or finding a runner
Entries, results and everything about the race itself are on the official Queenstown Marathon site. We do not hold entry information and we are not the place to ask about it.
