A 6am start time meant an early rise for us both at 4am waking to a dry day with the promise of good weather. The race was to start across the water in Devonport which meant an early 15 minute ferry ride at 5am from the quayside.
Arriving in Devonport the excitement was spreading amongst the participants. This was mainly due to the Rugby World Cup Final, being fought out between New Zealand and Australia that was being shown on a giant screen near the start.
Thankfully half time came ten minutes before the start!
The race started on the main road running alongside the beach, just as the sun rose.
The route, all on the roads, wound around the undulating residential streets, full of beautiful houses before crossing the harbour bridge with lovely views of the Auckland skyline. We were kept amused for the first hour by the Rugby, with locals shouting out the score as we passed. Some runners even watched it on mobiles as they ran! There was much cheering when New Zealand won then it was back to business.
After crossing the bridge at 19km there was a short loop down to the quayside. It was here that the course split into marathon and half marathon runners (who had started shortly after us).
We then began a long, flat out and back section which took us along the beautiful coastline which turned around at 30km. By now the sun was out and the last few miles were tougher. As we ran back into the city, our spirits were raised by cheering crowds, some still in fancy dress from Halloween! We crossed the finish line, a great time having been had by us both, at Victoria Park and received our medals. It was indeed a once in a lifetime experience.
Report by: Fiona Hamilton