Aotearoa Afghanistan Marathon

The Aotearoa Afghanistan Marathon takes runners and walkers onto the forest tracks of Riverhead Forest in north west Auckland, with the start and finish at the Barlow Road entrance on Ararimu Valley Road, roughly 12 kilometres from Riverhead via Old North Road. Four distances share the trail network: a marathon, a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K fun run, all off road on forest terrain. It is a challenging trail event organised by Timatanga Hou, a not-for-profit that puts all funds back into future projects, with Lactic Turkey managing the day. The race is inspired by the Marathon of Afghanistan and is built around inclusivity, pairing the running with a celebration of Afghan culture.