IF you’re a keen runner who’s wondered about doing a marathon, full or half, the Armstrong Motor Group Wellington Marathon is a great place to start. The event is organised by social running club the Wellington Marathon Clinic, established in 1979.
“It’s not a club set up around a competitive premise – it’s more to help people enjoy their running. You’d really call it a social club, some are serious, some are less so,” says marathon event manager Michael Jacques.
Every Sunday at 8am, club members meet at Kilbirnie Acquatic Centre, where they split up into three walking groups and eight running groups – representing all fitness levels and ages.
An online message board identifies one rule among members as, “if you cannot talk, chatter, and gossip while exercising, you are in the wrong group.”
“It’s a good scene on a Sunday; people meet up, exercise and share coffee afterwards,” says Jacques.
The marathon day has a similar feel. Although there is the 42-kilometre full marathon option, participants can also enter the half marathon, 10k run and the ‘Kids’ Magic Mile’, where kids run, you guessed it, a mile (or 1.6km), and parents are welcome to run alongside. Participants can also walk the course, which runs along flat road from Westpac Stadium down Oriental Parade and around the Miramar peninsula.
“On a good day it’s a great event, it’s a pleasant run around the bays. It’s convenient too, people who live in the Hutt can train straight in to the start line, which is good because half the trouble is getting people there.”
The marathon regularly pulls just under 5000 entrants.
“It always depends on the forecast. In Wellington people tend to look out the window and think, ‘nah’.”
Jacques says those who’ve considered doing a marathon, but are yet to make the first step, need to beat that ‘nah’ response.
“Anybody who’s a bit of a procrastinator – the hardest part is putting your shorts on. Once you’re out there the decision’s made.”
And once you start, you’ll have a hard time stopping.  
“If you manage to run one… the minute you finish you’ll be thinking, ‘I am never doing that again’, but after half a day you’ll be wondering if you could beat your time,” he says.
Registrations are open up to the day before the marathon, see harbourcapital.org for details.
Armstrong Motor Group Wellington Marathon, Westpac Stadium, June 19.