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Round The Bays Auckland 2027: Race Guide, Course And How To Enter
Round the Bays Auckland returns on Sunday 7 March 2027 for a particularly significant edition of one of New Zealand's best known mass participation running events. The race will celebrate 55 years since the first Round the Bays was held in Auckland in 1972.
The 8.4km course takes runners, joggers and walkers from Quay Street in central Auckland along the waterfront to St Heliers. It is a relatively short, flat event designed to appeal to everyone from competitive runners chasing a fast time to families and groups walking the course together.
Entries for 2027 are already open, with different pricing periods running through to race weekend if places remain available. For anyone considering travelling to Auckland for the event, here is what to expect from Round the Bays 2027.
The Destination
Auckland, or Tāmaki Makaurau, is New Zealand's largest city and a natural setting for an event built around the waterfront. The city spreads around the Waitematā and Manukau harbours, with water playing a major part in both its geography and character.
Round the Bays gives participants a particularly good introduction to this side of Auckland. After starting close to the city centre, the route follows the waterfront towards St Heliers, with the Waitematā Harbour accompanying runners for much of the journey.
If you are visiting from elsewhere in New Zealand or travelling internationally, it is worth allowing some additional time to explore the city. The waterfront, Viaduct Harbour, Wynyard Quarter and central Auckland can all be combined relatively easily, while ferries provide access to destinations including Waiheke Island and Devonport.
History Of Round The Bays Auckland
Round the Bays has been part of Auckland life since 1972. The inaugural event was held on 17 March that year after Colin Kay and Eric Woods of Auckland Joggers Club developed the idea following inspiration from Sydney's City2Surf.
Around 700 people took part in that first event, but Round the Bays grew substantially over the decades that followed. It developed into one of New Zealand's biggest participation events, regularly bringing tens of thousands of runners and walkers onto Auckland's waterfront.
The basic idea has remained remarkably consistent. This has never been an event aimed only at serious runners, with competitive athletes racing at the front while recreational runners, walkers, families, workplace teams and charity fundraisers make up much of the field behind them.
The 2027 edition marks 55 years since that first Auckland event and gives the race an additional sense of occasion. Few participation running events have remained part of the same city's sporting calendar for more than half a century.
When Is Round The Bays Auckland 2027?
Round the Bays Auckland takes place on Sunday 7 March 2027, with the 8.4km event scheduled to start at 9am from Quay Street. Participants are asked to be at the start by 8.30am, with entertainment, the charity presentation and group warm up beginning from 7.45am.
The finishers' festival at Vellenoweth Green in St Heliers is scheduled to begin at 9.45am. Celebrations then continue until 1pm, giving participants time to meet friends and teammates after completing the course.
Round The Bays Bib Collection
Race bibs must be collected before race day and will not be posted to participants. Bib collection for 2027 takes place at Victory Convention Centre, 98 Beaumont Street, Freemans Bay.
Collection opens on Thursday 4 March, initially for corporate teams between 11am and 4pm before opening to all participants from 4pm until 7pm. It is then available from 8am until 7pm on Friday 5 March and from 8am until 4pm on Saturday 6 March.
You will need the confirmation email containing your QR code, which is due to be sent during race week. Team managers can collect bibs for their entire team, which can make the process easier for larger workplace and community groups.
There will also be an information tent on Britomart Place on race morning, but this should not be treated as an alternative to normal bib collection. The organiser warns that queues may be long, so collecting your bib during the scheduled collection period is the safer option.
Race Morning
Round the Bays is a point to point event, which means transport deserves some thought before race morning. The start is on Quay Street in central Auckland while the finish is at Vellenoweth Green in St Heliers, so you will not finish where you started.
Free event shuttle buses will operate from the finish area at Vellenoweth Green and the hospitality area at Madills Farm to the city between 6.30am and 8am. This gives participants the option of travelling towards the finish area first and using the shuttle to reach the start.
Public transport on Auckland Transport bus and rail services is also free for participants on race day when you show your race bib or entry confirmation email. Waitematā/Britomart is close to the start, making public transport one of the simplest ways to reach Quay Street.
Gear drop opens on Britomart Place at 7am and closes strictly at 8.30am, with bags transported to the finish for collection after the event. Attach the gear tag from your bib to your bag and check the organiser's restrictions before deciding what to leave.
After finishing, free buses run from Long Drive near Vellenoweth Green back to Britomart between 11am and 2pm. Decide how you intend to return before race morning, particularly if you are travelling with other people or have accommodation elsewhere in Auckland.
Round The Bays Auckland Course
The Round the Bays Auckland course covers 8.4km from Quay Street in central Auckland to Vellenoweth Green at St Heliers. The organiser has confirmed that the 2027 route will once again take participants from Quay Street along Tāmaki Drive towards St Heliers.
The detailed 2027 course map and exact water station locations are still to be published, so individual kilometre points should be checked once the final map becomes available. What is already clear is the character of the course, with the route leaving the central city behind before following Auckland's eastern waterfront beside the Waitematā Harbour.
Quay Street And The Start
The event begins on Quay Street, close to Auckland's waterfront and the Britomart transport hub. With thousands of people gathering in central Auckland, the opening stages are likely to feel busy even though participants are divided according to expected finishing time.
Your race time does not begin until you cross the timing mats, so there is little advantage in pushing forward unnecessarily before the start. Beginning in the appropriate group should give you a better chance of settling into a comfortable rhythm once the field begins to spread out.
Tāmaki Drive
After leaving the city, the defining feature of Round the Bays is Tāmaki Drive. The waterfront road runs east from central Auckland beside the Waitematā Harbour and provides the setting for most of the journey towards St Heliers. This is what gives Round the Bays much of its distinctive identity. Rather than spending the event weaving through residential streets or repeatedly changing direction, participants follow Auckland's waterfront with open harbour views appearing along the route. The road is also relatively flat, helping to make the event accessible to walkers and new runners while providing faster participants with the opportunity to maintain a consistent rhythm. With only 8.4km to cover, the course can feel very different depending on whether you are racing hard or treating the morning as a social run or walk.
Auckland's Eastern Bays
The journey along Tāmaki Drive takes participants through Auckland's eastern waterfront, passing the bays and beaches that make this part of the city such a popular place to run, walk and cycle throughout the year. Mission Bay and Kohimarama sit along this stretch of coastline before St Heliers. For visiting runners, this part of the event provides a very different view of Auckland from the central business district encountered around the start. The harbour remains a major feature as the route continues east, helping the course retain its waterfront character almost all the way to the finish. For anyone racing the 8.4km, the relatively uncomplicated route makes pacing easier than on an event containing repeated hills and sharp changes of direction. Recreational runners and walkers can concentrate instead on the atmosphere, waterfront views and entertainment around the course.
St Heliers And The Finish
The course finishes at Vellenoweth Green in St Heliers, beside the waterfront at the eastern end of the route. Every participant who crosses the finish line receives a finisher's medal before moving into the post event area. The finishers' festival provides food, music, giveaways and sponsor activities, turning St Heliers into the centre of the celebrations after the race. The point to point nature of the course means it is worth deciding in advance how you will leave St Heliers, with free post event buses scheduled to begin running back towards Britomart from Long Drive at 11am.
How Difficult Is The Round The Bays Course?
Round the Bays is one of the more accessible large running events you are likely to encounter. The organiser describes the 8.4km course as flat, while the distance sits between a traditional 5K and 10K.
That makes it achievable for a broad range of participants. Someone who has recently started running can use it as their first organised event, while walkers can complete the course without needing to run at all.
For faster runners, the challenge is different. A flat route and relatively short distance create the potential for quick running, but the sheer number and variety of participants mean starting in the correct group is particularly important.
Weather can also influence the experience, as early March falls towards the end of summer in Auckland. Check the forecast before race day and adjust your clothing, hydration and pace to suit the conditions rather than assuming the flat course will automatically make the event easy.
What Makes Round The Bays Special?
Scale is a major part of the attraction. Round the Bays has grown from around 700 participants in 1972 into an event capable of attracting tens of thousands of people onto Auckland's streets.
More important than the numbers is the variety of those taking part. Round the Bays deliberately sits somewhere between a road race, community event and enormous waterfront celebration, with elite and competitive runners chasing a time while others jog, walk or take part alongside friends, family and colleagues.
The setting also helps distinguish it from many mass participation events. Few major city runs offer such a long stretch beside the water, and the journey from central Auckland towards the eastern bays provides a natural sense of travelling through the city.
The 55th anniversary should add another dimension in 2027. For an event that has been part of Auckland's running culture since the early 1970s, it is an opportunity to celebrate both its history and the huge participation community that has developed around it.
Is Round The Bays A Fast Course?
Round the Bays has the ingredients for fast running, with a flat profile and relatively straightforward waterfront route. Competitive runners should choose the appropriate start group when entering so they begin among participants aiming for a similar finishing time.
The Elite Wheelchair/Disability and Elite Runner group is intended for those expecting to finish in under 36 minutes, while the Runner group covers predicted finishing times between 36 and 50 minutes. Joggers expecting to take between 50 and 80 minutes start further back, followed by walkers and non elite wheelchair participants expecting to take more than 80 minutes.
Because timing begins when you cross the start line mats, runners further back do not need to worry about the time taken to reach the line after the first participants begin. Starting in the correct group should be more valuable than trying to position yourself further forward than your expected pace justifies.
Is Round The Bays Good For First Time Runners?
Round the Bays is particularly well suited to first time event participants. The flat course removes one of the difficulties that can make a first race intimidating, while the large number of recreational runners and walkers means there is no expectation that everyone will be trying to run quickly. You can approach the event as a race, a personal challenge or simply an opportunity to complete the distance.
If 8.4km is further than you currently run, build towards the distance gradually rather than attempting to complete it without preparation. Being able to cover a similar amount of time on your feet before race day should make the experience considerably more enjoyable.
Families are also welcome, with pushchairs and buggies permitted on the course. Participants using them must enter the Walker start group so they begin in the appropriate part of the field.
How To Enter Round The Bays Auckland 2027
Entries for Round the Bays Auckland 2027 are open online, with the entry price increasing as race day approaches. Entering earlier therefore gives you access to the lowest available price rather than waiting until the final weeks before the event.
The Supersaver entry period runs from 2 to 11 October 2026, with adult places costing NZ$35 and places for children aged 5 to 15 costing NZ$18. Early Bird entry then runs from 12 October to 8 November at NZ$40 for adults and NZ$20 for children.
Standard entry runs from 9 November until 21 February 2027 and costs NZ$50 for adults and NZ$25 for children. Late entry between 22 February and 6 March costs NZ$65 for adults and NZ$29 for children.
If places remain, on the day entry is scheduled to cost NZ$75 for adults and NZ$35 for children. Children aged four and under can enter free throughout the entry periods but still need to be registered if they are taking part.
Entry includes your race bib and timing chip, finisher's medal and certificate, course support, access to the finishers' festival and free event shuttle buses. Check the organiser's current entry terms before registering, particularly if you are travelling to Auckland specifically for the event.
Entries are not refundable, but if you can no longer take part, the organiser allows entries to be transferred to another person through the Race Roster participant dashboard. A NZ$20 transfer fee applies, plus credit card fees, so use the official transfer process rather than simply giving your bib to someone else.
Running Round The Bays For Charity
Fundraising has long been part of Round the Bays and participants can use their 2027 event to support a cause that matters to them.
At the time of writing, the official 2027 Charity Partner has not yet been announced, so check the event website for the latest information as race day approaches. Deaf Aotearoa has been announced as the Accessibility Partner for 2027, while participants can also raise money for other causes rather than being restricted to a single charity.
The accessible distance and large number of teams make Round the Bays particularly suitable for groups, workplaces and families who want to combine taking part with a fundraising challenge. If you decide to fundraise, setting up your page well before March gives you more time to tell people why you are taking part and build support before race day.
Where To Stay
If you are travelling to Auckland for Round the Bays, staying in or close to the city centre makes race morning relatively straightforward. Britomart is close to the Quay Street start and provides useful public transport connections.
The Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter are also convenient options if you want to combine easy access to the start with restaurants and Auckland's waterfront. Staying centrally also makes it easier to explore the city before or after the event without needing to rely heavily on a car.
Another option is to stay further east around Mission Bay or St Heliers, closer to the finish. If you choose this approach, the free pre race shuttle from the finish area to the city can help with the point to point logistics.
Whichever area you choose, check the race morning transport arrangements before booking. Road closures and the size of the event mean convenience on a normal Sunday morning does not necessarily translate directly to race day.
Our Verdict
Round the Bays is very different from a conventional road race, and that is a large part of its appeal. The 8.4km distance, flat waterfront course and enormous range of participants make it accessible without taking away the opportunity for faster runners to race seriously.
For visitors, the route also provides an excellent introduction to Auckland. Starting in the central city and following Tāmaki Drive beside the Waitematā Harbour towards St Heliers gives the event a strong sense of place rather than simply providing a closed road on which to run.
The 2027 edition should be particularly memorable as Round the Bays celebrates its 55th anniversary. More than half a century after around 700 people gathered for the first event, it has developed into one of New Zealand's most established participation running traditions and remains an event that almost anyone can be part of.
Race Website
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I did this one years ago. It's a crazy race with so many runners not paying and jumping in from the side once it starts. Mad finish area.