Kiwis are racing for a holiday, quite literally, as those across the travel sector report surges in marathon related travel demand.
Judy Wolff, a marathon travel specialist at Envoyage’s Marathon World Travel says run-cations are having a moment with many Kiwi travellers.
“It gives the trip a great focal point and a chance to join locals and experience an iconic city or landscape through a different lens,” Wolff adds.
Back in 2013, she says Kiwi runners were heading to just two events, London and New York. Fast forward to today she says she offers packages to 12 events a year, and the number of Kiwis attending each continues to grow. “Many of the participants also build a wider holiday around their race—whether that’s exploring the city they’ve just run through or tacking on travel to a neighbouring destination to recover and recharge.”
Raelene Grinter, retail manager for House of Travel Te Awamutu echoes this, saying her store has seen an increase in clients booking run-cations. “Sometimes our customers build a holiday around a marathon, but it can work the other way around too, finding a race that fits the holiday they already have planned,” says Grinter. She cites the Paris Marathon among the popular options. Wolff says the TCS New York City Marathon remains her biggest event by far, with popularity also growing for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW Berlin Marathon, TCS Sydney Marathon and Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
Tour operators have picked up on the trend. Contiki recently launched the eight-day NZ Run Club: Muriwai Half Marathon, a direct response to a cultural shift where younger travellers prefer moving, sweating, and connecting with local cultures over traditional sightseeing.
On the accommodation front there’s Lylo, with md Tim Alpe saying more guests are prioritising experience-driven travel, with its run clubs hugely popular. It is also seeing demand coinciding with marathons. “LyLo Queenstown is already sold out for Nov’s Queenstown Marathon,” he says.
. . . Global
Agoda says the run-cation travel trend is climbing in popularity across Asia in 2026, as marathons, which used to be a solo pursuit, are now becoming the centerpiece of a trip for some travellers.
This is said to reflect a broader appetite for travel around personal goals and wellness, not just sightseeing.
