Welcome to the Hill Free Half-Marathon Website

This year the New Balance Hill Free will be held on the 4th October 2009. Photos of the event can be seen on the Photos section of the website.

As the name suggests, these races are Hill free. Run on the Taieri Plains around the rural setting of Outram, this event is becoming more and more popular to the novice athlete for the experience factor. It is also popular to the more elite who are looking for a personal best, and often is used as the Otago Half Marathon Champion event.

Both the Half Marathon and 10km courses are IAAF/AIMS certified, meaning they are accurately measured and any records broken can be acknowledge as valid.

We have for the third year included a 12 and under race.

This year there are four different races available to cater for all ages and abilities, half marathon, 10km run and walk and the under 12, 2km run.

Otago Half Marathon Championships for Open Men and Open Women shall be held over this approved course this year (approved by Athletics Otago Management committee).

History

The Outram course was originally put together by the Presbyterian club back in late 70's, and was used as a club estimated race. If you new how fast you could race and got closest to that time you would win.

Ariki Harriers like the sound of this and asked if they could join in the next year. The following year the course was open up to the public.

Over the next few year the10km run and walk were installed. The course stayed at time estimated up until the 90's.

From time to time the Athletics Otago Half marathon championships were and are often held on the Outram course.

The Children's race was introduced in 2006, and is growing every year. In 2007 the Course was redirected so that the 10km and half finished using the same return route.