The half marathon is an event that has grown in popularity over the last 20 years. Unlike the full marathon, it has never been contested at the Olympics or IAAF World Championships but since 1992 it has had its own separate championship.
It has only been a part of the World Masters Athletics Champs since 2013.
World Masters do not, as yet, maintain official world records for this event. New Zealand Masters do maintain records, however athletes remembering to apply for records is a somewhat patchy affair, particularly given the Centres have not adopted the distance for record maintenance.
Where Centre records are better performances than National or World records, this likely indicates that the athlete either failed to apply for the record within the application window or was unable to meet the stricter paperwork requirements. More recent records could still be in the processing stage at World or National level.
Note: Athletes move. Wellington records applicable to athletes registered to Wellington at time of performance. Island championship records applicable to athletes registered to that island at time of performance. NZ records applicable to athletes registered appropriately to NZMA at time of performance. Oceania championship records applicable to athletes registered to OMA at time of performance. World records quote national affiliation of athlete at time of performance.
Curiously, World Masters do not maintain Half Marathon World Records; they only maintain Championship Records.
Prior to the September 2016 agreement on shared membership between Athletics New Zealand and New Zealand Masters Athletics, only those masters athletes who had joined NZMA were eligible to claim records. Now domestic Masters Records can be claimed by both ANZ and NZMA members.
| NZ National | Oceania Champs | |
|---|---|---|
| M35 | 1:06:25 Sam Wreford (2018) | 1:15.18 Brendan Whelan AUS (2010) |
| M40 | 1:08:22 Ted McLachlan (1996) | 1:12:44 Tony Price NZL (1998) |
| M45 | 1:09:56 Simon Mace (2022) | 1:13.05 Georges Richmond PYF (2010) |
| M50 | 1:13:57 Glen Ferguson(2018) | 1:17:32 David Elward AUS (2002) |
| M55 | 1:17:01 Paul Hewitson (2022) | 1:21:06 Russell Jenkins AUS (2018) |
| M60 | 1:19:18 C Henderson (2004) | 1:19:28 Colin McLeod AUS (1998) |
| M65 | 1:23:27 L Wigham (1999) | 1:22:25 Colin McLeod AUS (2002) |
| M70 | 1:26:49 Selwyn Opie (1996) | 1:31.58 Colin McLeod AUS (2008) |
| M75 | 1:27:51 I Mallowes (2004) | 1:44:11 Irwin Barrett-Lennard AUS (2006) |
| M80 | 2:01:22 Roger Robinson (2022) | 2:23:25 Bill Page AUS (2014) |
| NZ National | Oceania Champs | |
|---|---|---|
| W35 | 1:17.17 Lisa Cross (2019) | 1:26:17 Yvonne Evans NZL (2006) |
| W40 | 1:17.13 Penny Peskett(2017) | 1:29:25 Jenny Dowie AUS (2002) |
| W45 | 1:17.03 Sally Gibbs (2013) | 1:19:38 Bernie Portesnki NZL (1998) |
| W50 | 1:18:58 Sally Gibbs (2015) | 1:36:41 Brenda Fortune NZL (2006) |
| W55 | 1:24:27 Sally Gibbs (2022) | 1:32:33 Lavinia Petrie AUS (2002) |
| W60 | 1:24.06 Bernie Portenski (2010) | 1:40.07 Judth Stewart NZL (2010) |
| W65 | 1:38.26 Michele Allison (2020) | 1:40.10 Lavinia Petrie AUS (2012) |
| W70 | 1:54.55 Barbara Patrick(2018) | 1:37:38 Lavinia Petrie AUS (2014) |
| W75 | 2:26.11 Clasina Van der Veeken (2008) | 2:26.11 Clasina van der Veeken NZL (2008) |
| W80 | no record | 2:39.21 Clasina van der Veeken NZL (2012) |