Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa 5k

The Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa 5K is a new lakefront course in Rotorua, starting and finishing close together on the northern edge of the city centre. From the start the route heads east along the shore of Lake Rotorua, then follows Hatupatu Drive south along the edge of Sulphur Bay. It turns inland through the lakeside reserves and Government Gardens area, including a geothermal section, then heads west along the city's southern streets before running north through the city centre grid back to the finish. The surface is a mix of road, gravel path and trail, and the profile is flat throughout, making the course suitable for families as well as faster runners. Sulphur Bay and the geothermal features beside the lake provide scenery along the way.