11 Strong NZ Team Lines Up For World Road Running Champs

Eleven New Zealanders line up at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen on 19 and 20 September, across the three disciplines on the programme: the half marathon, the 5km and the road mile.

The team mixes road specialists with track and middle-distance runners taking on the road, and ranges in age from 22 to 34. Six will contest the half marathon, two the 5km and three the road mile.

Half Marathon

The half marathon closes the championships on Sunday 20 September, reusing the Copenhagen Half Marathon route through the city and finishing in Fælledparken. The women start at 9:10am local time, 7:10pm Sunday in New Zealand, and the men at 9:45am, 7:45pm.

Four New Zealand men take on the half marathon, led by Toby Gualter. The 25-year-old from Wellington is the fastest of the group with 1:03:01 from the Gold Coast in July, and arrives off a busy year that brought five national titles from 5000m to the 10km road and the Oceania 5000m crown in Darwin. He also grabbed national headlines with his attempt at Bill Baillie’s one-hour record at Mt Smart Stadium. Connor Melton, 27, and William Little, 26, both featured in the same Launceston half marathon in May, Melton finishing 10th in 1:03:25 and Little 11th in 1:03:37; Melton brings a 4:04.27 mile best to the road, while Christchurch-based Little owns a 28:47 10km road best. Taonga Mbambo, 25, completes the quartet with a 1:03:45 best set in Christchurch in April 2025.

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Melton comes to the road from cross country and sees a natural fit. “My bread and butter is cross country, but a lot of people say that’s pretty analogous to a half marathon, so I haven’t had to change my training too much,” he said. “Looking back, I’ve probably been training like a half marathoner for the last few years anyway.” He is happy to sit in rather than force the pace: “I’m hoping to get pulled along, get into a good group and run a quick time. Something around 63 minutes would be nice.”

Georgie Grgec leads the two women over the distance, and her 1:09:13 from Berlin in 2025 is the fastest half marathon credential in the team. The 32-year-old was born in Auckland and is now based in Melbourne; she ran 1:09:14 at the Sunshine Coast in August and holds a World Ranking of 117th. She is joined by Katherine Camp, the most experienced runner in the squad at 34 and an eight-time national champion whose titles stretch from 800m to the 10km road.

Grgec has raced mostly on the road this year and is relishing the different shape of a championship-only field. “I’ve never done a women’s-only half marathon,” she said. “In the mass events you’ve always had guys you can try to tuck in with, so it’ll be interesting to see the race dynamic, whether there’ll be packs or you’re spread out by yourself.” A fast day would suit her: “I’d love to get a personal best, if it’s a fast race.”

5km

The 5K is run on Saturday 19 September, starting on Østerbrogade and winding past the historic Nyboder district and along Copenhagen’s lakes. The women race at 2:10pm local time, 12:10am Sunday in New Zealand, and the men at 2:40pm, 12:40am.

The 5km brings two athletes stepping down from longer track efforts. Theo Quax earns his first black singlet in Copenhagen, following in the footsteps of his father, Dick Quax. The 26-year-old opened his road account in Düsseldorf in September with 13:40, after a season spent largely on the track and boards that included a 13:16.83 indoor 5000m best. He is joined by the youngest member of the team, 22-year-old Hannah Gapes, who comes off a US collegiate season with a 15:25.93 5000m best from the NCAA Championships in Eugene and a 4:07.44 1500m best, both set this year.

Road Mile

The road mile opens the programme on Saturday 19 September, a V-shaped dash down Østerbrogade that finishes past Parken Stadium. The women go at 10:10am local time, 8:10pm Saturday in New Zealand, and the men at 10:30am, 8:30pm.

The road mile fields the team’s fastest turnover. Samuel Tanner carries the squad’s highest World Ranking at 62nd, along with a 4:02.91 road mile best set in Nelson late in 2025. The 26-year-old from Tauranga, a seven-time national champion across 1500m, the mile and 3000m, raced the mile at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this year and finished ninth in the final. He lines up with two athletes better known over shorter distances: Alison Andrews-Paul, 28, an Oceania 800m champion and World Indoor semi-finalist this year with a 2:00.63 best, and 23-year-old Kimberley May, the 2025 World University Games 1500m bronze medallist, who owns a 4:04.40 best for the distance.

For May, a 1500m runner stepping onto the road, Copenhagen is a marker on the way to a big two years. “I’m looking at this as a stepping stone, especially with worlds and then the Olympics coming up,” she said. “Race experience is massive once you get to this stage, because we don’t really run on this stage ever.” Her plan is simple: “I just want to run with confidence and run like myself, enjoy it and be proud.”

Schedule and how to follow

The road mile and 5K are run on Saturday 19 September, with the half marathon on Sunday 20 September. All three are flat, fast courses through central Copenhagen that finish on Øster Allé beside Fælledparken, the festival hub for the weekend. Copenhagen crowns six individual world titles, along with mixed-team titles in the mile and 5K that are scored on each nation’s two fastest men and two fastest women.

Elite race Day Copenhagen (CEST) New Zealand (NZST)

• Women's Road Mile Sat 19 Sep 10:10am Sat 8:10pm
• Men's Road Mile Sat 19 Sep 10:30am Sat 8:30pm
• Women's 5K Sat 19 Sep 2:10pm Sun 12:10am
• Men's 5K Sat 19 Sep 2:40pm Sun 12:40am
• Women's Half Marathon Sun 20 Sep 9:10am Sun 7:10pm
• Men's Half Marathon Sun 20 Sep 9:45am Sun 7:45pm

The races stream worldwide on World Athletics+ at worldathletics.org, subject to geo-restrictions, and the championships’ Where to Watch page lists the broadcaster for each country.

Bib Athlete Event Age Personal best

300 Toby Gualter Half Marathon 25 1:03:01

303 Connor Melton Half Marathon 27 1:03:25

301 William Little Half Marathon 26 1:03:37

302 Taonga Mbambo Half Marathon 25 1:03:45

761 Georgie Grgec Half Marathon 32 1:09:13

759 Katherine Camp Half Marathon 34 1:13:24

304 Theo Quax 5km 26 13:40

760 Hannah Gapes 5km 22 5000m: 15:25.93

305 Samuel Tanner Road Mile 26 4:02.91

758 Alison Andrews-Paul Road Mile 28 800m: 2:00.63

762 Kimberley May Road Mile 23 1500m: 4:04.40

About Athletics NZ:

Athletics NZ is the national governing body of Athletics in New Zealand. Athletics NZ exists to deliver great athletics experiences. We work with our partners, sponsors and stakeholders across New Zealand to support our growing network of clubs, communities and their members.

We provide an affiliation and support structure that aims to ensure there are safe, fun and accessible opportunities for all to participate, from pre-schoolers through to adults.

As a World Athletics member, Athletics New Zealand is tasked with enhancing and promoting all aspects of athletics activity in New Zealand. From grass roots community participation to international high-performance competition, disciplines include track and field athletics, cross country running, mountain running, road running, road walking as well as associated programmes and development initiatives.

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