What is the Grand Slam?

In the context of the Auckland Half Marathon Series, the "Grand Slam" means completing all five events in the Auckland Half Marathon Series at Classic distance or greater. It is a milestone of great personal achievement, of perseverance, of the support of family and friends ... and even a measure of good luck to avoid injury, illness or any other pitfall that might preclude your taking part on any given day. The Grand Slam does not depend on how "good" you are at running or walking, how fast you can complete the event. Finishing is all that counts. Over. And over. And over again.

What are the Awards?

There are two Grand Slam awards to each person, each season. The Grand Slam Medal is awarded to all those who finish all five events in that single season at Classic distance or greater. The AHMS Medal Hanger is further awarded to all those who complete all five events at Half Marathon distance.

How do I Qualify For The Grand Slam Medal? *

If you meet all of the following criteria, a Grand Slam Medal will be waiting for you at the collection tent at the Waterfront Half Marathon:

• Record a finish time in the official Devonport Half Marathon results in the 10K or 21K
• Record a finish time in the official Omaha Half Marathon results in the 10K or 21K
• Record a finish time in the official Coatesville Half Marathon results in the 10K or 21K
• Record a finish time in the official Maraetai Half Marathon results in the 10K or 21K
• Complete the Waterfront Half Marathon in either the 10K or 21K races

How do I Qualify For AHMS Medal Hanger? *

If you meet all of the following criteria, an AHMS Medal Hanger will be awarded to you when you collect your Grand Slam medal:

• Record a finish time in the official Devonport Half Marathon results in the 21K
• Record a finish time in the official Omaha Half Marathon results in the 21K
• Record a finish time in the official Coatesville Half Marathon results in the 21K
• Record a finish time in the official Maraetai Half Marathon results in the 21K
• Complete the Waterfront Half Marathon in the 21K race

How do I Collect My Awards?

Grand Slam awards can be collected from the yellow collection tent located right after you finish at the Waterfront Half Marathon. Ensure you have your race number and our friendly crew will look you up on the VIP list and present your awards to you. Easy as.
Important! Remember to check your name on the qualifier listed (posted prominently on this web site) in the week leading up to the Waterfront Half Marathon. Names can be missed for a number of reasons, particularly if you are not checking your results throughout the season or you register for each event seperately. It is your personal responsiblity to check the list prior to the event and contact us at least 48 hours prior to the event so we can investigate. If your name does not appear on the list, you will not be able to collect your award on race day.

* I can't make it to [x] Event. Are there any exceptions?

We get it. There are many, many reasons why you may be forced to miss one of the events – thus invalidating your Grand Slam quest. Whilst being there on the exact day and doing the exact distance is exactly what the challenge is all about, we nevertheless understand how “normal life” can get in the way sometimes. So we have created a Virtual Substitute Finish variation to the qualification rules to allow as many people as possible to validate their Grand Slam medal. The criteria for the Virtual Substitute Finish is noted below and will be applied to everyone without exception or deviation.

Virtual Substitute rules:

• Each athlete is permitted only one Virtual Substitute Finish in any single AHMS season
• Virtual Substitute Finish is only available at Devonport, Omaha, Coatesville and Maraetai Half Marathons
• No finish at Waterfront Half Marathon = No Grand Slam award.
• To validate your Virtual Substitute Finish, you simply complete the corresponding Virtual Run for that event.
• All existing standard rules and provisions for our Virtual runs apply. Read them here.

Remember … if it was easy, it would not mean so much!

I didn't quite manage it. Can I buy the medal and/or hanger instead?

No. These items cannot be purchased. They must be earned.