Hawke's Bay Marathon for Asics New Zealand

The Hawke's Bay Marathon is one of New Zealand's most beloved regional sporting events — a celebration of endurance, community, and the stunning landscapes of the region that draws runners from across the country and beyond every year. Being asked to serve as the official event photographer for global footwear and sportswear giant Asics was an absolute honour, and one of those briefs that reminds you just how varied and rewarding a career in commercial photography can be.

What makes the Hawke's Bay Marathon such a compelling subject for a Hawke's Bay event photographer is the sheer volume of human stories playing out across a single day. Emotion, grit, determination, joy, exhaustion, triumph — sometimes all on the same face within minutes of each other. There are elite runners chasing times and first-timers crossing a finish line they weren't sure they'd reach. People running for loved ones, running through injury, running to prove something to themselves. As a Hawke's Bay commercial photographer, an entrepreneur, and a gym goer myself, I connect deeply with that mindset and I think it shows in the work.

Sports photography also happens to be an enormous amount of fun. It's fast, unpredictable, and demands that you stay sharp and reactive across a full day of coverage. The Hawke's Bay landscape provided a stunning backdrop throughout, and working alongside a brand of Asics' calibre — with their deep understanding of what sport means to people — made for a genuinely brilliant day.

If you're a brand, event organiser, or sponsor looking for a Hawke's Bay event photographer or Hawke's Bay commercial photographer to cover your next sporting or community event, I'd love to hear from you.