Would-be runners in the Auckland Marathon are desperately chasing entry tickets six weeks out from the event.

But the sell-out will help ease the pain of injured runners with no use for their tickets: they’re already worth up to three times their value on TradeMe.

A handful of auctions are already underway on the website, with bids for half-marathon entries at $110-153.

One auction of a full marathon ticket has sprinted away to $400 from a starting point just over $100.

But as yet no thwarted runners have been desperate enough to bid on two auctions with starting prices set at $300-350.

The original tickets cost $106 for the full marathon and $89 for the half. Late entry fees would have cost up to $151 but tickets were sold out even before the first early entry fee deadline.

Tickets for the marathon sold out on September 2, two months before the event, according to a stern voicemail message on the organisation’s phoneline.

The message tells callers there will be no further tickets released and no waiting list compiled.

The 5km walk and quarter marathon are the only events still open.
Those buying tickets on TradeMe or from friends will have to pay an extra $25 to organisers to change the registration into their name and can upgrade half marathon tickets to full race entry for the price difference.

The number of participants was limited to 7500 this year, down from 10,200 last year, due to constraints in getting runners across the Harbour Bridge.